Evolution of Roman Artillery - How Powerful Was It?

Summary by Krater

This video explores the history, evolution, types, and tactical uses of ancient artillery in the Greek and Roman worlds, analyzing how torsion-powered weapons like ballistas and catapults functioned and were deployed in historical sieges and battles, and evaluating how accurately they are depicted in Hollywood films.

From the video

Answers: How powerful and prevalent was ancient artillery, and how was it used in battle?

• Evolution of ancient artillery
• Torsion springs in siege weapons
• Roman and Greek military tactics
• Historical accuracy of movie artillery

What it concludes

• Torsion-powered artillery replaced traditional bending bows, allowing weapons to store more energy efficiently.
• Roman artillery was primarily deployed during sieges for suppression and targeting defenses rather than open-field skirmishing.
• Movie depictions of ancient artillery in antiquity settings are generally plausible if one discounts fire arrows and explosions and accounts for friendly fire avoidance.