In ancient warfare, siege warfare was a common form of military confrontation. The attacking party would usually use various methods to break through the defense of the city walls, and the scaling ladder was one of the most commonly used siege engines. However, why not simply push over the enemy's ladder during the siege? The reason is that these scaling ladders were often equipped with carefully designed traps, such as venom and barbed hooks, making it extremely dangerous to push or climb directly.

The original design of the scaling ladder was to provide attackers with a stable climbing platform so that they could approach and scale tall city walls. However, the defending party would not sit idle and wait for defeat. They would set up various defensive measures on the city walls to hinder the attacking party's actions. Among them, equipping the scaling ladder with traps was a very effective defensive strategy.

Firstly, venom was a common defensive measure. Ancient venom was usually made from a mixture of extracts from various poisonous plants and animals, possessing strong toxicity. The defending party would smear these venoms on the handrails or steps of the scaling ladder. Once the attackers came into contact with these venoms, they might immediately feel severe pain and even lose combat effectiveness within a short time, thus being unable to continue climbing.

Secondly, barbed hooks were another common trap. These hooks were usually sharp iron nails or pointed spikes, installed in reverse on the handrails or steps of the scaling ladder. When attackers attempted to climb the scaling ladder, their hands or feet could easily be injured by these barbed hooks, causing intense pain and possibly preventing them from continuing forward due to severe injuries.

In addition to venom and barbed hooks, the scaling ladder might also be equipped with other types of traps, such as spring-loaded arrows, trap-like grappling hooks, etc. The purpose of these traps was to increase the difficulty of the siege and reduce the pressure on the defending party.

Therefore, when facing a scaling ladder equipped with traps, the attacking party would usually not attempt to push it over lightly. On the one hand, doing so might trigger the traps, causing harm to the attacking party itself; on the other hand, even if the scaling ladder was successfully pushed over, it might anger the defending party, leading to more intense counterattacks.

In conclusion, in ancient siege warfare, the traps on scaling ladders were an important defensive measure. They effectively protected the city's defenses by increasing casualties and difficulties for the attackers. This wisdom not only demonstrated the military wisdom of the ancient people but also provided valuable historical experience for modern warfare.

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