Medieval Torsion Catapults

[Nathan Ross]

Constantine Porphyrogenitus. De Administrando Imperio. English translation by R.J.H. Jenkins. Washington, 1967, pp. 259-261

Thanks! A fascinating account of an otherwise-unknown campaign... The date would be very late third century or very early fourth - there was indeed a Roman legionary garrison in the vicinity at this point.

It seems as if the Romans took the artillery ('arbelests') from their static fortifications and mounted them in carts.

However, the note that the 'tribune Constans' later became emperor and was the father of Constantine sounds a bit fishy! This might have been a bit of artistic licence, though (or just confusion, Constans/Constantius), which doesn't completely invalidate the whole.