What weapon did Leonardo da Vinci design with a large rotating blade?

Leonardo da Vinci designed a scythed chariot with rotating blades mounted on its wheels.

The proposed vehicle was intended to cut through opposing troops as it moved across a battlefield. Long blades projected from rotating assemblies, creating a dangerous sweeping motion. Leonardo’s drawing belongs to his military studies, which included weapons, fortifications, bridges, and machines for moving troops or artillery.

The design was not an invention unique to Leonardo. Scythed chariots had been associated with ancient warfare, especially in accounts of Persian and Hellenistic armies. Leonardo reimagined the idea with Renaissance mechanical components and a more detailed vehicle design.

The chariot was never a proven battlefield machine. Its blades would have threatened friendly soldiers and horses as well as enemies, while uneven terrain could have made it hard to control. The design is best understood as an example of Leonardo’s imaginative engineering rather than a successful military innovation.