Ballista During The Medieval Era

The Medieval Ballista was a crossbow like weapon used during siege warfare. The word Ballista comes from the Greek word “Ballistes” which means “to throw”. The Ballista was a valuable siege attack weapon. The Ballista worked by using tension. It was designed to fire huge wooden, iron clad, darts or arrows which were powered by coils of hair, rope, or sinew. The tension in the coils helps launch the projectiles with enough force to give them great penetration through enemy walls or people. Ballista’s could be used both on offense or defense. The Ballista is thought to be a war device first invented by the Greeks and then improved by the Romans. During the Medieval era the Ballista reached Europe and was used by the French. During the siege of