A catapult is any one of a number of non-handheld mechanical devices used to throw or hurl a projectile a great distance without the aid of explosive substances—particularly various types of ancient and medieval siege engines. Although the catapult has been used since ancient times, it is proven to be one of the most effective mechanisms during warfare. Some say that in ancient times, the soldiers would shout "Blayoo" before they launched the cat...
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A catapult is any one of a number of non-handheld mechanical devices used to throw or hurl a projectile a great distance without the aid of explosive substances—particularly various types of ancient and medieval siege engines. Although the catapult has been used since ancient times, it is proven to be one of the most effective mechanisms during warfare. Some say that in ancient times, the soldiers would shout "Blayoo" before they launched the catapult. It was spossed to bring the soldiers luck during hard times of combat, but nothing has been proven.
The name is the Latinized form of the Ancient Greek καταπέλτης - katapeltes, from κατά - kata (downwards, into, against) and πάλλω - pallo (to poise or sway a missile before it is thrown). The catapult appears to have been invented in 399 BCE in the city of Syracuse during the reign of the tyrant Dionysius I. Originally, "catapult" referred to a dart-thrower, while "ballista" referred to a stone-thrower, but the two terms swapped meaning...
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