William Gurstelle - The Art of the Catapult: Build Greek Ballistae, Roman Onagers, English Trebuchets, and More Ancient Artillery, 2nd Edition

Copyright 2018 by William Gurstelle

All rights reserved

Published by Chicago Review Press, Incorporated

814 North Franklin Street

Chicago, Illinois 60610

ISBN 978-0-912777-33-7

The author and the publisher of this book disclaim all liability incurred inconnection with the use of the information contained in this book.

For more information, visit www.ArtOfTheCatapult.com

Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data

Names: Gurstelle, William, author.

Title: The art of the catapult : build Greek ballistae, Roman onagers, English trebuchets, and more ancient artillery / William Gurstelle.

Description: Second edition. | Chicago, Illinois : Chicago Review Press, [2018] | Includes bibliographical references and index.

Identifiers: LCCN 2018013851 (print) | LCCN 2018017438 (ebook) | ISBN 9780912777344 (adobe pdf) | ISBN 9780912777351 (epub) | ISBN 9780912777368 (kindle) | ISBN 9780912777337 (trade paper)

Subjects: LCSH: Catapult--History--Juvenile literature. | Catapult--Design and construction--Juvenile literature. | Ballista--History--Juvenile literature. | Ballista--Design and construction--Juvenile literature. | Weapons, Ancient--Juvenile literature. | Weapons, Ancient--Design and construction--Juvenile literature.

Classification: LCC U875 (ebook) | LCC U875 .G87 2018 (print) | DDC 623.4/41--dc23

LC record available at https://lccn.loc.gov/2018013851

Cover design: Andrew J. Brozyna

Interior design: Jonathan Hahn

Interior layout: Andrew J. Brozyna

Interior illustrations: Laura DArgo and Casimir Sienkiewicz; Damien Scogin

Printed in the United States of America

5 4 3 2 1

This book is dedicated to the authors of the books I enjoyed so much when I was younger, and still do today.

In particular, H. H. Windsor (The Boy Mechanic), William Allan Brooks (Fun for Boys), Don Herbert (Mr. Wizards Experiments for Young Scientists), Joseph H. Adams (Harpers Electricity Book for Boys), and Daniel Carter Beard (The American Boys Handy Book).

Except for Don Herbert, these men wrote their books in the 1940s and before. Happily, times have changed, and if these great authors were still at work, girls would certainly be included in the audience for such terrific activities as well as in their book titles.

The rocks of the hills, taken and shaped by hard work,

Are made to soar forward from the sling of a machine;

Through wind and clouds they ride upon their way,

Like meteors, they thunder through space

Unknown Chinese poet, 1300

I n the days before gunpowder was invented, ancient military commanders used large, powerful throwing machines to help them lay siege to castles and forts. Warring countries would often invade each other with the aim of taking land, riches, and treasure from their neighbors. To prevent attackers from invading them and causing trouble, rulers raised armies, trained warriors, and, most important, built forts and castles for protection. Some of these forts had stone walls several feet thick and were surrounded by deep moats with drawbridges. The forts were built on high ground, allowing the defenders to look down upon attacking armies and fend them off by throwing spears, shooting arrows, and hurling stones at them. Attacking a castle was a hard job, and not one to be taken lightly. The invaders would need a lot of motivation, courage, and luck to have any chance at success.

Despite the protection provided by a fort or castle, wars and invasions were frequent. Political troubles, greed, and the power struggles of kings and princes often turned into armed military confrontations between kingdoms, regions, and cities. And, when mens thoughts turned to making war, they also turned to thoughts of building machines for winning the war. How did ancient warriors attack a fortified castle and win, before the days of cannons, airplanes, and tanks?