Announcement

Collapse
No announcement yet.

Roman Ballista on EBay

Collapse
X
 
  • Filter
  • Time
  • Show
Clear All
new posts

  • Roman Ballista on EBay

    Full-size Roman siege artillery offered on eBay
    Track this topic Print story Post comment Ideal for seeing off local Vandals. Or Goths

    By Lewis Page • Get more from this author

    Posted in Bootnotes, 1st October 2008 09:14 GMT

    Some may doubt the practical value of the typical item offered for sale at famed online megajumblemall eBay. This viewpoint will be either reinforced or shattered to rubble by the news that a full size, potentially serviceable piece of Roman siege artillery has now appeared for auction.


    'At my signal, unleash Hell.'

    'Sorry general, the little wheel's fallen off.'
    The mighty ballista is offered for sale by custom timber housebuilders Carpenter Oak & Woodland, who built it for a joint BBC/Discovery Channel documentary in 2002. According to the makers, the machine successfully hurled a stone ball of unspecified size to a range of 127 yards, but knackered itself after just two shots. However, they are quite willing to restore it to working order if the buyer requires.

    The ballista, as connoisseurs of ancient siege weapons will be well aware, was based on quite advanced technology which the Romans originally lifted from the Greeks. It functions in many ways like a giant crossbow, though it was often used to shoot stone projectiles rather than spearlike bolts.

    The particular special sauce of the ballista, as opposed to ordinary bows using bent wood or metal to store energy - or later trebuchets using falling counterweights - was its torsion springs. In the original Roman weapon these were made from ox sinews, and were said to give the weapon excellent performance - perhaps as much as 400 yards' range against large targets.

    Carpenter Oak & Woodland apparently couldn't get hold of any ox sinew, and had to use shoddy modern trash instead:

    It’s tempting to think that, because the Romans did not have access to modern materials, the ballista could be improved upon. But the Roman’s choice of materials proved impossible to match – for instance, the throwing ropes were made of animal sinew. Modern ropes – even high-tech materials – proved to be far less effective – and of course the team rebuilding the ballista had to ‘make do’ with these newer ropes.


    Picture etc at:
    http://www.theregister.co.uk/2008/10...rtillery_ebay/

  • #2
    Put it in my yard and barrage houses of my enemies, now i need to start making enemies.

    Comment


    • #3
      Can we bring it to the party?
      Reddite igitur quae sunt Caesaris Caesari et quae sunt Dei Deo
      (Render therefore unto Caesar the things which are Caesar's and unto God the things which are God's)

      Comment


      • #4
        That's it, the SOBs one block down had allowed their dogs to soil the side walk of my appartment one last time.
        All those who are merciful with the cruel will come to be cruel to the merciful.
        -Talmud Kohelet Rabbah, 7:16.

        Comment


        • #5
          Again...How many of you are willing to put this up?

          The ballista is 7.5 meters tall, it is 8.5 meters long and weighs 12 tons.
          A grain of wheat eclipsed the sun of Adam !!

          Comment


          • #6
            Ballista .... The most effective weapon of that time
            Attached Files
            Last edited by Sumku; 21 Oct 08,, 20:48. Reason: Correction

            Comment


            • #7
              I have been told it sold for just over £15,000 to a museum :(

              Comment


              • #8
                Originally posted by snapper View Post
                I have been told it sold for just over £15,000 to a museum :(
                Good thing that it went to a Museum

                Comment


                • #9
                  Originally posted by Sumku View Post
                  Good thing that it went to a Museum
                  I would prefer it in my front garden, (its Halloween soon and any kid that wants sweets off me is going to have to run a gauntlet to get them)
                  Besides they say an Englishman's home is his castle...
                  Nulli Secundus
                  People always talk of dying for their country, and never of making the other bastard die for his

                  Comment

                  Working...
                  X