Illustrations of history

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This magazine is for sharing artwork of historical events, places, personages, etc. Scale models and the like also welcome!

Generally speaking, actual photos of a historical item should go to [email protected]

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PugJesus

Crossbowmen loading from a sitting position at the Battle of Jaffa, Third Crusade, 1192 AD (lemmy.world)

submitted 3 weeks ago by PugJesus to c/historyillustrations

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[–] PugJesus 10 points 3 weeks ago (2 children)

The crossbow stirrup was invented by this point, but was not necessarily in universal use. In any case, it's a great display of a rarely-depicted method of loading a crossbow - from a sitting position, with the feet. This was the main method of loading heavier crossbows before the invention of all sorts of ingenious mechanical aids, like the stirrup, belt hooks, windlasses, etc.

[–] [email protected] 3 points 3 weeks ago (1 children)

Looks like they had a system down: loaders, exchangers, shooters

[–] PugJesus 3 points 3 weeks ago

Yep! Exact setups vary - at Jaffa, I think they worked in pairs (loader-shooter), while other configurations are attested to elsewhere - I know some later European mercenaries worked in teams of three or four - two loaders, one shooter, and sometimes a shieldbearer.

[–] passiveaggressivesonar 3 points 3 weeks ago (1 children)

I feel responsible for your shifting focus, can we get some posts on the leveled up crossbow - the ballista?!

[–] PugJesus 3 points 3 weeks ago* (last edited 3 weeks ago)

Ha, I'll take a look, but I actually don't have a lot of interest in large bolt-throwers! Roman scorpiones are cool, but once you start getting artillery-sized my attention starts to wander. I might have a pic or two, though!

[–] [email protected] 3 points 3 weeks ago (1 children)

Surprised by how many historical outcomes boil down to: who had the better rate of fire.

[–] PugJesus 6 points 3 weeks ago

Funny enough, Jaffa was an exception to that. The Crusader crossbowmen fired slower than the Saracen horse archers, but the greater penetrative power of the crossbow and the effectiveness of the crossbowmen's armor let them prevail anyway.