Daily Quiz for October 6, 2010

The crossbow.The crossbow was outlawed in the 12th century by an ecumenical council called by Pope Innocent II. Capable of piercing chain mail from a range of up to 1,000 feet, this formidable missile weapon remained a fixture of technically-advanced European armies throughout the Middle Ages. During the second Lateran council (the 10th ecumenical council) in 1139, use of the weapon was banned–at least against Christians. Although it was used after the introduction of firearms, it was eventually succeeded by the harquebus–a primitive gun–in the late 15th century.