Quote:
Originally Posted by blantyr
The notion that fortified cities often have less siege machinery than those outside the walls seems historical. One would think that if a people expends effort and money to build these big walls they would spend some effort on catapults and similar devices. Yet, does anyone know of walled cities with platforms for siege engines built into the walls?
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Hey Blantyr, this is an interesting question.
One example that springs to my mind is the fortress of Euryalos connected to the New Wall of Syracuse, on the west side of the Epipolai Plateau. This is after all where the catapult was invented. The katapeltikon (arrow projector) and lithobolos (stone projector). Later the Romans called them Catapulta and Ballista respectively. The fortress of Euryalos was built solely for the purpose of having stone projectors and arrow projectors on top of. This held the North of Syracuse safe until 212 BCE when Marcellus invaded it.
Other than Euryalos, there's been many more finds in Greek territories of walled artillery positions. Schramm excavated and analyzed the ruins at Ephyra finding the same. Washer-plates from catapults were found, and the walls were of sufficient width and volume that they were not just meant for soldiers.
Source:
Greek and Roman Artillery 399 BC-AD 363
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To keep with the European theme for a moment, one need to look no further than the great Julius Caesar himself.
Even in something temporary like Roman camps, ballistas were kept within wooden "towers", ready to be used at any moment.
Sources:
Caesar: Life of A Colossus
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But what about other cultures? In terms of China, there are both textual as well as archeological evidence of wall mounted artillery from as far back as the Han dynasty. I believe that Joseph Needham's volume on catapults covered this the best.
Source:
Science and Civilisation in China: Volume 5, Chemistry and Chemical Technology, Part 6, Military Technology: Missiles and Sieges by Joseph Needham and Robin Yates
I am not familiar with the artilleries of other Non-European cultures, so I might have to do more research on them.
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