gastrophetes

The gastraphetes, meaning "belly shooter," was an early form of large crossbow invented in ancient Greece around the 4th century BCE. It was named because the user braced the stock against their belly to draw the weapon. This weapon was a significant development in military technology, as it allowed for greater power and range than earlier tension-based weapons.1

The gastraphetes was constructed using a composite bow made of wood, horn, and sinew. While effective, the demand for increased power led to the development of torsion-based artillery, which replaced the bow with rigid wooden arms powered by twisted fibers. This innovation allowed for larger and more powerful engines, such as catapults and ballistae, which became prominent in classical warfare. The crossbow, a descendant of these early designs, remained a key missile weapon throughout the Middle Ages.12