Pompeii's battle scars linked to an ancient 'machine gun'
75 points by pseudolus
by zeusdclxvi
2 subcomments
The polybolos was an advanced ancient Greek repeating ballista, often described as a "machine gun of antiquity," invented in the 3rd century BC by Dionysius of Alexandria. It used a unique chain-drive and gravity-fed system to fire bolts in rapid succession
by metalman
0 subcomment
likely would have had tactical utility to take out one select high value target especialy against an oponent who had not encountered it.
so more of a battlefield assination weapon.
it also decouples the need to have great physical strength ,and visual acuity
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