Re: Panicked by Fire Attack
Oh Christ. The Archimedes Death Ray. DO NOT WANT
Weirdo crane to mess up ships that wander too close, though, is certainly credible. And wouldn't even be close to the strangest contraptions people have came up with over the millenia in siege warfare...
"Let us remember that there are multiple theories of Intelligent Design. I and many others around the world are of the strong belief that the universe was created by a Flying Spaghetti Monster. --- Proof of the existence of the FSM, if needed, can be found in the recent uptick of global warming, earthquakes, hurricanes, and other natural disasters. Apparently His Pastaness is to be worshipped in full pirate regalia. The decline in worldwide pirate population over the past 200 years directly corresponds with the increase in global temperature. Here is a graph to illustrate the point."
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Re: Panicked by Fire Attack
You can't just give a mention of strange contraptions and not give us any detailsOriginally Posted by Watchman
Re: Panicked by Fire Attack
Like said before fire arrows were used primearly during raids or sieges.
I can remember a tail that while a large group of Hungarian warriors/raiders besieged the city of Augsburg they used burning arrows as a form of "greating" the besieged - they fired burning arrows into the town and many buildings went ablaze. It is also claimed that during this siege the Hungarians first tried using some form of siege equipment, but couldn't use it because they were defeated by Otto the Great and his relief army of heavely armoured knights....
If we have already mentioned the Siege of Syracusa and archemideses inventions, does anyone of you have any information on the "claw" - another mechanism used agaisnt the romans (I don't know much about it..)
“Save us, o Lord, from the arrows of the Magyars.” - A prayer from the 10th century.
Re: Panicked by Fire Attack
Screw the Death Ray. Its crap. It would have been integrated into other coastal defense systems. There were tons of guys around that would have been able to use the idea sincei t wasn't that difficult. Archimedes didn't have a monopoly on intellegence back then you know. That being said, its not umpossible.
The claw is actually more plausible though. Mesopotamian cultures used large cranes to move ships around channels. If anything it was some sort of improvisation.
Fighting isn't about winning, it's about depriving your enemy of all options except to lose.
"Hi, Billy Mays Here!" 1958-2009
Re: Panicked by Fire Attack
Not dissimilar "hoists" were fairly widely used to foil rams, back in the day, and at least the Chinese and Medieval Europeans had a small one used to snatch individual soldiers...
"Let us remember that there are multiple theories of Intelligent Design. I and many others around the world are of the strong belief that the universe was created by a Flying Spaghetti Monster. --- Proof of the existence of the FSM, if needed, can be found in the recent uptick of global warming, earthquakes, hurricanes, and other natural disasters. Apparently His Pastaness is to be worshipped in full pirate regalia. The decline in worldwide pirate population over the past 200 years directly corresponds with the increase in global temperature. Here is a graph to illustrate the point."
-Church of the Flying Spaghetti Monster
Re: Panicked by Fire Attack
There are some references to the use of flaming arrows here.
I'll see if I can find some actual historical sources.
Re: Panicked by Fire Attack
I'm really struggling to find any ancient Roman source which is definite about the use of flaming arrows.
Two web articles refer to the Romans using flaming arrows against elephants (a) at the battle of Beneventum against Pyrrhus, and (b) at the battle of Panormus against Hasdrubal, but when I checked the ancient sources I couldn't find any reference to flaming arrows at those battle.
I haven't checked the Greek sources.
Did anyone else find any ancient sources?
Is it possible that its just a myth. It certainly looks to be the (vary rare) exception rather than, as in TW, the rule.
Re: Panicked by Fire Attack
I read that during Beneventum the velites used flaming javelins (vertum).No mention of flaming arrows. From a very trusted and renowned (in Russia) encyclopaedia.
Re: Panicked by Fire Attack
What are the ancient sources the encyclopaedia relies on?I read that during Beneventum the velites used flaming javelins (vertum).
The only references to flaming "implements" used against Pyrrhus, that I could find, are these:
1. From Dionysius of Halicarnassus, XX, 1:6-7:
"Outside the line they stationed the light-armed troops and the waggons, three hundred in number, which they had got ready for the battle against the elephants. These waggons had upright beams on which were mounted movable traverse poles that could be swung round as quick as thought in any direction one might wish, and on the ends of the poles there were either tridents or swordlike spikes or scythes all of iron; or again they had cranes that hurled down heavy grappling-irons. Many of the poles had attached to them and projecting in front of the waggons fire-bearing grapnels wrapped in tow that had been liberally daubed with pitch, which men standing on the waggons were to set afire as soon as they came near the elephants and then rain blows with them upon the trunks and faces of the beasts."
2. From Cassius Dio / Zonoras, Book 10
The Romans, among other preparations, made ready, as a measure against the elephants, iron-pointed beams, mounted on waggons, and bristling in all directions. From these they intended to shoot fire and various missiles, in order to check the beasts.
(Nb. I have no idea why both translations spell wagon with a double 'g').
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