Catapulta

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800 BC – AD 476

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A catapulta was a Roman machine for throwing arrows and javelins, 12 or 15 feet long, at the enemy. The name comes from the Greek (katapeltes), because it could pierce a shield (pelta). The design was probably inherited, along with the ballista, from the Greek armies.

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This article incorporates content from the 1728 Cyclopaedia, a publication in the public domain.