提 要：制造出射程更远，威力更大的远程武器是人类在军事技术方面的永恒追求。常规的弓箭受限于人类的臂力，无法在性能上有实质性的突破。公元前五世纪后期，古希腊人在科学知识与工程技术方面的积累使得发明一种超越臂力的远程机械武器成为可能。公元前400年前后，西西里的希腊人发明了腹弓。腹弓推动了复杂机械武器的发展，开启了人类远程机械武器时代，在世界军事史和工程技术史上占有重要地位。
关键词：弓箭；腹弓；远程机械武器；希隆
Title: Gastraphetes and the Beginning of Artillery
Author:Liu Yangang, Lecturer, Department of History, East China Normal University, Shanghai, 200241, China; Zhao Shaofeng, Lecturer, School of History and Culture, Liaocheng University, Liaocheng, Shandong, 252027, China.
Abstract:Making far-reaching and more lethality weapons has been a consistent pursuit of human military technology. Because of the limit of human body, ordinary bows could hardly satisfy the need of ancient military competitions. In the late 5thcentury BC, the Greeks had enough intellectual accumulation on engineering technology and knowledge to invent a long-range mechanical weapon, which is much more powerful than normal bows. In 399 BC, by inventing gastraphetes the Greeks in Sicily promoted the growth of complicated mechanical arms and marked the beginning of the era of artillery.Gastraphetesplayed an important role in the military and technological history of the world.
Key words:bow;gastraphetes; artillery; Heron
