Did Romans use flaming arrows?

Both the Assyrians and the Judeans used flaming arrows at the siege of Lachish in 701 BC. More sophisticated devices were developed by the Romans which had iron boxes and tubes which were filled with incendiary substances and attached to arrows or spears.

What happened Greek fire?

Greek fire was a flaming mixture fired from the ships of the Byzantine empire from the 7th century. The fire would cling to flesh and was impossible to extinguish with water. This deadly concoction was created by a family of chemists and engineers from Constantinople, and the secret recipe died with them.

Did the Romans use siege towers?

Up to the first century BC, the Romans utilized siege weapons only as required and relied for the most part on ladders, towers and rams to assault a fortified town. Julius Caesar took great interest in the integration of advanced siege engines, organizing their use for optimal battlefield efficiency.

What was in Greek fire?

Greek fire was an incendiary weapon used by the Byzantine Empire beginning c. Used to set fire to enemy ships, it consisted of a combustible compound emitted by a flame-throwing weapon. Some historians believe it could be ignited on contact with water, and was probably based on naphtha and quicklime.

Did castles use boiling oil?

Hot Oil was rarely thrown at attackers The idea of buckets of hot oil being dropped on attackers is common in TV and film, but hot oil was rarely used as a weapon. Those defending the castle would sometimes pour hot sand, boiling water or quicklime on attackers who were using scaling ladders to climb the walls.

Did all castles have moats?

By the middle and later Medieval period, moats had become less common. Most castles in the South (Southern France for example) don’t have them. Most castles built on rock don’t have them. Castles built on earth in Northern Europe might well still have them, and they might be wet moats if possible.

Where does the king stay in a castle?

There was a range of accommodation in a castle for the range of people who lived in it. The King and Queen would have had the most comfort having private chambers in the keep. As well as chambers for the King, the keep had a ‘great hall’ used for banquets and meetings.

Whats the difference between a castle and a palace?

A castle is a large, fortified residence or group of buildings with strong walls to defend against attacks. No fortified walls, no moats, no cannons—they’ve more of the gilded-chic vibe. Palaces were/are lived in by royalty, heads of state, or heads of a church, and are usually surrounded by lush, landscaped gardens.

What are the three types of castles?

However, despite the dizzying diversity in medieval castles, there were three primary types of castles: Motte-and-bailey castles, stone keep castles, and concentric castles.

Where is the largest palace in the world?

According to the Guinness World Records, Forbidden City holds the “largest palace in the world”. The Istana Nurul Iman, with 2,152,782 square feet (200,000 m2) of floorspace, holds the title as the “world’s largest residential palace” held in Brunei.

Can a castle be a palace?

A castle is a fortified dwelling. In other words, there are many kinds of fortifications built for defense, but a castle is specifically used as a residence, as well. So when we’re wondering what’s the difference between a castle and a palace, the most important difference is that a palace is not fortified.

Is a mansion bigger than a castle?

A castle is a type of fortress, made of stone and designed to withstand attack (before gunpowder made them obsolete). Mansions are just large, fancy houses.