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Oct. 1st, 2008 11:23 am![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
katsmeatToday's eBay, a replica Roman ballista - link
I remember watching the TV program in which this was built - it was so funny.
A group of engineer/presenters set themselves the task of building a ballista in 10 days, on the basis that Roman military engineers with a career's worth of experience could do it. So obviously, modern people who'd never even seen one before would be able to match that feat.
At one point, an annoying bloke with stubble loudly and at length argued that a bronze plate, prominent on the original design, be omitted because he couldn't see what it did. It was and this may or may not have something to do with their ballista managing two shots before they had to stop firing - it was in danger of ripping itself apart.
The series was cancelled shortly after.
I remember watching the TV program in which this was built - it was so funny.
A group of engineer/presenters set themselves the task of building a ballista in 10 days, on the basis that Roman military engineers with a career's worth of experience could do it. So obviously, modern people who'd never even seen one before would be able to match that feat.
At one point, an annoying bloke with stubble loudly and at length argued that a bronze plate, prominent on the original design, be omitted because he couldn't see what it did. It was and this may or may not have something to do with their ballista managing two shots before they had to stop firing - it was in danger of ripping itself apart.
The series was cancelled shortly after.
