Leonardo da Vinci redesigned the ancient war chariot as a scythed chariot.
His drawing shows a horse-drawn vehicle fitted with rotating blades. As the chariot moved through an opposing formation, the blades were intended to cut through soldiers and create panic. Leonardo’s design belongs to his studies of military engineering and the revival of classical ideas during the Renaissance.
Scythed chariots were not Leonardo’s invention. Ancient Persian armies are especially associated with them, and historical accounts also discuss their use by other ancient powers. Leonardo’s contribution was a new mechanical arrangement, including blades mounted to rotate as the wheels turned.
The design was dangerous to its own operators as well as to enemies. It illustrates how Leonardo often explored the mechanical possibilities of weapons without necessarily producing a battlefield-ready machine.