The rohmphea: a spiked plank dragged by a heavy stone
A studded throwing beam twelve braccia long, launched with short cannon
The sheet is filled with lightly drawn machinery for a throwing engine, seen as a large framed assembly on a table, a smaller schematic at upper left, and a wheeled carriage carrying an inclined beam at the foot. The single block of text, headed by the name rohmphea, describes a throwing weapon made from a long plank. A chain or thick rope fastened to the middle of the plank is joined to a stone heavier than the plank, so the plank is dragged behind; its leading edge bristles with cubit-long spikes and its face is studded with nails. The plank is to be twelve braccia long.
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The rohmphea: a spiked plank dragged by a stone
The rohmphea can be launched with cortaldi (short cannon), as the ancients used other engines. A chain or thick rope is fixed to the middle of a plank and tied to a stone heavier than the plank, so the plank is pulled along behind it. Its leading edge is full of spikes a cubit long, the plank is twelve braccia long, and its face is covered with nails.
Throwing-engine assembly and wheeled carriage
The mechanism is drawn as a large framed assembly on a table with curved arms, a smaller schematic version at upper left, and a wheeled carriage bearing a long inclined beam at the bottom of the sheet. The drawings are faint outlines without further labels.