Gastraphetes

**Klearchos** · 05-14-2010, 14:49

Wise advice mountaingoat.
Also: Make sure that you fall to the ground without getting hit by the enemie's arrow.

**Ibn-Khaldun** · 05-14-2010, 15:56

Originally Posted by Klearchos

Wise advice mountaingoat.
Also: Make sure that you fall to the ground without getting hit by the enemie's arrow.

Also: Stay down and watch your general die.

**Zradha Pahlavan** · 05-14-2010, 16:41

I can't believe you guys would insult Monty Python by comparing it to that. Ug.

RE The weapon. The thing just looks like a poorly designed crossbow with a difficult method of reloading. If I remember correctly it was used in Syracuse, possibly against Carthaginian invaders, but not much elsewhere.

**Dutchhoplite** · 05-14-2010, 16:56

O, that looks terrible :)

And that looks like a horrible small Gastraphetes...

Some moving stuff:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OlxU6FUlNZU

**Lvcretivs** · 05-14-2010, 17:40

O, that looks terrible :)

I absolutely agree - this video really merits a 'watch - and die of laughter' warning :)

Concerning the weapon both Wikipedia and RomanArmyTalk provide rather useful information and further reading.

**Intranetusa** · 06-07-2010, 04:12

The gastraphetes was a relatively bulky, inefficient, and poorly designed crossbow. It was created by the Greeks, and later used by the Romans (mainly for hunting I think). It was not produced in significant quantities, and I don't think they used it very much in combat/on the battlefield either...

**vartan** · 06-07-2010, 04:34

Originally Posted by Intranetusa

The gastraphetes was a relatively bulky, inefficient, and poorly designed crossbow. It was created by the Greeks, and later used by the Romans (mainly for hunting I think). It was not produced in significant quantities, and I don't think they used it very much in combat/on the battlefield either...

Yeah. I think that's what Wiki said, right?