Balista & German Gunner, Germany XIV cent.

The lack of technicians in the medieval period made it very difficult to reproduce the torsion mechanism used in Greco-Roman ballistae. For this reason, there was an involution and very often the ballistae used in war operated at tension. They were very similar (if not identical) to the Syracusian oxybeles, however the name “ballista” continued to be used and the term nowadays is used to mean both types. The ballista continued its use on the battlefield, flanked by other siege weapons such as onagers, mangles, trebuchets. However, it was not a question of a wide use as in Roman times.

With the advent of gunpowder in 1300, the ballista gradually became an obsolete means, being completely replaced in 1500 by firearms.