Ancient Times , Reborn in Local Catapult Competition
Suppose you’ve seen that iconic opening scene to the 2001 movie Gladiator, where Maximus slowly runs his hand through the field of wheat before he is thrust into a Roman-Germanic battle that opens with a barrage of ancient artillery.
Artillery known as the catapult.
PHOTO: WikiCommons
It was the 13th century when Philadelphia found itself under siege by Turkish forces. This did not happen just once in the 14th century, but multiple times during that century. Before its fall in 1390 to the Ottoman Empire, it was considered one of the longest sieges in history. Assaulted utilizing catapults among other weapons — Philadelphia finally fell in 1390.
I’m not talking about our Philadelphia, obviously. I’m talking about the city of ancient Greece (also known as Alaşehir).
By the time Europeans settled the area around Philadelphia in North America in the late 17th century, cannons were the artillery of the day. When the Vikings — Norsemen from across the Atlantic settled on the Newfoundland Coast in the 11th Century, they encountered North American Native tribes. Native Americans would barter with William Penn nearly 700 years later.
View this post on Instagram
This week, for the second year in a row, Engineering Students at the Engineering Club at Washington Township High School held the second annual Catapult Competition.
The students competed against Rowan University and the University of Delaware, as part of the “Spring Fling,” which benefited the Sophia Bennett Memorial Scholarship Fund.
Thankfully, Philadelphia may not be under any type of siege anytime soon, but its region has once again made news, not only in sports. But has catapulted itself once again into alternative sports.
No pun intended.
PHOTO: WikiCommons
Discover more from Philadelphia Sports Nation
Subscribe to get the latest posts sent to your email.
Categorized:College More PHL News