Back when slingshots were a weapon of choice, Greeks and Romans molded football-shaped ammunition out of lead. These bullets were often as big as an egg, and sometimes as big as a fist, but the reason for the strange shape isn’t clear. Some historians think soldiers preferred the football shape because the pointy sides helped to keep projectiles from slipping out of the slings. Others think the bullet’s shape helped soldiers to fling perfect spirals at their targets. But whatever the case, sometimes shooting a giant bullet at your enemy isn’t enough. So the troops improvised. Sometimes armies heated up their ammunition to set fires to thatched roofs. Sometimes they etched the things with the name of a deity, to ensure the bullet would stay true and hit its mark (What Would Ares Do?). And sometimes they doodled intimidating pictures on the ammunition: things like scorpions and snakes.
But the most hurtful bullets of all had to be the ones inscribed with sarcasm. Here’s a short sample of the real things archaeologists have found written on ancient lead bullets:
“Ouch!”
“For Pompey’s Backside!”
“Take this!”
“Be lodged well!”
“Fruit for Desert!”
“This is a Hard Nut to Crack!”
And my personal favorite: “Here’s a sugar plum for you!”
via Mental Floss
Image: Wikipedia
