A catapulta was a Roman machine for throwing arrows and javelins, 12 feet (3.7 m) or 15 feet (4.6 m) long, at the enemy. The name comes from the Greek katapeltes (καταπέλτης), because it could pierce or 'go through' (kata) shields (peltas). The design was probably inherited, along with the ballista, from Greek armies. Some versions of the catapulta were portable. Smaller two-armed versions of the catapulta were known as scorpiones. The catapulta was made of wood and were placed on stands.
== See also == Greek and Roman artillery Roman siege engines
References
Sources This article incorporates text from a publication now in the public domain: Chambers, Ephraim, ed. (1728). "Catapulta". Cyclopædia, or an Universal Dictionary of Arts and Sciences (1st ed.). James and John Knapton, et al.
=== Further reading === Duncan B. Campbell and Brian Delf, Greek and Roman Artillery 399 BC–AD 363, New Vanguard series 89, Osprey Publishing Ltd., Oxford 2003. ISBN 1 84176 634 8
== External links == Legion XXIV Catapulta, Features a detailed working reconstruction of a three-man catapulta.