06-29-2007, 12:14 AM
Caesar's Gallic Wars, 7.25:
A certain Gaul before the gate of the town, who was casting into the fire opposite the turret balls of tallow and fire which were passed along to him, was pierced with a dart on the right side and fell dead. One of those next him stepped over him as he lay, and discharged the same office: when the second man was slain in the same manner by a wound from a cross-bow, a third succeeded him, and a fourth succeeded the third: nor was this post left vacant by the besieged, until, the fire of the mound having been extinguished, and the enemy repulsed in every direction, an end was put to the fighting.
According to Goldsworthy's In the Name of Rome, these were all bolts fired by scorpiones.
I noticed the word scorpione in the Latin text but does it also mention a crossbow/manuballista?
Or is it just a translation error?
A certain Gaul before the gate of the town, who was casting into the fire opposite the turret balls of tallow and fire which were passed along to him, was pierced with a dart on the right side and fell dead. One of those next him stepped over him as he lay, and discharged the same office: when the second man was slain in the same manner by a wound from a cross-bow, a third succeeded him, and a fourth succeeded the third: nor was this post left vacant by the besieged, until, the fire of the mound having been extinguished, and the enemy repulsed in every direction, an end was put to the fighting.
According to Goldsworthy's In the Name of Rome, these were all bolts fired by scorpiones.
I noticed the word scorpione in the Latin text but does it also mention a crossbow/manuballista?
Or is it just a translation error?
[size=75:18gu2k6n]- Roy Aarts[/size]
