Siege machinery first appeared in the West during the Carthaginian invasion of Sicily in the late-5th century BC, in the form of siege towers and battering rams. After a 50-year hiatus these weapons of war re-appeared in the Macedonian armies of Philip II and Alexander the Great, a period that saw the height of their development in the Ancient World. The experience of warfare with both the Carthaginians during the later-3rd century BC, and Philip V of Macedon during the early-2nd century BC, finally prompted the introduction of the siege tower and the battering ram to the Roman arsenal. This title traces the development and use of these weapons across the whole of this period.
By:
Duncan B Campbell
Illustrated by:
Brian Delf
Imprint: Osprey
Country of Publication: United Kingdom
Volume: No. 78
Dimensions:
Height: 248mm,
Width: 184mm,
Spine: 5mm
Weight: 186g
ISBN: 9781841766058
ISBN 10: 1841766054
Series: New Vanguard 78
Pages: 48
Publication Date: 20 May 2012
Audience:
General/trade
,
ELT Advanced
Format: Paperback
Publisher's Status: Active
Introduction · Wheeled Towers (the siege-tower, the Helepolis of Epimachus, the Helepolis of Posidonius) · Tortoises (the 'ditch-filling' tortoise, the 'digging' tortoise, the ram-tortoise, the 'borer', Hegetor's ram-tortoise) · Ancillary machines (the 'sambuca', the 'tolleno') · Roman Siege Machinery (the siege-tower, the ram-tortoise, miscellaneous shelters) · Colour plate commentary
Duncan Campbell is a Roman military specialist currently finishing a PhD on Roman siegecraft. He has been widely published in international journals (e.g., 'Bonner Jahrbucher', 'Britannia', 'Historia', 'Zeitschrift fur Papyrologie und Epigraphik'), and is a contributor to Robin Cross's 'Guinness Encyclopedia of Warfare'. Duncan lives near the Antonine Wall in Scotland with his wife and son. Brian Delf began his career working in a London art studio producing artwork for advertising and commercial publications. Since 1972, he has worked as a freelance illustrator on a variety of subjects including natural history, architecture and technical cutaways. Some of his recently illustrated books have been published in over thirty countries. Brian lives and works in Oxfordshire.
