CrossbowsCrossbows are a very effective weapon for hunting and warfare, even by today's standards. The first traces of crossbows come from China in the 6th century BC. Knowledge then slowly spread westward into Europe during the time of the Roman Empire, the greatest empire of all time. The crossbow remained Rome's preferred weapon of war and hunting until the 15th century, when gunpowder was also introduced from China. Crossbows can vary greatly in their design and construction. They range from 50 to 400 pounds. in traction weight. These can be very small hand-held pistols or rifles, which can fire quickly and accurately with pinpoint accuracy up to 60 yards and kill ranges up to 100 yards. The biggest bows with 400 lbs. pull weights could have a range of over 400 yards, they could fire large arrows, stones, and other types of projectiles accurately while staying well out of the range of most enemy fire. These arches were constructed from large beams and sat on wheels so that 2 men could easily change the position of the arch. These bows were very powerful but also very slow to load and fire. They had mechanical winches, which were operated by hand to bring in the bowstring. It took two men to operate these bows called siege machines. The crossbowmen protected themselves with a small shield called a pavise. The shield was slung on the soldier's back and propped up in front of him just before the battle began. The preferred bow was the small rifle, which had many advantages over larger ones. This bow could be carried loaded and ready to shoot. This was not possible with a longbow. The crossbow also required less skill and practice to use effectively, while the longbow required constant practice and exercise so that soldiers could be strong enough to hold the string. And even though the longbow was more work and required more skill, the crossbow still had much more power and accuracy and worked more efficiently than the longbow. In Syracuse, the idea of ​​throwing metal or wooden rocks and bolts long distances precisely became an obsession. The first siege weapons were tested on the young Roman navy by the Greeks. The Greeks made the Romans believe that the gods were throwing stones at them from the sky. The mighty Romans ran for the least.