The Mangonel is believed to be an ancient war engine which invented by the Romans in 400BC as a light alternative to the Ballista The ballista, plural ballistae, was an ancient missile weapon that launched a large projectile at a distant target.Ballista
When were mangonels first used?
The first recorded use of mangonels was in ancient China. They were probably used by the Mohists as early as 4th century BC, descriptions of which can be found in the Mojing (compiled in the 4th century BC).
How does a mangonel work?
The Mangonel works by pulling a long arm with a bucket attached down form its 90o angle of equilibrium. By doing this we store the potential energy of the catapult in the tension in the ropes and the arm. Besides, who invented the Mangonel?
What is a mangonel called in English?
In Latin it is called a manganum, in French a manganeau, and in English a mangonel. Mangonel was a general term for medieval stone-throwing artillery and used more specifically to refer to manually (traction-) powered weapons. It is sometime wrongly used to refer to the onager.
What are some common misconceptions about the mangonel?
A common misconception about the mangonel is that it was a torsion siege engine. Mangonel is probably derived from the Greek mangana, "a generic term for construction machinery." It could also be derived from mangon, a French hard stone found in the south of France. In Latin it is called a manganum, in French a manganeau, and in English a mangonel.
Why was the catapult invented?
Catapults and trebuchets were invented to fill the need for a way to transmit a lot of force from a safe distance. A human arm could not throw a rock with enough force to knock down castle walls.
How was mangonel invented?
The Mangonel was invented by the Romans in 400 BC. The Mangonel consists of a long wood arm with a bucket (early models used a sling) with a rope attached to the end. The arm is then pulled back (from natural 90o angle) then energy was stored in the tension of the rope and the arm. Then the bucket would be loaded.
What is the purpose of a catapult?
The catapult was an ancient siege machine that could hurl heavy objects or shoot arrows with great force and for considerable distances. Some catapults could throw stones weighing as much as 350 pounds for distances greater than 300 feet.
When was the mangonel invented?
The first recorded use of mangonels was in ancient China. They were probably used by the Mohists as early as 4th century BC, descriptions of which can be found in the Mojing (compiled in the 4th century BC).
Why was the mangonel used?
The main purpose of Mangonel siege weapon was to destroy a wall rather than throwing projectiles over it. The most common type of projectiles fired with the help of mangonel were rocks, heads of dead people in order to demoralise the besieged, dead animals that could spread disease or fiery pots of tar.
How did the mangonel function?
The Mangonel works by pulling a long arm with a bucket attached down form its 90o angle of equilibrium. By doing this we store the potential energy of the catapult in the tension in the ropes and the arm.
What was the main purpose of catapults during medieval times?
Catapults were mainly used to lay siege to castles and fortifications during the medieval period. Like the Trebuchet, they would hurl missiles directly at the castle walls and would also launch diseased carcases over the walls into the castle itself.
What was the advantage of using a catapult?
The low trajectory and ability to fire incendiary projectiles made these weapons efficient against infantry and cavalry. A mangonel could, thanks to the solid bowl used for holding the projectile, fire grapeshot (i.e. multiple small projectiles, like sharp ingots of lead), causing significant damage in enemy lines.
How did the catapult affect society?
In the military, it was a war weapon that they used to launch projectiles. That not only help them win battles but conquer city-states. This gave who ever was in power, extra territory to rule and more power. The catapult also made the society feel safer.
Who invented the mangonel?
Mardi ibn Ali al-TarsusiMangonel / InventorMardi ibn Ali al-Tarsusi was a 12th-century Ayyubid-era writer and expert on military matters. He wrote a number of treatises, including a military manual for Saladin in 1187. His writings have proved an invaluable resource for medieval and military historians. Wikipedia
What does the word mangonel mean?
Definition of mangonel : a military engine formerly used to throw missiles.
How far can a mangonel catapult shoot?
Moreover, the mangonel was said to have the capabilities of firing projectiles distances of over 1,000 feet (with a maximum of 1,300 feet), and required less mechanical knowledge to develop, maintain, and operate.
Why did they make catapults?
Catapults were used to launch missiles (many different objects were utilized). These missiles were either launched directly at the wall to cause maximum damage to the fortifications or were launched over the wall to lay siege on the population within the protective walls.
Are catapults still used today?
Today, catapults can be used to launch airplanes from aircraft carriers, or to demonstrate physics and mathematics to students.
How big was a medieval catapult?
The different types of Catapults used in the Middle Ages included: The Ballista - The Ballista was similar to a Giant Crossbow and worked by using tension. The Trebuchet - The massive Trebuchet consisted of a lever and a sling and was capable of hurling stones weighing 200 pounds with a range of up to about 300 yards.
What are the 5 types of catapults?
Five Types of Catapult and Their Motive Force. There are five historical types of catapults: the mangonel, onager, ballista and trebuchet, using three types of motive force: tension, torsion and gravity.
Why was the first catapult invented?
They were focused on finding a way to propel objects at long distances. This served the purpose of damaging enemy forces without needing to get too close to them. After it was invented, it was used against Motya, Sicily during one of their campaigns.
Did Spartans use catapults?
As the use of catapults became more commonplace, so did the training required to operate them. The Romans started to use catapults as arms for their wars against Syracuse, Macedon, Sparta and Aetolia (3rd and 2nd centuries BC).
Did Vikings use catapults?
Some sources suggest that Vikings used machines to hurl their missiles. Some 20th century scholars have suggested that most large Viking war ships were equipped with catapults. They estimate the machines were capable of throwing stones 3-10kg (about 5-20lbs) a distance of 300 m (about 0.2 miles).
Overview
History
The mangonel is thought to have originated in ancient China. Torsion-based siege weapons such as the ballista and onager are not known to have been used in China.
The first recorded use of mangonels was in ancient China. They were probably used by the Mohists as early as 4th century BC, descriptions of which can be fo…
Etymology
Mangonel is probably derived from the Greek mangana, "a generic term for construction machinery." It could also be derived from mangon, a French hard stone found in the south of France. In Latin it is called a manganum, in French a manganeau, and in English a mangonel. Mangonel was a general term for medieval stone-throwing artillery and used more specifically to refer to manually (traction-) powered weapons. It is sometimes wrongly used to refer to the onager. …
See also
• Catapult
• Couillard
• Springald
• List of siege engines
Bibliography
• Chevedden, Paul E.; et al. (July 1995). "The Trebuchet" (PDF). Scientific American. 273: 66–71. doi:10.1038/scientificamerican0795-66. Archived from the original (PDF) on 2012-01-11.. Original version.
• Chevedden, Paul E. (2000). "The Invention of the Counterweight Trebuchet: A Study in Cultural Diffusion". Dumbarton Oaks Papers. 54: 71–116. doi:10.2307/1291833. JSTOR 1291833.
External links
• Res Gestae, 4th century, by Ammianus Marcellinus
• Medieval Mechanical Artillery, by the Xenophon Group
• Onager Physics. An analysis of the Onager/Mangonel
• Mangonel Animation