Ballista!

[Gordopolis]

Thanks to the 8th Augusta legion for letting me shoot their ballista last weekend at Vindolanda.

Check out the clean hole the bolt punched through the armour strip that was attached to the target board - and that was just at quarter strength!

I often write of ballista bolts wrecking their way through one, two, three or more men on the battlefield, and the tests show they were indeed that devastating

 

Edited April 19, 2022 by Gordopolis

[guy]

On 4/19/2022 at 2:08 AM, Gordopolis said:

 

I often write of ballista bolts wrecking their way through one, two, three or more men on the battlefield, and the tests show they were indeed that devastating

That is a horrifying thought, indeed.

(Scene from the movie “Gladiator” during the battle in Germania.)

Did you make a video of the test shots?

[caldrail]

In fact the Romans used a hand cranked version of a ballista able to repeatedly fire (though I imagine that device was on the smaller side) during the invasion of Britannia. It was discarded quite quickly because using five or six bolts on a target that was killed by the first seemed wasteful.

[PhylisJackson]

Salvete fellow Romanophiles

I have been browsing your website for some time now so i thought it was about time i introduced myself.

Whilst researching the 2nd Legion Augusta I came across a centurion called Caius Caesius Silvester - my mothers maiden name was Silvester so i would like to adopt the name as my site name. How do i change from my current name?.

I have many interests in the Roman World but lean mainly to the technical side eg buildings , bridges, machines , water supplies etc.

Hopefully i will soon be contributing - work permitting.