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Siege weapons were used to breach walls of cities, castles, and fortresses. The first ones were the assault ram and ladder, later evolving into more sophisticated machines such as the catapult, trebuchet, and ballista. Siege weapons were expensive and often built on the battlefield.
Siege weapons date back to the early days of warfare and were the most fearsome and destructive devices of their time. Although siege weapons largely went out of fashion with the invention of gunpowder and other explosive devices, their primary purpose was to breach the walls of cities, castles and fortresses. They could be used from long distances and were generally designed to hurl massive stones, flaming materials, and even dead animals at an enemy.
The first siege weapons were most likely the assault ram and ladder. The first ram was probably just a big log pushed by many men against a door. Later, the ram became quite sophisticated, with handles, a weighted, pointed end, and even a type of roof that protected the operators from being burned by boiling oil, water, or lead dumped on the castle parapets. Some archaeologists now think that the Trojan horse, as described by the poet Virgil in his Aeneid, was actually a gigantic ram.
Siege weapons have taken many innovative and increasingly destructive forms. Due to their expense and massive size, the machines were often built on the battlefield. Alexander the Great was a fan of siege weaponry and the legendary siege tower known as “Helepolis” is purported to have been over 100 feet (30.5m) tall, filled with skilled archers and covered in iron. Roman legions preferred to assault huge enemy fortifications by building massive earth ramps that exceeded the height of the walls, a process that could take years and result in the deaths of countless workers.
Siege weapons really hit the bull’s-eye during the medieval period. The catapult was first designed in Ancient Greece and the trebuchet created in China in the 4th century BC Their popularity in European battlefields reached new heights between the 4th and 16th centuries AD Both machines were designed to hurl everything from cannonballs and rocks at carrion and human corpses. The former were used to break down defenses, while the latter were intended to both terrorize city residents and spread disease.
Another terrifying siege weapon was the ballista, a crossbow that fired a huge bolt. The bowstring of this device was pulled back by many soldiers. As science progressed and technology increased, men turned a large crank or mechanical screw to wind the string. Once released, the giant arrow would slam into the defenders, wreaking widespread havoc.
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