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Period: 500 BCE to 1400
History of the Catapult
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400 BCE
Original Catapult was invented
The Greek Dionysius the Elder of Syracuse, who was looking to develop a new type of weapon, invented the catapult about 400 BCE
https://www.smith.edu/hsc/museum/ancient_inventions/hsc11b.htm#:~:text=The%20Greek%20Dionysius%20the%20Elder,so%20up%20through%20mediaeval%20times. -
385 BCE
Onager Catapult was inveneted
The onager was created in 385 BCE in Greece by the mechanic Ammianus Marcellinus. The onager was called this as it meant donkey this is because the romans said it was like the kick
of a wild donkey.
https://imperiumromanum.pl/en/roman-army/siege-machines-of-ancient-romans/onager/#:~:text=According%20to%20other%20sources%2C%20the,the%20machine%2C%20onager%20or%20donkey. -
1100
Springald Catapult was invented
The Springald catapult was invented in the 11th century A.D. It had the body of a cart and was a great catapult to be on the defensive. It had torsion which later developed into having tension. The Springald was to be in a fort instead of being out in the battlefield. It was a close-range catapult and it wasn't very efficient.
https://prezi.com/c5n2gnswzmma/history-of-the-catapult/?frame=5bccf7687bd93ce7ad7d3bed2d3a5628bc7d9892 -
1200
Trebuchet Catapult was invented
The Trebuchet catapult was invented in the 12th century A.D. They were mostly based on decreasing human effort. They were larger than most catapults and didn't really use tension or torsion. They, instead, were using counterweight to hurl heavy object at enemies. The Trebuchet was almost always on the battlefield to be used as a siege weapon.
https://prezi.com/c5n2gnswzmma/history-of-the-catapult/?frame=6ead0962eb377984bb8cd817cde7f44d959fc08f -
1304
Warwolf Catapult was invented
The Warwolf was created under king Edwards demands in 1304. The war wolf was from 300-400 feet high and could hurl stones 120 miles per hour and could hit walls from up to 200 yards. The max weight it could hurl was 300 pounds, this trebuchet was so powerful and so big that anyone who saw it tried to surrender.
https://www.medievalchronicles.com/medieval-weapons/castle-siege-weapons/warwolf/#:~:text=The%20Warwolf%20was%20a%20siege,the%20largest%20trebuchet%20ever%20built.
