The scythed war-chariot, with the ronfile and rocace
Leonardo warns the scythed chariot harms its own side, and how to rout it with caltrops
A vigorous drawing of a scythed chariot dragged at speed by a galloping team heads the sheet, with a warning that such chariots often did more harm to friends than to enemies. Leonardo prescribes archers, slingers and throwers, drums and shouts to panic the horses so that they turn, unbridled, against their own ranks, and recalls that the Romans strewed iron caltrops to lame them and halt the chariots. Below are two further hurled weapons, the spiked ronfile hurled sling-fashion and the pole-arms rutile and rocace used by the Macedonians against the ever-running Tartars.
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The scythed chariot, more dangerous to its own side
Scythed chariots of various kinds often harmed friends as much as enemies, for captains who meant to break the enemy squadrons sowed fear and injury among their own. Against them Leonardo urges archers, slingers and throwers with darts, stones, fire, drums and shouts, standing spread out, and recalls that the Romans strewed iron caltrops to lame the horses.
The galloping team in furious motion
The upper drawing renders a team of horses at full stretch, straining and rearing as they haul the bladed chariot. The accompanying text turns on their behaviour: frightened and unbridled, such horses wheel back among their own drivers, becoming a hindrance to the side that loosed them.
The ronfile, a spiked shaft flung like a sling-stone
Ronfile were shafts of three cubits studded with iron points, hurled among the enemy with a cord fastened to a stick in the manner of a sling. They are drawn as a long bristling bar and were a great hindrance to the foe.
Rutile and rocace against the running Tartars
Rutile and rocace were used by the Macedonians against the Tartars, who run all their lives. Even pierced and run through by these lances, the wounded man still kills the one who struck him. The related figures are drawn as slender pole-weapons at the foot of the sheet.