The only difference was that the springald had a vertical springboard fixed at its lower end, and was meant for use in compact spaces. The ballista was modified to form the S pringald, a weapon that worked on the same principle as a ballista. However, its major drawback was its short range. It was one of the most accurate siege instruments of the Medieval Era. It is said that one of the major reasons the Romans were so successful in building up such a huge empire is that they used the ballista to destroy walls of forts and enemy cities, in seconds. The ballista works on the principle of the catapult, where the tension of a twisted rope is used to throw huge stones at high speeds along a flat trajectory. It was immobile and had to be constructed at the site of warfare. It was used to fire arrows and other sharp objects and was also called the dart-throwing machine. The second oldest siege weapon in history, the name is derived from the Greek word ballista which means ‘to throw’.
and was similar to the modern crossbow in appearance. The ballista was invented by the Greeks in the 8th century B.C. Here we shall learn about the different kinds of catapults used during the Middle Ages. Be it the massive trebuchet or the mangonel, they were all feared for their ability to cause widespread devastation. Medieval catapults varied widely in shape, size and design, although the purpose of use was almost the same. What’s more, most of them weren’t even portable! They were constructed on site before a battle began and were mostly built from wood. These Medieval ‘monsters’ were really huge and it was scary to see them in action. They were used to hurl a host of objects to agonize the enemy, and had been instrumental in the conquest of many cities. These massive weapons of the Medieval times were known to have the power to bring down castles and forts. However, if you have watched movies depicting the Middle Ages, say Gladiator, Troy or Lord of the Rings – Return of the King, then you probably know how different types of catapults were used as weapons of destruction. When we think of catapults, what we conceive is a toy kids play with.
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