Handheld crossbow? - Printable Version +- RomanArmyTalk (https://www.romanarmytalk.com/rat) +-- Forum: Research Arena (https://www.romanarmytalk.com/rat/forumdisplay.php?fid=4) +--- Forum: Roman Military History & Archaeology (https://www.romanarmytalk.com/rat/forumdisplay.php?fid=8) +--- Thread: Handheld crossbow? (/showthread.php?tid=2810) |
Handheld crossbow? - Gashford - 07-18-2002 Hello all,<br> <br> Recently I read about a hand held crossbow type weapon that was used either by the Roman army directly or by its auxillaries. Unfortunatly it was a piece of coffee table literature so I have niether a source or a reference.<br> <br> Can anyone help out with any information on the device, a name would be a great place to start and I can go from there.<br> <br> My thanks for any assistance<br> <br> Graham <p></p><i></i> Re: Handheld crossbow? - Guest - 07-18-2002 Salve,<br> <br> These weapons were discussed in this recent thread. Arrianus describes handheld devices used by cavalrymen in his <i> Tactica</i>.<br> <br> DeVoto, J.G., <i> Flavius Arrianus: Technè Taktika (Tactical handbook) and Ektaxis kata Alanoon (The expedition against the Alans)</i> (Chicago 1993)<br> 132p.<br> <br> In addition similar weapons may be mentioned in Vegetius.<br> <br> Vegetius, <i> Epitoma</i> 2.15<br> <br> <i> ... erant tragularii, qui ad manuballistas vel arcuballistas dirigebant sagittas. ...</i><br> <br> '... there used to be <i> tragularii</i>, who shot arrows with <i> manuballistae</i> or <i> arcuballistae</i>. ...'<br> <br> The <i> manuballista</i> may have been handheld, the <i> arcuballista</i> may have been bow powered rather than by torsion springs. Much of the technical terminology surrounding artillery is disputed though.<br> <br> It has been suggested that the units of <i> ballistarii</i> recorded in the <i> Notitia Dignitatum</i>, Vegetius (2.2; 3.14; 3.24) and Ammianus Marcellinus (16.2.5) would use crossbows/handheld torsion guns rather than heavy artillery pieces. The western part of the ND lists a unit of <i> balistarii</i> among the troops under the <i> magister equitum Galliarum</i>. The <i> dux Mogontiacensis</i> had a <i> praefectus militum balistariorum</i> under his command. The Eastern part of the ND has a <i> legio comitatensis</i> of <i> Balistarii seniores</i> and a <i> legio pseudocomitatensis</i> of <i> Balistarii Theodosiaci</i> in the army of the <i> magister equitum per Orientem</i>. The <i> magister militum per Thracias</i> had the <i> legiones comitatenses</i> of the <i> Balistarii Dafnenses</i> and <i> Balistarii Iuniores</i>. The <i> magister militum per Illyricum</i> commanded the <i> pseudocomitatenses</i> of the <i> Balistarii Theodosiani iuniores</i>.<br> <br> <br> Regards,<br> <br> Sander van Dorst <p></p><i></i> Re: Handheld crossbow? - richsc - 07-19-2002 I have to buy Connolly's Greece and Rome at War, but has anyone tried to reconstruct one of these things yet, or is this the first effort? <p>Richard Campbell, Legio XX. http://www.geocities.com/richsc53/studies/ ICQ 940236 </p><i></i> Re: Handheld crossbow? - Anonymous - 07-28-2002 I've seen a reconstructed gastrophetes (belly bow) either in a Military Heritage mag or maybe on the net. I don't remember. Check out this website for now.<br> 198.144.2.125/Siege/Blueprints.htm <p></p><i></i> |