There are five main types of catapult. Catapults were quite regularly used by the Romans and the Ancient Greeks before them. Their use evolved slightly and continued into the medieval times.
The five types are the Ballista, the Trebuchet, the Mangonel, the Springald and the Onager.
A Ballista is akin to a giant crossbow, and fires a large bolt via a tension spring method of generating momentum. The bolt was generally wooden and then clad in iron to form a dart or arrow. The tension was generated by a rope, hair and sinew combination to be strong enough to generate real force. The word 'Ballista' comes from the Greek 'Ballistes', meaning 'to throw'.
The Springald was a type of Ballista, but styled like a crossbow combined with a catapult; firing an arching spear or dart rather than a flat shot like a normal Ballista.
The Trebuchet is the most renowned type of catapult. It consists of a lever and sling style of firing projectiles, and used a counterweight to bring the long arm up to fire. Generally it threw stones at enemy forces, and it wasn't uncommon to see these stones coated in oil and set alight. In the Lord of the Rings you see the Orcs use their trebuchets in a less than savoury manner by firing soldiers' skulls into the city of Minas Tirith. The weapon is so powerful that a 200-pound stone could be slung up to 300 yards accurately, and further depending on the size of the machine.
A Mangonel is the more traditional image of a catapult in that it's a bowl-shaped bucket at the end of a giant arm that has a spring tension system that is then released. It was favured because of its easy construction and was fairly manoeuvrable. It could fire up to 1,300 feet high.
The Onager is a type of Mangonel, and originally opted for a sling rather than a bucket. It was generally a concise, more powerful style of Mangonel.
The five types are the Ballista, the Trebuchet, the Mangonel, the Springald and the Onager.
A Ballista is akin to a giant crossbow, and fires a large bolt via a tension spring method of generating momentum. The bolt was generally wooden and then clad in iron to form a dart or arrow. The tension was generated by a rope, hair and sinew combination to be strong enough to generate real force. The word 'Ballista' comes from the Greek 'Ballistes', meaning 'to throw'.
The Springald was a type of Ballista, but styled like a crossbow combined with a catapult; firing an arching spear or dart rather than a flat shot like a normal Ballista.
The Trebuchet is the most renowned type of catapult. It consists of a lever and sling style of firing projectiles, and used a counterweight to bring the long arm up to fire. Generally it threw stones at enemy forces, and it wasn't uncommon to see these stones coated in oil and set alight. In the Lord of the Rings you see the Orcs use their trebuchets in a less than savoury manner by firing soldiers' skulls into the city of Minas Tirith. The weapon is so powerful that a 200-pound stone could be slung up to 300 yards accurately, and further depending on the size of the machine.
A Mangonel is the more traditional image of a catapult in that it's a bowl-shaped bucket at the end of a giant arm that has a spring tension system that is then released. It was favured because of its easy construction and was fairly manoeuvrable. It could fire up to 1,300 feet high.
The Onager is a type of Mangonel, and originally opted for a sling rather than a bucket. It was generally a concise, more powerful style of Mangonel.
