As before stated, the Romans adopted the engines from the Greeks.
Vitruvius and other historians tell us this, and even copy their descriptions of them from the Greek authors, though too often with palpable inaccuracy.
To ascertain the power and mechanism of these ancient engines a very close study of all the old authors who wrote about them is essential, with a view to extracting here and there useful facts amid what are generally verbose and confused references.
There is no doubt that the engines made and used by the Romans after their conquest of Greece (B.C. 146), in the course of two or three centuries became inferior to the original machines previously constructed by the Greek artificers.
Their efficiency chiefly suffered because the art of manufacturing their important parts was gradually neglected and allowed to become lost.
Fig. 2.—A Siege.
Criticism.—The picture is open to the spectator in order that he may see both defenders and besiegers at work.
The besieged have just cast a stone from a catapult. The stone is falling on the movable tower belonging to the attacking side.
From Polybius. Edition 1727.