Medieval Onager (siege weapon) information needed!!! Please help!!!!!!?

Question

I need some good information about the medieval onager - not the mammal. Links are welcome. I need some information about how it was used. Pictures would be real useful because the pics on Google are not onagers at all. When I have all this done, I have to make a model of an onager, so if you could, can you give me instructions on how to put one together?

Thankyou heaps.

Don't forget the best answer gets the points!

Answer 1

oh and onager is something that hurls em rocks at enemies.

its like the ones in age of empires 2

a moveable catapult

Answer 2

the onager is NOT a balista!

the onager is a Roman weapon. The construction is simple- a "spoon" (or a pole with a short sling attachment) placed on a frame. The "handle" of the spoon is placed in a craddle made from twisted sinew (regulated on both sides) then the spoon is angled backward, a stone placed in it and off it goes. The largest hurled 50 kilos/ 100 pouds for some 500 metres

a balista is a "crossbow" type weapon, ecxept that it uses two bunches of twisted sinew to power the arms. it could throw stones or spears/ arrows

a simplified version with springly arms was an arcobalista

try this link

http://www.legionxxiv.org/catapulta/

Answer 3

Onager was like a big cross bow. They are actually called Ballista and the name Onager (wildAss) was give because of how they kicked.

They were used like artillery to fire a heavy spear into enemy forts.

The tension on the bow part was from twisted ropes for springs.

------

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ballista

Answer 4

Onager is like a catapult, but it's stronger. It's used to break the castle wall by throwing stone on it. Perhaps, if you have ever played Age Empire 2 (the Age of King) you will find the shape of onager or the transformation from catapult to onager. Really, if you mind to play this game or other medieval real time strategy games, you will find others medieval siege weapons on those games. Then you can see more medieval siege weapons such as balista, catapult, trebuchet, battering ram, and many more.