A lithobolos (Greek: λιθοβόλος) refers to any mechanical artillery weapon used and/or referred to as a stone thrower in ancient warfare. Typically this referred to engines that propel a stone along a flat track with two rigid bow arms powered by torsion (twisted cord), in particular all sizes of palintonon.
However, Charon of Magnesia referred to his flexion (bow) stone-thrower engine, a 9 feet (2.7 m) gastraphetes shooting 5–6 mina (5 pounds, 2.3 kg), as a lithobolos; Isidoros of Abydos reportedly built a larger 15-foot (4.6 m) version shooting 40-pound (18 kg). Also, the euthytonon, a single-arm torsion catapult, was referred to by contemporaries as a stone-thrower, as was its Roman evolution the onager.[1][2]
Stone-throwers of the same class looked alike, with their stone capacity scaling mostly with overall size. Machine dimensions can be approximated mathematically based on the equivalent spring diameter.[3]
- ^ Head, Duncan (2012). "186". Armies of the Macedonian and Punic Wars. Lulu.com. p. 340. ISBN 978-1-326-56051-5.
- ^ Lahanas, Michael. "Ancient Greek Artillery Technology from Catapults to the Architronio Canon". www.hellenicaworld.com. Retrieved 2018-03-30.
- ^ Warry, John Gibson (2000). Warfare in the Classical World. Barnes & Noble. p. 78. ISBN 978-0-760-71696-0.
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