Osprey New Vanguard 78 : Greek and Roman Siege Machinery 399 BC - 363 AD

Siege machinery first appeared in the West during the Carthaginian invasion of Sicily in the late 5th century BC, it came in the form of siege towers and battering rams. After a 50 year hiatus these weapons of war reappeared in the Macedonian armies of Philip II and Alexander the Great, a period of warfare that saw the height of their development in the Ancient World. The experience of warfare with both the Carthaginians during the later 3rd century BC, and Philip V of Macedonia during the early 2nd century BC, finally prompted the introduction of the siege tower and the battering ram into the Roman arsenal. This book traces the development and use of these weapons across this period. Text by Duncan B Campbell with illustrations by Brian Delf.

Contents

• Introduction
• Wheeled Towers
  The Siege Tower
  The Helepolis of Epimachus
  The Helepolis of Posidonius
• Tortoises
  The 'Ditch Filling' Tortoise
  The 'Digging' Tortoise
  The Ram Tortoise
  The 'Borer'
  Hegetor's Ram Tortoise
• Ancillary Machines
  The 'Sambuca'
  The 'Tolleno'
• Roman Siege Machinery
  The Siege Tower
  The Ram Tortoise
  Miscellaneous Shelters
• Colour Plate Commentary