_Of Machines of War_.
[Sidenote: _Lib. 10. Chap. 15._]
The _Machines_ of VVar of the Ancients were of three Sorts, for they
were made either to Lance, Arrows, such as were the _Scorpions_ or
_Javelins_, such as were the _Catapulta's_, or Stones, such as were
_Ballista's_ or fiery Darts, such as were the _Pyroboli_, or they were
made to beat down the VValls, such as were the battering Rams, and the
_Terebra_, or to come covered to the VValls, and so safely Mount the
Ramparts, such as were the _Tortoises_ or _Testudo's_, and the Towers of
VVood.
[Sidenote: _Lib. 10. Chap. 18._]
The _Scorpions_ were a sort of great Crossbows, which were made use of
to defend the VValls, and which likewise the Assailants made use of in
the wooden Towers, to annoy those that defended the VValls.
The _Catapulta_, lanced Javelins or Javelots, from 12 to 15 Foot in
length, they were made of two Trees, set one against another, like the
Masts of a Ship, which were bended in drawing them with a Hand-Mill.
These Trees being on a suddain unbent, furiously struck together, and
forced violently the Javelin. They were bent the one after the other by
the same Cord, which was made of Guts, to the end, that the Master who
managed the Engine, might be assured, that the two Trees or Beams were
equally bent. He knew it by sounding the Cord when both the Beams were
bent, and when the End above was drawn even to the Capital of the
_Machine_, where they were stayed by a Pin of Iron, which was driven out
by a quick stroke of a Hammer when they unbent it. There was a Cylinder
which traversed an excentrical piece, by the help of which they
heightned, or let down the End of one of the Beams below, according as
the Master of the _Machine_ judged it necessary, for the augmenting or
diminishing their bent, which was known by the sound of the Cord, which
was alike in both, when they were equally bent. See Table XI.
The _Ballista's_ were bended and strung as the _Catapulta's_, but
instead of Javelins, they cast great Stones.
[Sidenote: _Lib._ 10. _Chap._ 22.]
The _Pyroboli_ were _Machines_, which lanced or cast Darts, to vvhich
vvas fixed combustible Matter, vvhich vvas kindled vvhen they darted it
against _Machines_ of VVar or Shipping.
The Ram vvas to beat dovvn Walls and make breaches. It vvas a great Beam
headed with Iron; it vvas hung by the middle, and pushed by the
Soldiery vvith great violence against the Walls.
The _Terebra_ vvas something like the Ram, being a strong Beam pointed
vvith Iron, but it vvas sharp pointed, and it made vvay for the Ram,
splitting the Stones.
[Sidenote: _Lib. 10. Chap. 20._]
The _Testudo_ or _Tortoise_, vvere great large and low Towers of Wood,
which were rowled upon six or eight Wheels, they were covered with raw
Hides to defend them from fire. Their use was to cover them that
approached the Walls to undermine them, or beat them with the battering
Ram.
The Towers of Wood were made to raise the Assailants as high as the
Walls, to chace the Besieged away with Arrows and Scorpions, and to lay
Bridges from the Towers to the Wall; they were sometimes Thirty Fathoms
high, having Twenty Stages. They were covered, as the _Tortoises_ with
raw Hides; they had each of them a Hundred Men, which were employed as
well to move them, as to annoy the Besieged.
_FINIS._