War (continued)

Part III: Siege Weapons

A. Weapons to Attack a Castle

When attacking a castle, soldiers of the Islamic Empires would use a variety of weapons:

1. Catapults (and later trebuchets) to attack from a distance (to propel stones to break down walls or doors, or to propel fireballs into the castle to do fire damage) and ballistas which were like giant crossbows which could shoot large arrows with flaming heads. [Image below adapted and colored from Medieval Paige-Castles]

2. Battering rams (to knock down doors or walls) [image from Medieval Paige-Castles] To keep the battering rams protected from flaming arrows, they would be covered with wet animal hides.

3. Siege towers to push up against the walls in order to cross over the castle walls [image from Medieval Paige-Castles]

4. Ladders to get over the walls

 

Learn more about siege strategies at The Medieval Paige-Castles.

 

B. Defensive Weapons and Strategies

When defending a castle, soldiers would use:

1. stones and vats (very large metal pots) of boiling oil or water to dump down upon the attackers
2. bow and arrows (Muslims had both long bows and cross bows)
3. catapults to destroy the siege towers and weapons
4. Castles would be built for defense, and many European castle designs came from the more advanced Middle Eastern castles. (The ideas of castle designs were brought back by the crusaders who had been to the Middle East.) Castles of the Middle East also had moats (ditches sometimes filled with water, but often dry and with spikes), drawbridges, arrow-loops (windows that were narrow on the outside and wider on the inside), murder holes (above the entryway), etc.)

 

Siege tower being pushed up to the walls of a castle.

Go to Page One: War

Go to Page Two: More Weapons

You are here at Page Three: Siege Weapons

Go to Page Four: Battlefield Strategies and Animals in War

Go to Page Five: New Weapons and Fire Weapons and Cannons and Guns

Go to Page Six: Armor

Go to Page Seven: Castles and Forts

Go to Page Eight: Important Wars