What weapon did Leonardo da Vinci design with blades mounted on rotating wheels?

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

His drawing shows a horse-drawn vehicle fitted with long, curved blades that would sweep around the chariot as the wheels turned. The proposed weapon was intended to cut through enemy infantry formations and create a dangerous moving barrier on the battlefield.

Scythed chariots were not Leonardo’s invention in the broad historical sense. Ancient Persian armies used them, and Greek and Roman writers described earlier versions. Leonardo’s design was a Renaissance reworking of the idea, combining a chariot with a mechanical transmission that made the blades rotate.

The concept illustrates Leonardo’s interest in applying gears and motion systems to warfare. It is a design study rather than evidence of a fielded weapon. The scythed chariot is also distinct from Leonardo’s armored vehicle, whose main defensive feature was a protective shell rather than rotating blades.