Petrary

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

This article does not cite any references or sources. (June 2007) Please help improve this article by adding citations to reliable sources. Unverifiable material may be challenged and removed.

Petrary is a generic term for a medieval stone-throwing siege engine (from the Latin petrus, - stone), used to hurl large rocks against the walls of the besieged city, in an attempt to break down the wall and create an entry point. They were also used to throw dead animals into the confined area of the city, in order to spread disease.

Petraries can be either gravity operated, where a large counterweight drops to propel the missile, or tension operated, where the throwing arm is pulled back against twisted rope or animal sinew, which then provides the power when released.

Catapult, trebuchet, mangonel are all types of petrary, but ballista style armaments, which fired bolts or arrows, would not fit into this category.