Crossbow

[Aenlic]

Hmmm I'd have thought that Protestants would count as heretics, at least back then anyway. If they were not counted as heretics than I believe they were also eligible.

I believe they basically only made it illegal for Roman Catholics to use against other Roman Catholics iirc.

Protestants didn't exist as such in the 12th century, when the edict was issued. The Protestant Reformation, of whichever sect, is generally considered to have begun with Luther's 95 Theses, which he wrote in the early 16th century, almost 400 years after the 2nd Lateran Council edict outlawing the use of crossbows against Christians. There were non-Catholic Christian sects at the time, certainly - the Orthodox churches, the Cathars, the Bogomils and others; but none of the could be called Protestants. And the edict itself clearly says Catholics and Christians, implying all Christians, except those considered heretics, such as the Cathars/Albigensians and Bogomils and others.

[cunctator]

Vegetius mentions both types of weapons, the manuballista and the arcuballista (bow- ballista), a proper crossbow.


Vegetius De Re Militari Book II/15

..., erant item sagittarii cum cassidibus catafractis et gladiis, sagittis et arcubus, erant funditores, qui ad fundas uel fustibalos lapides iaciebant, erant tragularii, qui ad manuballistas uel arcuballistas dirigebant sagittas.


This was also the post of the archers who had helmets, cuirasses, swords, bows and arrows; of the slingers who threw stones with the common sling or with the fustibalus; and of the tragularii who annoyed the enemy with arrows from the manubalistae or arcubalistae.

[Aenlic]

Thanks, Cunctator. I don't have a copy of De Re Militaria, and it has been a good 20 years since I read it. As I said way up above somewhere, the "crossbows" in BI could be either.

[Uesugi Kenshin]

Ah, thanks for clarifying Aenlic.

[Tellos Athenaios]

Back to China, where there was a new type of arrow invented during the T'ang dynasty to be used with the crossbow for maximum armour penetrating value. This made wearing chainmail armour pointless, since the arrow would go right through it - now they had to use plate armour, and so... the early beginings of the invention of the harnass?

[Aenlic]

I'm not clear on your meaning, Tellos. Harness of what kind?