Roman Ballistae in Modern Popular Culture

[M. Demetrius]

From what I've read, their range and accuracy was very impressive. Nothing like massing for battle while incoming bolts are peppering the troops (and a bolt could go through more than one person, especially the larger bolts), meanwhile the ballista crews are well out of range--and there would be a large open area to cross... Not the best morale-builder, I'd imagine. Plus some of the siege weapons could throw stones larger than a man's head 500-700 meters or more. Those take down more than one person if they hit in a mob, and a man's shield would do nothing but provide some shade against that kind of attack.

That would seem like a win to me, if I were on the ballista side of the battle.