Dawson567

What is your personal opinions of weapons in the ancient period? What are the most clever and strong weapons?

Pacific_Victory

Whoever came up with the Ballista was a pretty smart cookie...

Nikator

I think it's important to look at ancient weapons in the same way you'd look at modern weapons, that is as parts of weapons systems. For example, a lone man holding a sarissa is probably not going to do too well against another lone man holding practically anything else, he'll either get outmanoeuvred or shot at. However, when used as part of the phalanx "weapon system" it was the most lethal system used until the Roman maniple challenged it (and here there is some debate, not in the results, but as to why they occurred that way).

sculptingman

as in all periods... the most sinister and clever weapon of them all is Religion.

Convincing large swaths of people that they absolutely need to go and kill other people is the foundation of all war.

Delenda est Roma

The sword was a clever invention.

Ancientgeezer

Hope the Horses remember to duck.




Designed to pull soldiers off their horses.



Chinese magazine-fed semi-automatic crossbow c 4th C BC




Greek Fire

Dawson567

The onager is pretty cool...

Nikator

Does that really apply to the ancient period? It's a nice broad sweeping statement but none of the Roman or Greek conquests or wars were inherently motivated by religion (aside from in exceptional cases like the Sacred Wars or or Jewish revolts). But when you look at the majority of wars (Alexander's conquests, Punic Wars, Syrian wars, conquests of Gaul and Britain, Roman civil wars) religion has nothing to do with them.

Darth Roach

Doesn't matter. Most people were still using spears and bows a thousand years later.

Sumrbrez

There were a series of programs on the Nat Geo channel evaluating the ancient weapons. The most effective was the Frankish throwing axe. The 2nd was the Hun's compound bow. Why were these so effective? They placed you at a distance from your opponent. This allowed you to survive longer than face to face combat with a sword or spear.