Levers: The Product of Ancient Greek Warfare

In many cases, we can't identify the inventors of ancient machines. Just as we don't know who invented the winch, we don't know the name of the Greeck soldier who invented catapult.

And yet his invention brought his people many victories in ancient battles.

The Greeks were among the first people to use catapults in warfare. They clearly inted that catapults wouldbe used to hurl an object over a long distance with great force.

Catapults are powerful and clever devices, but they're nothing more that simple leavers. To see how a catapult works, think of a screwdriver.
Have you ever used one to pry open a  can of paint? The metal lid is wedged in tight, but if you use a screwdriver as a lever to pry the lid off, the can is easy to open.