Ancient Siege Engines
ABBO : A monk of Saint-Germain cles Pres, born about the middle of the
ninth century, died in 923. He wrote a poem in Latin describing the siege
of Paris by the Northmen in 885-886.
AMMIANUS MARCELLINUS : Military historian. Died shortly after 390. His
work first printed at Rome 1474. The latest edition is that of V. Gardthausen,
1874-1875.
APPIAN : Historian. Lived at Rome during the reigns of Trajan, Hadrian
and Antoninus Pius, 98-161. The best edition of his history is that of
Schweighaeuser, 1785.
APOLLODORUS OF DAMASCUS: Built Trajan's Column, 105-113. Architect
and engineer. Addressed a series of letters to the Emperor Trajan on
siege
engines (vide Thevenot).
ATHENAEUS : Lived in the time of Archimedes, B.C. 287-212. The author
of a treatise on warlike engines (vide Thevenot).
BITON : Flourished about 250 B.C. Wrote a treatise on siege engines
for throwing stones (vide Thevenot).
BLONDEL, FRANCOIS : French engineer and architect; born 1617 ; died
1686.
CAESAR, JULIUS (the Dictator): Born B.C. 100; died B.C. 44. Author of
the 'Commentaries ' on the Gallic and Civil wars.
CAMDEN, WILLIAM: Born 1551; died 1623. Antiquary. Published his 'Britannia'
1586-1607.
COLONNA, EGIDIO : Died 1316. Archbishop of Bourges 1294, after having
been tutor to Philip the Fair of France. His best known works are 'Quaestiones
Metaphysicales ' and ' De Regimine Principum ;' the latter was written
about 1280. Colonna gives a description of the siege engines of his time.
DANIEL, PERE GABRIEL: Historian. Born 1649; died 1728. Published 'Histoire
de France,' 1713.
DIODORUS (The Sicilian) : Historian. Lived under Julius and Augustus
Caesar (Augustus died A.D. 14). The best modern edition is that edited
by L. Dindorf, 1828.
FABRETTI, RAFFAEL : Antiquary. Born 1618 ; died 1700.
FROISSART, JEAN : French chronicler. Born about 1337 ; died 1410. His
chronicles printed about 1500. Translated into English by Lord Berners,
and published 1523-1525.
GROSE, FRANCIS: Military historian and antiquary. Born about 1731; died
1791. Published ' Military Antiquities ' 1786-1788.
HERON OF ALEXANDRIA: Mechanician. Lived B.C. 284-221. Bernardino Baldi
edited his work on arrows and siege engines, 1616 (vide Thevenot).
ISIDORUS, BISHOP OF SEVILLE : Historian. Died 636. |