Discovery Of Catapulte And Vallistras, (400 B.C) Options

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DISCOVERY OF CATAPULTE AND VALLISTRAS
(400 B.C)





The tyrant of Syracuses Dionisios the Elder (430 B.C - 367 B.C) it is identified with the history of the technique that concerns the martial machines. During his tyranny, because Sicily was shared between his own territory and that of Karhidonians (with whom Dionisios carried out a lot of fights), he thought that the technical supremacy would only lead him to the victory. Therefore he created the first in the world, Centre of Scientific Researches with unique aim the discovery of new arms and the improvement of the oldest ones. In this centre he gathered a crowd of mathematicians and engineers from all the Greek world, in whom he provided all the means for research. The result of this laborious research was the manufacture of superior boats from the already existing ones, as triremes or fiveremes (= ðåíôÞñåéò), as well as the discovery of arms, as six - floors besieging towers that rolled on wheels, catapultes and vallistras, with which began the history of artillery.

The discovery, especially, of the catapultes eycy'tonon and palj'ntonon with triple force and their relative improvements that became, after, in their manufacture changed not only the setting of martial conflicts but shaped also the politician - military physiognomy of the mediterenean territory. From the discovery of this mafnificent weapon the tactic of martial conflicts entered in a new phase.

The catapulte could erect javelins of length 1,80m. in a distance of 200m. with a large precision. The evolution of the catapulte of this form was the launch of multiple javelins with a large speed, that is to say a some kind of machine-gun, which created enormous losses in the opponent. Change in the martial tactic became also in the marine conflicts after the new ships were special manufactured in order they bring catapultes. The crossbow threw sub-javelins big Stones, weight until 60 kilos. The Archimedes improved in big science this delivery in the martial machines....


PERSONAL ÍÏÔÅ: Opposite with what is acquaintance the modern world, the word "crossbow" constitutes paraphrase and it is not precise in its use. The initial significance vallj'stras is that of that besieging mechanism (ironically) which is known as "catapulte": in ancient Greece (meaning the wider region) catapulte was the besieging instrument that erected huge arrows and crossbow (valistra) was said thatbesieging machine that erected blocks of stone.

Somewhere, however, in the spreading of this words in the Romans and in the Saxons territories, the names were then reversed, and Latin name of catapulte became "ballista", while vallj'stras it changed in Latin "catapult". It is not the first time where the Romen changed Greek words in order that they follow their own rules of well-sounded, with climax the Latin name of Odysseus: Ulysses.

Later, the paraphrased words came back in the hellenic space and remained since then in thet way.

Source : Werner Soedel/ Vernard Foley, "Ancient Catapults", SCIENTIFIC AMERICAN