The oxybeles ( el, οξυβελής) was a weapon used by the

Ancient Greeks Ancient Greece ( el, Ἑλλάς, Hellás) was a northeastern Mediterranean civilization, existing from the Greek Dark Ages of the 12th–9th centuries BC to the end of classical antiquity ( AD 600), that comprised a loose collection of cult ...

starting in 375 BC. The word is derived from Ancient Greek: οξύς (''oxys'' = sharp, pointed) and βέλος (''belos'' = arrow). The weapon was basically an oversized

gastraphetes The gastraphetes ( grc, γαστραφέτης, , belly-releaser), also called belly bow or belly shooter, was a hand-held crossbow used by the Ancient Greeks. It was described in the 1st century AD by the Greek author Heron of Alexandria in his ...

, a composite bow placed on a stand with a stock and a trigger. It was supplanted by the scientifically engineered

ballista The ballista (Latin, from Greek βαλλίστρα ''ballistra'' and that from βάλλω ''ballō'', "throw"), plural ballistae, sometimes called bolt thrower, was an ancient missile weapon that launched either bolts or stones at a distant ...

. The difference between the two is the use of torsion power by the ballista. The most notable use of the oxybeles was under Alexander the Great's rule.

Notes

Ancient Greek military terminology Ancient Greek artillery {{artillery-stub