Reconstructed Gastraphetes

[D B Campbell]

Polybius (VIII, 5) tells of crossbows ("skorpidia" - "small scorpions") invented by Archimedes against the Romans, perhaps an evolution of gastraphetes already used by the Syracusans in the siege of Mothya (397 BC).

I know that Drachmann suggested this back in the 1970s, but in reality, it was probably common to draw an analogy between a scorpion and any smallish arrow-shooter. Philon calls Dionysius' polybolos a "skorpidion" (73 Thévenot = 146-7 Marsden), and that machine definitely has nothing in common with the gastraphetes!