Inside the Mangonel: The Byzantine Weapon That Saved Rome From Ostrogoths in 537 (Full Process)

Step inside a 6th-century Byzantine siege workshop and discover how a wooden stone-throwing engine — pulled by teams of soldiers hauling on ropes, mounted along the parapets of ancient Roman walls, and hurling stones weighing dozens of kilograms at advancing Ostrogothic siege towers — helped a Byzantine general named Belisarius hold the city of Rome for 374 days against a Gothic army that outnumbered him twenty to one. This full-process historical documentary explores the engineering, the desperate strategy, and the world-changing siege of the Mangonel — the traction stone-thrower used by Byzantine defenders during the Siege of Rome from March 2, 537, to March 12, 538. Built from a heavy timber frame, a single wooden throwing arm counterweighted by a leather sling, and a pulling team of ten to thirty men hauling on ropes attached to the short end of the arm, the mangonel could launch stones weighing five to twenty kilograms over 150 meters — enough to smash a wooden siege tower or crush a formation of attacking soldiers. Explore every major stage of Mangonel construction and the defense of Rome, including: Cutting and shaping heavy oak or ash timbers for the frame and throwing arm Fitting the pivot bearing that let the arm rotate rapidly around its horizontal axis Attaching a leather sling at the long end of the arm to hold the stone projectile Rigging pulling ropes at the short end for a coordinated team of 10-30 men Positioning the mangonel along the parapets of Rome's Aurelian Walls Firing stones at Ostrogothic siege towers, battering rams, and advancing formations Repositioning the mobile mangonels along the 19-kilometer circuit of walls as needed Blending late Roman military engineering, Byzantine defensive tactics, and the political catastrophe of Justinian's reconquest of Italy, this video reveals how a family of stone-throwing engines held one of history's greatest cities against overwhelming odds. In late 536, the Byzantine general Flavius Belisarius — the brilliant thirty-five-year-old commander who had already destroyed the Vandal Kingdom of North Africa in a single campaign — marched an army of only 5,000 soldiers up the Italian peninsula and entered Rome peacefully in December of that year. The Ostrogothic king Vitiges gathered a massive army, marched south, and on March 2, 537, laid siege to the ancient capital. For 374 days, Belisarius held Rome. The Ostrogoths severed all eleven aqueducts feeding the city, cutting off its water supply and stopping its grain mills. Plague broke out. Citizens starved. Belisarius mounted mangonels, onagers, and ballistae along the Aurelian Walls — the great fourth-century circuit built by Emperor Aurelian that still stands today — and used them to destroy Gothic siege towers, break up assault columns, and pick off enemy commanders at range. He conducted night sorties from the Salarian Gate and the Praenestine Gate to disrupt Gothic camps. His wife Antonina traveled to Naples to organize reinforcements. Contemporary historian Procopius — who was there as Belisarius's secretary — documented every siege engine, every skirmish, every innovation in his Wars of Justinian. On March 12, 538, Vitiges lifted the siege and retreated north. Rome had held. Belisarius emerged from the walls with reinforcements landing from Byzantine transports and pursued the retreating Goths. The Gothic War would continue for another sixteen years — a devastating conflict that would leave Italy depopulated and ruined for centuries — but the survival of Rome under Belisarius's defense preserved the last Latin-speaking capital of the ancient world for another generation. It was one of the greatest defensive victories in military history, and among the weapons that made it possible was a wooden lever pulled by teams of shouting men. If you enjoy Byzantine history documentaries, late antique military engineering, Belisarius, Justinian's reconquest of Italy, or full-process explorations of historical siege weapons, this cinematic walkthrough reveals how Byzantine engineers turned Rome's ancient walls into a killing zone. 🔔 Subscribe to The Archaic Method for more Inside documentaries exploring ancient workshops, siege engineering, and the full processes behind the weapons that changed history.