A device for raising water, the Archimedean screw consists of an external cylinder surrounding a screw. The bottom of the cylinder and screw must be immersed in water, which is not correctly depicted here. If the…

First edition published by Heinrich Stayner of De re militari, a classic work on the science of making war by Publius Flavius Vegetius Renatus, commonly referred to as Vegetius, a writer from the Later Roman Empire…

A mobile wooden siege wall concealing a soldier firing a mortar.

A soldier ascends a wooden siege ramp.

Soldiers ride in a wheeled siege vehicle with windows for firing weapons.

On the left is a telescoping siege device powered by a screw mechanism, and on the right is a rope ladder dangling from a castle tower.

Soldiers wearing armor engaged in sword combat wielding a spiked shield.

A fortified tower filled with soldiers is raised using a telescoping leg system driven by a pulley.

A soldier ascends a siege ladder equipped with wheels.

A soldier ascends a drawbridge supported by ropes hanging from supporting beams.

The image shows a soldier climbing a siege ladder alongside a schematic of a different ladder in three parts that can be screwed together.

Soldier holding a sling used for hurling projectiles and an enlarged view of the sling itself.

The mangonel was a type of catapult used generally for hurling stones at a besieged castle's walls. As Vegetius writes, "But the mangonel shoots stones, and throws various weights in proportion to the thickness of the…

A wooden catapult used for hurling an object such as a stone.

The sling stave is a staff with a sling at the end, used for hurling smaller projectiles. In Latin it is called a fustibalus. One cord of the sling is attached to the staff or "stave" and the other end has a loop that…

A battering ram with an iron tip in the shape of a ram's head.

A siege engine in the form of a portable shelter behind which soldiers could take cover and advance in the face of projectiles. This form is equipped with spikes to deter head-on attack from opposing forces.

A war engine with four wheels in the shape of an animal with the feet of a bird and the head of a lion, operated by three soldiers.

Artist's depiction of Publius Flavius Vegetius Renatus, commonly referred to as Vegetius, a writer from the Later Roman Empire (circa 4th century) who wrote extensively on military matters.

A siege engine in the form of a portable shelter behind which soldiers could take cover and advance in the face of projectiles. This one appears to be equipped with a perforated grate in the middle through which the…

The siege hook, or falx, was a siege engine dating back to Roman times. Similar to a battering ram, the siege hook was tipped with a pry bar, and the ram had handles for twisting and either splintering wooden doors or…

War engine with wheels, face, and spikes, apparently used to break up enemy ranks or crush enemy troops.

Illustrated title page with a woodcut after Hans Weiditz by Jörg Brou the elder of Schoeller, showing a military scene with men in armor, some of whom are carrying long swords and spears in front of decorated tents.