Long before Mount Vesuvius erupted in AD 79 and Pompeii was covered in ash and pumice, the people of the doomed city faced a very different threat.
About 170 years ago, the inhabitants of Pompeii were fighting for independence when Roman armies led by general Lucius Cornelius Sulla attacked Pompeii and took it under control.
But now Italian researchers say they have discovered the Romans had a secret weapon – the dopolos – a Greek-designed catapult that fired metal-tipped projectiles at enemies and knocked enemy soldiers off their walls in rapid succession.
The Romans used common weapons to attack the city walls, and Doppolos played an important role in the siege – Rossi et al., Heritage 2026 (CC BY 4.0); modified by IFLScience
Luigi Vanvitelli researchers Adriana Rossi and Silvia Bertacchi of the University of Campania and Veronica Casadi of the University of Bologna found that this unusual weapon was responsible for the huge circular craters found in the walls.
After five years of engineering research, the team recently published their findings in the journal Heritage.
Researchers were surprised to find archaeological evidence on the city’s northern ramparts showing that the walls from 89 BC had “miraculously survived” Roman restorations, World War II bombings and natural disasters.
“Anti-Personnel Purpose”
It leaves no doubt as to the ferocious Roman assault on the 40-foot (12-meter)-high city wall, and the crucial role these weapons played in subduing the enemy during the months-long siege.
“The artillery deployed during the attack was used primarily for anti-personnel purposes, targeting defenders along the walls and between the teeth, rather than destroying the fortifications themselves,” the researchers wrote.
Preserved by volcanic ash released by Mount Vesuvius, these fan-shaped cavities have been a source of academic fascination for decades.
The researchers used digital data to create a three-dimensional model that reflected the weapon’s depth, width and shape, then compared it to the mechanical motion of a repeating ejector.
Polybolos are catapults that fire metal-tipped projectiles at enemies
The team then reverse-engineered the type of weapon used and found that everything pointed to a high-speed machine – essentially an ancient machine gun – that shattered stone on impact.
Researchers say the advent of digital survey technology has made it possible to record evidence with a degree of precision and geometric detail that was previously impossible.
Museum collections provide further evidence. Surviving projectiles from other Roman military sites, such as iron-tipped darts associated with scorpion catapults, match the dimensions of 3D models created from damage to the walls.
With a third of Pompeii still buried under volcanic debris from Vesuvius’s eruption, archaeologists are still learning more about the city’s history and how its people lived.
Researchers believe that as more walls are unearthed, more can be learned about the role of Topolo.
Try full access to The Telegraph for free now. Unlock their award-winning website and essential news app, plus helpful tools and expert guidance on your money, health and holidays.