THE BALLISTA
The ballista was the oldest form of catapult used in siege warfare.
The ballista is best described as a giant crossbow which fires spears instead 
of
arrows. There are two major types of ballistas. One which was
powered by twisted ropes. This catapult was a favorite of the Romans
and the Greeks. The Romans made stone throwing ballistas, but it
was not use during the Medieval Age. The second type used the power
of the bow. This version was a favorite of defenders because they
could mount it on a unmodified tower. The ballista was very accurate and had a
long range, but it was limited to line of sight. The ballista made
a good antipersonnel weapon.
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