WI: Repeating crossbows make it to Rome in Third Century through Silk Road?

The repeating crossbow was invented by Zhuge Liang in the early third century. What would happen if a Chinese merchant had brought it with him during his journey along the Silk Road and it was a Roman somehow acquired it? What effect could it have on the crisis Rome was about to face?

I appreciate any input.
 
Not a lot that I can see.

The Romans had in any case a considerable technical superiority over the Barbarians (eg the latter didn't acquire siege engines until Attila's time) and besides, at some point the Barbarians would have acquired it. If the new weapon was issued in sufficient numbers to matter, it would be far too widespread to be kept secret.
 
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The zhugenu was hideously effective when employed by mass conscript formations, who would require little training to operate the crossbow. This, however, is not one of Rome's niches.
 
It's a lot weaker than a regular crossbow. If it was as powerful as a regular, it's rate of fire would be a very minor improvement, as it still has to be cocked manually.
 
The concept of a repeating ballista was apparently known in Hellenistic times. The Polybolos, apparently invented by a engineer in Rhodes and described by Philo of Byzantium in his 3rd C. BC, Mechanike syntaxis (Compendium of Mechanics).
http://www.mlahanas.de/Greeks/RepCatapult.htm

It is very possible that the Romans were familiar with the concept. I'm not sure that the Romans would have been impressed by the weaker Chinese weapon.
 
The concept of a repeating ballista was apparently known in Hellenistic times. The Polybolos, apparently invented by a engineer in Rhodes and described by Philo of Byzantium in his 3rd C. BC, Mechanike syntaxis (Compendium of Mechanics).
http://www.mlahanas.de/Greeks/RepCatapult.htm

It is very possible that the Romans were familiar with the concept. I'm not sure that the Romans would have been impressed by the weaker Chinese weapon.

There's evidence the Romans did have their own form of crossbow; essentially a portable hand ballista.
 
There's evidence the Romans did have their own form of crossbow; essentially a portable hand ballista.


Yes, though, not a repeating one. They used the manuballista (that you refer to) and apparently a kind of cranked model by the time of the late empire that was apparently quite similar to late medieval crossbows.
 
It wouldn't have done much. The later Empire was very reliant on German mercs and they would have picked it up from the legions. In general as well the Romans left range weapons to auxiliaries
 
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