Helepolis

Helepolis (Taker of Cities)
A Helepolis-like Siege Engine showing catapults, stairs and movement capstan.
TypeSiege tower
Place of originAncient Greece
Production history
DesignerPolyidus of Thessaly
Specifications
Mass160 short tons (150 t; 140 long tons)
Width65 ft (20 m)
Height130 ft (40 m)
Crew3,400

ArmorIron plates
Main
armament
2× 180 lb (82 kg) catapults
4× 60 lb (27 kg) catapults
10× 30 lb (14 kg) catapults
Secondary
armament
4× dart throwers

Helepolis (Greek: ἑλέπολις, meaning: "Taker of Cities") is the Greek name for a movable siege tower.

The most famous was that invented by Polyidus of Thessaly, and improved by Demetrius I of Macedon and Epimachus of Athens, for the Siege of Rhodes (305 BC). Descriptions of it were written by Diodorus Siculus,[1] Vitruvius, Plutarch, and in the Athenaeus Mechanicus.

  1. ^ Diodorus Siculus, Book 20. 48 online.