A Summary of the History, Construction and Effects in Warfare of the Projectile-Throwing Engines of the Ancients, with a Treatise on the Structure, Power and Management of Turkish and Other Oriental Bows of Mediæval and Later Times
1907
A Summary of the History, Construction and Effects in Warfare of the Projectile-Throwing Engines of the Ancients, with a Treatise on the Structure, Power and Management of Turkish and Other Oriental Bows of Mediæval and Later Times
1907
This is a book for anyone who has ever wondered how ancient armies actually built machines to throw boulders through castle walls or loose clouds of arrows at enemy formations. Sir Ralph Payne-Gallwey, drawing on decades of expertise in archery and ancient weaponry, presents a meticulous engineering manual of the ancient world. He traces the evolution from Greek and Roman catapults and ballistas through to the sophisticated projectile-throwing engines that reshaped medieval siege warfare. But the book does not stop there: it shifts eastward to examine the structure, power, and handling of Turkish and other Oriental bows, weapons that gave medieval Islamic armies their devastating tactical advantage. The result is an unusually comprehensive survey of the physics and practice behind pre-gunpowder ranged warfare. Written in 1907, this remains a foundational text for anyone attempting to reconstruct ancient engines or simply understand the remarkable ingenuity that preceded modern artillery.
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The author and expert on ancient weapons who reconstructed and tested historical siege engines and bows. He conducted extensive experiments to understand their construction and capabilities.
Greek mechanician (284-221 B.C.) who provided trustworthy accounts and plans of ancient projectile engines. One of the most reliable sources for reconstructing these weapons.
Greek writer (c. 200 B.C.) on warlike engines who gave accurate plans and dimensions. Another primary source for understanding ancient siege weapons.
Jewish historian and military commander who witnessed and described the effects of Roman siege engines at Jerusalem and Jotapata. Provided firsthand accounts of their devastating power.
About A Summary of the History, Construction and Effects in Warfare of the Projectile-Throwing Engines of the Ancients, with a Treatise on the Structure, Power and Management of Turkish and Other Oriental Bows of Mediæval and Later Times
Chapter Summaries
- Preface
- Payne-Gallwey explains his motivation for writing this summary after obtaining additional information about ancient projectile engines. He also announces his intention to provide a detailed treatise on Turkish composite bows.
- Part I
- Overview of ancient sources and the challenges of reconstructing these weapons. Discusses the reliability of various historians and the gradual loss of construction knowledge over time.
- Part II
- Detailed description of catapult construction and operation, emphasizing the importance of slings for maximum range. Includes technical drawings and operational instructions for reconstruction.
Key Themes
- Lost Knowledge and Technical Decline
- The book explores how advanced ancient engineering knowledge was gradually lost, leading to inferior medieval weapons. The art of making perfect skeins and composite arms was forgotten, resulting in less effective siege engines.
- Scientific Method in Historical Research
- Payne-Gallwey demonstrates the importance of combining textual analysis with practical experimentation to understand historical technology. His reconstructions validate ancient accounts through empirical testing.
- Cultural and Technological Exchange
- The work shows how military technology spread between civilizations, from Greeks to Romans to medieval Europeans, and how different cultures developed specialized weapons like Turkish composite bows.
Characters
- Sir Ralph Payne-Gallwey(protagonist)
- The author and expert on ancient weapons who reconstructed and tested historical siege engines and bows. He conducted extensive experiments to understand their construction and capabilities.
- Heron of Alexandria(major)
- Greek mechanician (284-221 B.C.) who provided trustworthy accounts and plans of ancient projectile engines. One of the most reliable sources for reconstructing these weapons.
- Philo of Byzantium(major)
- Greek writer (c. 200 B.C.) on warlike engines who gave accurate plans and dimensions. Another primary source for understanding ancient siege weapons.
- Josephus(major)
- Jewish historian and military commander who witnessed and described the effects of Roman siege engines at Jerusalem and Jotapata. Provided firsthand accounts of their devastating power.
- Archimedes(major)
- Famous mathematician who designed powerful defensive engines for Syracuse. His machines were so effective they terrified the Roman attackers.
- Ammianus Marcellinus(major)
- Roman military historian (c. 380 A.D.) who provided detailed descriptions of catapults with slings, particularly valuable for understanding their construction.
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Ralph, Sir Payne-Gallwey. A Summary of the History, Construction and Effects in Warfare of the Projectile-Throwing Engines of the Ancients, with a Treatise on the Structure, Power and Management of Turkish and Other Oriental Bows of Mediæval and Later Times. Lex, lex-books.com/book/a-summary-of-the-history-construction-and-effects-in-warfare-of-the-projectile-t-3bded88c-e7f0-49dc-a10c-937521e2b5a6.Ralph, S. P. (1907). A Summary of the History, Construction and Effects in Warfare of the Projectile-Throwing Engines of the Ancients, with a Treatise on the Structure, Power and Management of Turkish and Other Oriental Bows of Mediæval and Later Times. Lex. https://lex-books.com/book/a-summary-of-the-history-construction-and-effects-in-warfare-of-the-projectile-t-3bded88c-e7f0-49dc-a10c-937521e2b5a6Ralph, Sir Payne-Gallwey. A Summary of the History, Construction and Effects in Warfare of the Projectile-Throwing Engines of the Ancients, with a Treatise on the Structure, Power and Management of Turkish and Other Oriental Bows of Mediæval and Later Times. Lex. https://lex-books.com/book/a-summary-of-the-history-construction-and-effects-in-warfare-of-the-projectile-t-3bded88c-e7f0-49dc-a10c-937521e2b5a6.
