Leonardo da Vinci designed a scythed chariot with blades mounted on a rotating axle to attack troops near the vehicle.
His military drawings show a horse-drawn chariot equipped with long, curved blades extending from a horizontal rotating mechanism. As the chariot moved, the axle would turn and sweep the blades through the surrounding area. The concept was intended to create fear and disrupt formations, especially among infantry.
Scythed chariots were not Leonardo’s original invention. Ancient armies, including the Persians, used related weapons, and Leonardo’s design revisited the idea with Renaissance mechanical detail. The machine’s danger extended to its own horses and operators, and controlling it in battle would have been extremely difficult.
No reliable evidence shows that Leonardo’s version was built or used. The design illustrates his interest in adapting historical weapons through gears, axles, and moving parts rather than proving that every notebook sketch became a practical device.