Artillery is sometimes called the "king of battle." Indeed, since the invention of black powder firearms and their deployment on the battlefield in the 14th century, they have had an enduring influence on war and civilization. The early bombards and cannon of the 14th century were not particularly effective in delivering fire — and were often as much a threat to their own operators as to the enemy — but advances soon followed that changed the face of warfare. By the 15th century, artillery could be hauled into position and fired with accuracy so that it could deliver real results in siege warfare. The most notable case was the conquest of Constantinople in 1453. By the 16th century, lighter, more accurate, and more powerful guns were present on the battlefield, along with smaller hand-held muskets and arquebuses.