Talk:Scorpio (weapon)

Legion size

80 soldiers per century, and 60 centuries per legion = 4800 soldiers, yet the article states a legion is a total of 6000 soldiers?

An early imperial legion is generally reconstructed at 5 double centuries in the 1st cohort, 54 normal-strength centuries in the 2nd through 10th cohorts, and 4 turmae in the cavalry, so about 5240 troops. But the actual strength could vary between 3,000 and 6,000 at different times in the early and mid Empire, and about 1,000 in the late Empire after Diocletianus and Constantinus. 71.191.227.176 (talk) 03:20, 28 April 2012 (UTC)

Untitled

someone needs to proof-read this article,and insert links to other articles 71.144.81.93 18:46, 22 May 2007 (UTC)

I added a verification needed tag on the date because the article contradicts itself -- if Caesar used one at a siege in 52 BC how could it have been invented two years AFTERWARD?

DeciusAemilius —Preceding signed but undated comment was added at 01:51, 9 October 2007 (UTC)

Untitled 2

Photo of Dacian scorpio has number 23 on it, there was no Dacia by 10th century when indian numerals appeared in Europe. —Preceding unsigned comment added by 202.180.174.83 (talk) 00:24, 14 November 2010 (UTC)

Diagram

Possible source: Chabacano 19:00, 10 November 2007 (UTC)

I don't think that's a scorpio

The picture looks more like an outswinger reconstruction of a cheiroballistra. The metal frame with the arc on top is associated with the cheiroballistra and other later weapons, as opposed to the scorpio. 71.191.227.176 (talk) 02:51, 28 April 2012 (UTC)

A cherioballista/manuballista, I thought, was a handheld crossbow...209.213.17.28 (talk) 14:29, 16 July 2012 (UTC)

Perhaps not. Take a close look at each Dacian Scorpio carved into the stone plates in the three pictures - each scene shows the weapons including the arc, though the arc of the Scorpio in the pic with the number 23 on it seems to have broken off of the carving. Mousenight (talk) —Preceding undated comment added 23:37, 18 August 2015 (UTC)

Definition

What characteristics distinguish a scorpio from a general ballista? --Puzzledvegetable (talk) 01:01, 1 July 2019 (UTC)

Large chunk vandalized away and not replaced

In March 2020, a large sourced section of this page was removed as part of apparent vandalism, but the later edits only removed the gibberish that was added rather than readding the missing content.

Was this just missed or is there a reason for this? — Preceding unsigned comment added by Khitrir (talk • contribs) 08:16, 8 May 2022 (UTC)

Sorry forgot to sign the above. Khitrir (talk) 08:17, 8 May 2022 (UTC)

Versions? What?!

"Two versions are known: a horizontal two-armed variety like a ballista and a one-armed, vertical version otherwise referred to as an onager." This reads like a leftover from an article that dealt with torsion artillery in general. The scorpio is a ballista-type device but the onager is not. 2001:9E8:47A:F100:2B35:F882:B5EA:870C (talk) 11:19, 8 June 2025 (UTC)