Artillery of the Middle Ages, a catapult. Most catapults were great crossbows.The one shown here, however, also called an onager, was like a great sling. Catapults were used for either offensive or defensive warfare. The one shown is being employed in the defense of city walls. Stones were used as ammunition.
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The medieval catapult was a powerful siege engine used to break through fortifications and instill fear in defenders during times of war. Catapults came in several forms, including the mangonel, onager, and the more sophisticated trebuchet. These machines used tension, torsion, or counterweights to hurl projectiles—often stones, burning pitch, or even diseased corpses—over or at the walls of castles and fortified cities.
One of the most effective designs was the trebuchet, which used a long arm powered by a heavy counterweight to launch missiles with remarkable force and accuracy. Unlike earlier catapults, trebuchets could throw heavier projectiles over greater distances, making them a favored choice during prolonged sieges. Constructed from sturdy wood and reinforced with ropes or metal, these machines required teams of engineers and laborers to build and operate.
Catapults played a crucial role in medieval warfare by weakening enemy defenses before a direct assault. Their psychological effect was also significant, as the noise and destruction they caused could demoralize defenders. While highly effective, catapults were large, immobile, and time-consuming to construct, often assembled on-site during a campaign. Nonetheless, their impact on medieval military tactics and castle design was lasting, prompting stronger, more elaborate defensive architecture in response to their destructive power.
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