"A 2,200-year old crossbow believed to have had a range of perhaps twice that of a modern assault rifle has been found by archaeologists during excavations at the site of China’s Terracotta Army."

...Uh, whoops. I guess I misread that, sorry.
Source: [url]http://article.wn.com/view/2015/03/20/Qin_dynasty_crossbow_found_at_China_s_Terracota_Army_site_ma/[/url]

[@TheSovereignGrave]You are correct, but the technology would (and did) change over time. The Han Dynasty defeated the Romans in an expedition into central Asia, primarily because the bolts penetrated Roman armor and shields. Also, in Medieval Europe, it was determined that armored soldiers were ineffective against crossbows as the bolts were capable of piercing their armor. However, I can not say whether or not they were capable of piercing the breastplate, as I've read different answers from different sources.