06-27-2007, 07:36 PM
Quote:It would seem most unpractical to lug this much hardware around a battlefield and try to fire it out of hand, as any archer would be more mobile and have a higher rate of fire. This type of weapon would IMHO really come into it's own as a mobile artillery piece, firing long range projectiles into approaching troops from a rampart either in a castellum or fortress or from the castle of a marauding liburna.I think you're probably right, Robert.
With a modiolus (washer inner diameter) of 4.5cm, the Xanten catapult is a good bit bigger than Ephyra catapult #6, which is the only known (presumed?) hand-held catapult prior to the cheiroballistra. With a modiolus of 3.4cm, the Ephyra machine was a "1-footer", meaning that its arrows were 1 Greek foot in length (0.31m); this is a comfortable size for manhandling. The Xanten machine, on the other hand, was perhaps intended as a 2-span catapult, shooting arrows 0.40m long. It could well have been stand-mounted -- not necessarily a fixed tripod, but a portable prop in case there wasn't a handy rampart to lean it on!
Of course, it's difficult to tell until we see the official publication.