BALISTA

In medieval Latin Europe, siege warfare was one of the most important elements of warfare (especially in the full and late Middle Ages), and the art of besieging castles or fortified points was very important. Given the above, it is not surprising that many different types of siege machines appeared in medieval Europe. Of course, one of the most common was the battering ram, which was supposed to crush the walls or - much more often - break down the gate of a besieged fortress. Various catapults were also used, including such machines as: mangonel, onager or trebuchet. The latter appeared in the Mediterranean in the 12th century and relatively quickly found its way to other European countries. It used a counterweight to balance the weight of the throwing projectile. counterweight trebuchet) . It was also seen as one of the most effective siege machines of the Middle Ages. When writing about throwing weapons, it is worth mentioning the great crossbows that appeared in the full Middle Ages. Of course, siege towers were also used on a large scale.