![]() ![]() The Roman writer Vitruvius mentions an innovation used by Alexander the Great, whereby the ram was supported by rollers rather than ropes or chains. Historical sources also attest to the use of battering rams by the ancient Greeks and the Romans, who employed them first in wars against the Gauls. Assyrian engravings demonstrate how large and advanced these siege engines had become by the 9 th century BC, with battering rams being covered in wet hides. During the iron age, battering rams were used across the Middle East and the Mediterranean. The earliest depiction is thought to be from 11 th century BC Egypt, where engravings on a tomb show soldiers advancing towards a fortress under a roofed structure carrying a long pole. This siege weapon has very ancient origins. Please check your inbox to activate your subscription Thank you!Īssyrian gypsum wall relief displaying Ashurnasirpal II besieging a strongly-walled town using a battering ram, 865-60 BC, via the British Museum, London ![]() ![]() When brought to bear against wooden gates or stone walls (which were particularly prone to splintering or shattering) they could create cracks and eventually holes with repeated blows, allowing the besiegers entry to the fortification. Rams could also be ‘capped’, where the end would be fitted with a block of iron or steel sometimes shaped into an animal’s head, in order to make them more effective during medieval war.īattering rams were popular because they were extremely quick and easy to construct, whilst also being very powerful medieval weapons. Often this (usually wooden) canopy was also coated in wet animal hides in order to make it resistant to fire. In order to better protect the soldiers operating the battering ram from the missiles of the defenders, the frame in which the ram was mounted was covered. Battering rams usually consisted of a large log, which would be propelled against a gate or wall with a large amount of force – either by a team of people holding the log and physically swinging it, or else by being suspended in a frame by chains or ropes, from which it would be pulled back and released to swing forwards. The battering ram is a very simple siege weapon designed to break open the gates or walls of a fortification through repeated blunt blows. Battering Ram: Ancient Invention Used In Medieval War A reconstruction of a simple wooden battering ram at Baba Vida Castle in Vidin, Bulgaria, photographed by Klearchos Kapoutsi s, 2009, via Flickr Medieval Weapons for Breaching Fortificationsġ. ![]()
0 Comments
Leave a Reply. |
AuthorWrite something about yourself. No need to be fancy, just an overview. ArchivesCategories |