User:Alienmanboychild/sandbox

The ancient Greek Ballista first appears in historic literature in the 4th century b.c. and made very creative use of the newly invented Torsion Spring. (See siege engine mechanics for details.) The design of the ballista was such that it could be built in small to large sizes and could be configured to throw either stones or bolts.

Eventually becoming primarily a bolt thrower, the ballista was used by attackers and defenders alike as an effective anti-personnel weapon. For defenders, the positioning of ballistas (ballistae) upon the walls of a fortification would afford additional range to the weapon, and some versions were built on a pivoting frame to allow for quickly repositioning a shot. For attackers, another version of the ballista was wagon mounted, the carro-ballista, allowing it great mobility in the field. The ballista could also be a powerful delivery system for the launching of flaming bolts over distant walls.