Taurus33

Very true, Gaius. Since no one came up with anything different here, I'll go with my man Sander's ruling. Guess I have a lot of "search & replace" work to do on the manuscript Monday.

These were modern books. As an example, the Time/Life book "Imperial Rome" has a six-page section called Roman Supremacy In The Siege, and specifically discusses Julius Caesar's siege of Avaricum in 52 BC. It discusses "onagers" in numerous passages. I've also read a number of novels which refer to the smaller catapults as onagers, in a wide variety of time periods. I know novels aren't the best reference, but the term just seemed so prevalent, I was surprised to hear it should only be used in the late Empire.

Thanks to all who are posting on this. Here's the reason this came up... One of my tech advisors for a novel I'm working on (Sander Van Dorst for those of you who know him-- a VERY knowledgable chap) has mentioned that Ammianus Marcellinus (23.4.4ff) makes note that "onager" was a newly introduced term in the 4th century. Sander's info has always been very accurate. The only reason I'm questioning this single item is because I've seen the word in SO many different Roman time periods, I was surprised to hear this. So, I'm just double checking with you other Roman military aces out there to see if anyone has seen any other sources that say something to the contrary. Thanks again. Taurus (Jim Duffy)

Wondering if anyone knows for sure when the term "onager" was first used to refer to small catapults. A knowledgable friend tells me that this "wild ass" term didn't originate until the 4th century AD. However, I've read books and articles set well before that (including Julius Caesar's campaigns) that mention onagers. Any thoughts on this? Also, what would this artillery piece have been called before that term originated?

Salve! Your Primus Pilus has been kind enough to allow me to post this notice which many of you should find of interest, especially those looking for new novels of ancient Rome. Sand of the Arena, Book One of the new Gladiators of the Empire series, has just been released by McBooks Press and is now available in bookstores and at Amazon.com (both US and UK). Sand of the Arena is a realistic look at life and death in the ludi and arenas of the Empire in the 1st Century AD. The story follows the life of Quintus Honorius Romanus as he struggles to overcome the loss of his family and the loss of his identity to a scheming slave. The epic adventure that follows sends Quintus across the Empire in search of a new life and a new family. He finds both in the gladiatorial schools and arenas of Britannia, Pompeii, and Rome. Set during Nero