Basilisk Cannon

By Crusader1307

Developed in the 14th Century, these cannon were extremely heavy pieces - made  of bronze. A "typical" barrel could weigh in excess of 4,000 pounds. Their bore diameter was roughly 5-inches. They were around 8 to 10 feet (depending on manufacturer) and mounted on different carriage systems (depending on land or sea use). Named after the mythical Greek fire-breathing serpent, the Basilisk could fire a 160 pound shell. In 1588, The Spanish Armada had several ships equipped with this weapon. Their goal was to travel down the English Coast and destroy all coastal Towns and Cities. As artillery began to quickly develop into better and more mobile models, the use of the Basilisk was discontinued.