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Many thanks for the link, Randi!
shock:
For those technically acquainted ones, the springald is an inswinger and it reminds somehow of the Late Roman inswinging catapults depicted on 'De Rebus Bellicis' 8)
Aitor
It\'s all an accident, an accident of hands. Mine, others, all without mind, from one extreme to another, but neither works nor will ever.
Rolf Steiner
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Juuso, I agree completely with your assessment of the machine. Some of the existing images even show them built into towers. None of the mobility or economy of the Roman or even the earlier Greek designs. It goes to show how much was "lost" during the Dark Ages. I'd love to have one of those screw type winches on my carroballista though. I sure don't like the idea of having to step inside the frame of the engine and manipulate the bowstring and projectiles. I guess there was less value placed on life and limb back then. I'll have to file it away in my "build a model of it someday" list.
P. Clodius Secundus (Randi Richert), Legio III Cyrenaica
"Caesar\'s Conquerors"
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Aitor,
Do you have a picture you could post up of these inswingers form De Rebus Bellicus?
Crispvs
Who is called \'\'Paul\'\' by no-one other than his wife, parents and brothers. :!: <img src="{SMILIES_PATH}/icon_exclaim.gif" alt=":!:" title="Exclamation" />:!:
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Beauty shops sell human hair for weave and such. it is not cheap, and would have to be woven into rope.
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Crispus,
I am meaning the 'ballista quadrirotis' and the 'ballista fulminalis'. both illustrations are copies from copies and, thus, corrupt beyond all hope. Nevertheless, they show hints of inner arms. Here I was only referring to their box-like appearance.
Probably springalds were the last and degraded descendants of torsion artillery. They were inswingers beyond any doubt and I hope that nobody will climb to his soapbox again to lecture us about the unfeasibility of inswingers which, moreover, were never in use... :wink:
Aitor
It\'s all an accident, an accident of hands. Mine, others, all without mind, from one extreme to another, but neither works nor will ever.
Rolf Steiner
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But, but Aitor, it is impossible that this machine could have been an inswinger. What balderdash!
I too think it is an interesting contraption. Kind of sad that the Medievals were "reinventing" the wheel, and badly in some ways. No wonder it was called the Dark Ages (with appologies to our Medieval bretheren).
Rusty, dealing with human hair vendors / suppliers on the wholesale level would be far more cost effective then buying hanks retail, as you suggest. And BTW, are your pera bags still on backorder from Depeeka? Curious minds want to know.
Dane Donato
Legio III Cyrenaica
