Aries (military engineering)
Aries ( lat. Aries ) was a war machine (wall breaker, storm ram ) in the art of war of the ancient Romans . This consisted of a 20-60 m long beam, which was provided with the head of a ram at the front and was intended for breaking into the walls. Originally carried in the arms by soldiers, it was later suspended by scaffolding; often weighted down with stones at its rear end to increase the force and then pushed against the wall with momentum. The Aries was usually provided with a roof ( testudo ) resting on stakes and wheels (to protect the operating team ).
The besieged tried either to destroy the war machine by fire, or to soften the force of the shock by blankets , or to catch the beam with loops and hooks.
In German military history, these battering rams were called wall breakers . They were still in use until the 16th century. In the castle of the German Order of Knights in Toruń (Toruń in Polish) a replica of a wall breaker based on traditional drawings can be seen.
Mauerbrecher in Ordensburg Thorn - Front
Mauerbrecher in Ordensburg Thorn - rear view
