Roman Weapons of War
Onager (350AD)
The Romans were excellent at siege tactics and engineering
A few of their most famous sieges were at Alesia (52BC) and Jerusalem (70AD)
They had great ways of protecting their soldiers as they laid siege, which included:
Siege towers (up to 30 metres tall) which were covered in animal hides or metal plates. They were often built with drawbridges, and were used to gain height on the enemy
Hide-covered galleries (which were like little huts on wheels)
The famous testudo or tortoise formation
Battering rams made of wood and metal, housed in galleries
Plumbata were darts (usually 5) strapped to the inside of a soldier’s shield
Types of Catapults: 1) Carroballista which fired arrows
2) Ballista which fired lead shots or stones (up to 45 kilo in weight)
3) Onager (‘wild ass’) – one-armed weapon which lobbed rocks
A few of their most famous sieges were at Alesia (52BC) and Jerusalem (70AD)
They had great ways of protecting their soldiers as they laid siege, which included:
Siege towers (up to 30 metres tall) which were covered in animal hides or metal plates. They were often built with drawbridges, and were used to gain height on the enemy
Hide-covered galleries (which were like little huts on wheels)
The famous testudo or tortoise formation
Battering rams made of wood and metal, housed in galleries
Plumbata were darts (usually 5) strapped to the inside of a soldier’s shield
Types of Catapults: 1) Carroballista which fired arrows
2) Ballista which fired lead shots or stones (up to 45 kilo in weight)
3) Onager (‘wild ass’) – one-armed weapon which lobbed rocks