对罗马攻城的描述总是以攻城引擎为特色，其中最常见的是最先出现的猛击公羊或白羊座，以及弹射器（catapulta，拉丁语）。以下是公元一世纪犹太历史学家约瑟夫斯关于耶路撒冷被围困的一个例子：

" 2. As for what is within the camp, it is set apart for tents, but the outward circumference hath the resemblance to a wall, and is adorned with towers at equal distances, where ​between the towers stand the engines for throwing arrows and darts, and for slinging stones, and where they lay all other engines that can annoy the enemy, all ready for their several operations." Josephus Wars. III.5.2

根据迪特沃尔夫·巴茨（Dietwulf Baatz）的《古代火炮的最新发现》，有关古代攻城引擎的最重要信息来源来自维特鲁维斯（Vitruvius）、拜占庭的菲洛（Philo）（公元前三世纪）和亚历山大的英雄（Hero of Alexandria）（公元一世纪）、代表围攻的浮雕和考古学家发现的文物。

“弹射器”一词的含义

词源在线称，“弹射器”一词来自希腊语kata“antry”和pallin“to hurl”，这两个词源解释了武器的工作原理，因为弹射器是加农炮的一个古老版本。

罗马人什么时候开始使用弹射器的？

罗马人何时开始使用这种武器还不确定。它可能是在与皮拉斯（公元前280-275年）的战争之后开始的，当时罗马人有机会观察和复制希腊的技术。Valérie Benvenuti认为，约公元前273年罗马修建的城墙中的塔楼表明，它们的设计是为了容纳攻城引擎。

弹射器的早期发展

约西亚·奥伯在《早期炮塔：梅塞尼亚、博奥蒂亚、阿提卡、梅嘉丽德》一书中说，这种武器是在公元前399年由工程师利用锡拉丘兹的狄奥尼索斯发明的。[参见Diodorus Siculus 14.42.1.]西西里的锡拉丘兹对意大利南部及其周边的希腊语地区Megale Hellas很重要[参见：意大利方言]。它在布匿战争（公元前264-146年）期间与罗马发生冲突。在雪城人发明弹射器的那个世纪之后，雪城是伟大科学家阿基米德的故乡。

公元前四世纪早期的那种弹射器可能不是我们大多数人想象的那种——一种可以投掷石头击碎敌人城墙的扭力弹射器，而是一种中世纪弩的早期版本，当扳机被释放时可以发射导弹。它也被称为肚脐弓或胃切除术。它被固定在支架上的一个支架上，奥伯认为可以移动一点来瞄准，但是弹射器本身很小，可以被一个人拿着。类似地，第一批扭力弹射器很小，可能瞄准的是人，而不是像肚脐弓那样的墙壁。然而，到了四世纪末，亚历山大的继任者迪亚多奇（Diadochi）开始使用大型、破墙的石头投掷式扭力弹射器。

扭转

扭转意味着它们被扭曲以储存释放所需的能量。扭曲纤维的插图看起来像针织纱线的扭曲骨架。伊恩·凯尔索（Ian Kelso）在《火炮作为一种经典化的题外话》一文中指出，描述火炮的古代历史学家缺乏技术专长，他将这种扭转称为破壁弹射器的“动力”，他称之为壁画火炮。凯尔索说，尽管在技术上有缺陷，但历史学家普罗科皮乌斯（公元6世纪）和阿米亚努斯·马塞利努斯（公元4世纪中期）给了我们关于攻城引擎和攻城战的宝贵见解，因为它们都在被围困的城市。

T.E.Rihll在《炮塔和弹射器尺寸》一书中说，描述弹射器有三个部分：

1. 电源：弹簧弓
2. 导弹重
3. 木卫一

弓和弹簧已经被解释了弓是一个像弩，弹簧涉及扭转。导弹要么像箭和标枪一样锋利，要么像石头和罐子一样沉重，即使不是圆形的，也通常是钝的。导弹因目标而异。有时围攻的军队想拆毁城墙，但有时则想烧毁城墙以外的建筑。设计，这些描述性类别中的最后一个尚未提及。Euthytone和palintone指的是弹簧或臂的不同排列，但两者都可以和扭转弹射器一起使用。扭转弹射器不是使用弓，而是由头发或肌腱骨架制成的弹簧提供动力。维特鲁维乌斯称一种两臂（佩林顿）石头投掷器，由扭力（弹簧）驱动，是一种弩炮。

在“弹射器和弩炮”中，J.N.怀特霍恩用许多清晰的图表描述了弹射器的部件和操作。他说，罗马人意识到绳子不是一个好材料的扭曲绞；一般来说，纤维越细，绞合线的弹性和强度就越高。马毛是正常的，但女人的头发最好。在马或牛身上，脖子上的筋是用的。有时他们用亚麻。

攻城车被掩蔽起来，以防止敌人开火摧毁它们。怀特霍恩说，弹射器也被用来制造火灾。有时他们投掷防水的希腊火罐。

阿基米德的弹射器

像猛击公羊一样，动物的名字也被赋予了弹射器的类型，特别是雪城的阿基米德使用的蝎子，以及野驴。怀特霍恩说，阿基米德在公元前三世纪的最后四分之一，在炮兵方面取得了进步，因此雪城人可以在包围雪城期间向马塞勒斯的人投掷巨石，其中阿基米德被杀。据推测，弹射器可以投掷重达1800磅的石块。

"5. This was the siege equipment with which the Romans planned to assault the city's towers. But Archimedes had constructed artillery which could cover a whole variety of ranges, so that while the attacking ships were still at a distance he scored so many hits with his catapults and stone-throwers that he was able to cause them severe damage and harass their approach. Then, as the distance decreased and these weapons began to carry over the enemy's heads, he resorted to smaller and smaller machines, and so demoralized the Romans that their advance was brought to a standstill. In the end Marcellus was reduced in despair to bringing up his ships secretly under cover of darkness. But when they had almost reached the shore, and were therefore too close to be struck by the catapults, Archimedes had devised yet another weapon to repel the marines, who were fighting from the decks. He had had the walls pierced with large numbers of loopholes at the height of a man, which were about a palm's breadth wide at the outer surface of the walls. Behind each of these and inside the walls were stationed archers with rows of so-called 'scorpions', a small catapult which discharged iron darts, and by shooting through these embrasures they put many of the marines out of action. Through these tactics he not only foiled all the enemy's attacks, both those made at long range and any attempt at hand-to-hand fighting, but also caused them heavy losses." Polybius Book VIII

关于弹射器的古代作家

马切利努斯阿米亚努斯酒店

7 And the machine is called tormentum as all the released tension is caused by twisting (torquetur); and scorpion, because it has an upraised sting; modern times have given it the new name onager, because when wild asses are pursued by hunters, by kicking they hurl back stones to a distance, either crushing the breasts of their pursuers, or breaking the bones of their skulls and shattering them. Ammianus Marcellinus Book XXIII.4

凯撒的高卢战争

" When he perceived that our men were not inferior, as the place before the camp was naturally convenient and suitable for marshaling an army (since the hill where the camp was pitched, rising gradually from the plain, extended forward in breadth as far as the space which the marshaled army could occupy, and had steep declines of its side in either direction, and gently sloping in front gradually sank to the plain); on either side of that hill he drew a cross trench of about four hundred paces, and at the extremities of that trench built forts, and placed there his military engines, lest, after he had marshaled his army, the enemy, since they were so powerful in point of number, should be able to surround his men in the flank, while fighting. After doing this, and leaving in the camp the two legions which he had last raised, that, if there should be any occasion, they might be brought as a reserve, he formed the other six legions in order of battle before the camp." Gallic Wars II.8

维特鲁威

" The tortoise of the battering ram was constructed in the same way. It had, however, a base of thirty cubits square, and a height, excluding the pediment, of thirteen cubits; the height of the pediment from its bed to its top was seven cubits. Issuing up and above the middle of the roof for not less than two cubits was a gable, and on this was reared a small tower four stories high, in which, on the top floor, scorpions and catapults were set up, and on the lower floors a great quantity of water was stored, to put out any fire that might be thrown on the tortoise. Inside of this was set the machinery of the ram, in which was placed a roller, turned on a lathe, and the ram, being set on top of this, produced its great effects when swung to and fro by means of ropes. It was protected, like the tower, with rawhide." Vitruvius XIII.6

参考资料

“希腊和罗马炮兵的起源”，利·亚历山大；《古典期刊》，第41卷，第5期（1946年2月），第208-212页。

J.N.怀特霍恩的《弹射器与弩炮》；希腊及欧洲；《罗马书》第15卷，第44号（1946年5月），第49-60页。

迪特沃尔夫·巴茨的《古代火炮的最新发现》；《大英百科全书》第9卷（1978年），第1-17页。

“早期炮塔：梅塞尼亚、博约提亚、阿提卡、梅嘉丽德”，约西亚·奥伯著；《美国考古学杂志》第91卷，第4期（1987年10月），第569-604页。

瓦莱里·本维努蒂的《罗马世界大炮的引入：基于科萨城墙的年代定义假说》；《罗马美国学院回忆录》，第47卷（2002年），第199-207页。

伊恩·凯尔索的《炮兵作为一个经典化的话题》；《历史》：Zeitschrift für Alte Geschichte Bd.52，H.1（2003），第122-125页。

“关于炮塔和弹射器的尺寸，”T.E.Rihll；《雅典英国学校年鉴》第101卷（2006年），第379-383页。

里尔，特雷西。《弹射器：历史》，Kindle版，第1版，W estholme出版社，2007年1月23日。