Page:History of Greece Vol XII.djvu/128

 96 HISTORY OF GREECE. dus, but was obliged to retire after some hours of fruitless effort. He then confined himself to the siege of Halikarnassus. Hia soldiers, protected from missiles by movable penthouses (called Tortoises), gradually filled up the Avide and deep ditch round the toAvn, so as to open a level road for his engines (rolling towers of wood) to come up close to the walls. The engines being brought up close, the work of demolition was successfully prosecuted ; notwithstanding vigorous sallies from the garrison, repulsed, though not Avithout loss and difficulty, by the Macedonians. Presently the shock of the battering-engines had overthroAvn two towers of the city-Avall, together Avith tAAO intermediate breadth.s of wall ; and a third toAver AA'as beginning to totter. The besieged were employed in erecting an inner Avail of brick to cover the open space, and a wooden tOAver of the great height of 150 feet for the purpose of casting projectiles.^ It appears that Alexan- der Avaited for the full demolition of the third tower, before he thought the breach wide enough to be stormed ; but an assault was prematurely brought on by two adA'enturous soldiers from the division of Perdikkas.^ These men, elate with AA'ine, rushed up single-handed to attack the Mylasean gate, and slew the foremost of the defenders Avho came out to oppose them, until at length, reinforcements arriving successively on both sides, a general com- bat took place at a short distance from the wall. In the end, the Macedonians Avere victorious, and droAe the besieged back into the city. Such was the confusion, that the city might then have been assaulted and taken, had measures been prepared for it be- forehand. The third tOAver was speedily OA'erthrown ; neverthe- less, before this could be accomplished, the besieged had already completed their half-moon Avithin, against Avhich accordingly, on the next day, Alexander pushed forward his engines. In this ad- vanced position, hoAvever, being as it were Avithin the circle of the o,ity-Avall, the Macedonians Avere exposed to discharges not only from engines in their front, but also from the towers yet standing on each side of them. Moreover, at night, a fresh sally was made ' Compare Arrian, i. 21, 7, 8 ; Diodor. xvii. 25, 20. " Both Arrian, (i. 21, 5) and Diodorus (xvii. 25) mention this proceed ing of the two soldiers of Pcrdikkas, though Diodorus says that it occur- red at night, which cannot well be true.