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Catapult ; Ballista for hurling large missiles

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Library division & collection with this item:

LIBRARY DIVISION
The Miriam and Ira D. Wallach Division of Art, Prints and Photographs: Picture Collection

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COLLECTION
Wonders: Images of the Ancient World

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SUB-COLLECTION
Weapons -- Ancient

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This Item

Catapult ; Ballista for hurling large missiles

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Title
Catapult ; Ballista for hurling large missiles
Collection

Wonders: Images of the Ancient World

Weapons -- Ancient

Dates / Origin
Date Issued: 1810
Library locations
The Miriam and Ira D. Wallach Division of Art, Prints and Photographs: Picture Collection
Topics
Arms & armament -- To 499
Ballista
Siege warfare
Catapults (Weapons)
Genres
Book illustrations
Notes
Source note: Tableau historique des costumes, des moeurs et des usages des principeaux peuples de l''antiquité et du moyen age. (Metz : Collignon, 1810) Spalart, Robert von, Author.
Physical Description
Etchings
Hand coloring
Laid paper
Extent: Plate mark 28 x 19 cm
"V.ü.d.K.IAb.IIITh." "Antiq. Tom. III."--lettered in plate, left border.
Description
The upper picture shows a catapult, also called an onager ("wild ass", for the way it "kicks" when discharged). The soldiers are using levers to winch the arm down into firing position. On the ground nearby lies a metal bar used with the gears on the side of the machine to tighten the skein of twisted cords which gives the catapult its throwing power. Rocks used as ammunition appear in the foreground. The lower picture illustrates a ballista (also called a "scorpion" because of its shape and its "sting"), used for throwing the darts or spears shown lying under the machine. This engine also works by twisted skeins, but here there are two of them, upright, which make the arms attached to the "bowstring" spring forward. The string is pulled back using the winch at the rear of the machine. Like the catapult, these skeins are tightened by using the rod on the ground to turn the gears (on top of the ballista).
Type of Resource
Still image
Identifiers
Universal Unique Identifier (UUID): 1bdbf9e0-c5c0-012f-213c-58d385a7bc34
Rights Statement
The New York Public Library believes that this item is in the public domain under the laws of the United States, but did not make a determination as to its copyright status under the copyright laws of other countries. This item may not be in the public domain under the laws of other countries. Though not required, if you want to credit us as the source, please use the following statement, "From The New York Public Library," and provide a link back to the item on our Digital Collections site. Doing so helps us track how our collection is used and helps justify freely releasing even more content in the future.

Item timeline of events

  • 1810: Issued
  • 2020: Digitized
  • 2024: Found by you!
  • 2025

MLA Format

The Miriam and Ira D. Wallach Division of Art, Prints and Photographs: Picture Collection, The New York Public Library. "Catapult ; Ballista for hurling large missiles" The New York Public Library Digital Collections. 1810. https://digitalcollections.nypl.org/items/510d47e4-474c-a3d9-e040-e00a18064a99

Chicago/Turabian Format

The Miriam and Ira D. Wallach Division of Art, Prints and Photographs: Picture Collection, The New York Public Library. "Catapult ; Ballista for hurling large missiles" New York Public Library Digital Collections. Accessed May 4, 2024. https://digitalcollections.nypl.org/items/510d47e4-474c-a3d9-e040-e00a18064a99

APA Format

The Miriam and Ira D. Wallach Division of Art, Prints and Photographs: Picture Collection, The New York Public Library. (1810). Catapult ; Ballista for hurling large missiles Retrieved from https://digitalcollections.nypl.org/items/510d47e4-474c-a3d9-e040-e00a18064a99

Wikipedia Citation

<ref name=NYPL>{{cite web | url=https://digitalcollections.nypl.org/items/510d47e4-474c-a3d9-e040-e00a18064a99 | title= (still image) Catapult ; Ballista for hurling large missiles, (1810) |author=Digital Collections, The New York Public Library |accessdate=May 4, 2024 |publisher=The New York Public Library, Astor, Lenox, and Tilden Foundations}}</ref>

Catapult ; Ballista for hurling large missiles