The gastraphetes (Ancient Greek: γαστραφέτης, lit. 'belly-releaser'), also called belly bow or belly shooter, was a hand-held crossbow used by the Ancient Greeks.[1] It was described in the 1st century AD by the Greek author Heron of Alexandria in his work Belopoeica, which draws on an earlier account of the famous Greek engineer Ctesibius (fl. 285–222 BC). Heron identifies the gastraphetes as the forerunner of the later catapult, which places its invention some unknown time prior to c. 420 BC.[2]
Unlike later Roman and medieval crossbows, spanning the weapon was not done by pulling up the string, but by pushing down a slider mechanism.
^Campbell 2003, pp. 3ff.; Ober 1987, p. 569; Hacker 1968, p. 37; Lewis 1999, p. 159; de Camp 1961, p. 241
^Campbell 2003, pp. 3ff.; Schellenberg 2006, pp. 18f.
authors, the dimensions of the gastraphetes may have involved some kind of prop. A larger version of the gastraphetes were the oxybeles, which were used...
Heron, the gastraphetes was the forerunner of the later catapult, which places its invention some unknown time prior to 399 BC. The gastraphetes was a crossbow...
crossbow, called the gastraphetes, which could store more energy than the Greek bows. A detailed description of the gastraphetes, or the "belly-bow",[page needed]...
depiction of a gastraphetes The gastraphetes among other ancient mechanical artillery Gastraphetes being armed Mounted version of a gastraphetes Pictish depiction...
Greece were developed from two weapons called oxybeles and gastraphetes. The gastraphetes ('belly-bow') was a handheld crossbow. It had a composite prod...
windlass. The mensa itself was a sliding plank (similar to that on the gastraphetes) containing the claw latches used to pull back the drawstring and was...
period. The technology was developed quite rapidly, from the earliest gastraphetes in about 399 BC to the most advanced torsion artillery in about 300 BC...
pointed) and βέλος (belos = arrow). The weapon was basically an oversized gastraphetes, a composite bow placed on a stand with a stock and a trigger. It was...
documented occurrence of ancient siege engine pieces in Europe was the gastraphetes ("belly-bow"), a kind of large crossbow. These were mounted on wooden...
weapons, Attila's hunnic composite bow was put up against Alexander's gastraphetes belly-bow. Both were tested on two moving targets. The composite bow...
transmitted to the Roman world on such occasions, although the Greek gastraphetes provides an alternative origin. R. Ernest Dupuy and Trevor N. Dupuy suggest...
coffee, was invented in 1957 at the Thessaloniki International Fair. Gastraphetes: hand-held crossbow used by the Greeks. Geography: Building on the mapmaking...
handheld trigger crossbow for the first time. The first crossbow, the gastraphetes, is invented at Syracuse. (pre-421 BC) Donkey-powered mills or 'Pompeiian...
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...
(lithoboloi), while the two attributed to Zopyrus of Tarentum are termed gastraphetes. He also describes helepolis (siege tower) built by Poseidonios the Macedonian...
these could develop much greater force than earlier forms (such as the gastraphetes) reliant on the elastic properties of a bow-stave. Two forms of such...
other fields, ancient Greek innovations include the catapult and the gastraphetes crossbow in warfare, hollow bronze-casting in metallurgy, the dioptra...
since at least the beginning of the 4th century BC, most notably the gastraphetes in Heron of Alexandria's Belopoeica that was probably invented in Syracuse...
accuracy. The gastraphetes was tested on foot and could not match the speed or the accuracy of the composite bow, despite the gastraphetes' superior power...
the construction technique. On the one hand there was the crossbow (gastraphetes, arcuballista), based on the principle of the bow, and the twisting device...
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