Page:History of Greece Vol XII.djvu/130

 ^ HISTORY OF GIJKECE. open, sallying parties rushed out from each agaiust the besieg- ers ; the engines from -within supporting them by muhipHed dis charges of missiles. Ephialtes •with his division, mai'ching straight against the Macedonians on guard at the main point of attack, assailed them impetuously, -while his torch-bearers tried to set the engines on fire. Himself distinguished no less for personal strength than for valor, he occupied the front rank, and was so -svell seconded by the courage and good array of his sol- diers charging in deep column, that for a time he gained advan- tao^e. Some of the engines -were successfully fired, and the ad- vanced guard of the Macedonian troops, consisting of young troops, gave -way and fled. They -were rallied partly by the ef- forts of Alexander, but still more by the older Macedonian sol- diers, companions in all Philip's campaigns ; who, standing ex- empt from night-watches, were encamped more in the rear. These veterans, among whom one Atharrias was the most con- spicuous, upbraiding the cowardice of their comrades,^ cast them- selves into their accustomed phalanx-array, and thus both with- stood and repulsed the charge of the victorious enemy. Ephial- tes, foremost among the combatants, was slain, the rest were dri- ven back to the city, and the burning engines were saved Avith some damage. During this same time, an obstinate conflict had also taken place at the gate called Tripylon, where the besieged had made another sally, over a narrow bridge thrown across the ditch. Here the Macedonians were under the command of Ptolemy (not the son of Lagus,) one of the king's body-guards. He, with two or three other conspicuous otficers, perished in the severe straggle which ensued, but the sallying party were at length repulsed and driven into the city .2 The loss of the be- sieged was severe, in trying to get again within the walls, under vigorous pursuit from the Macedonians. By this last unsuccessful eflfort, the defensive force of Halikar- ' Diodor. xvi. 27 ; Curtius, v. 1. viii. 2 oi yup vpEcQvTaTOL twv Ma- Ktfiovuv, 6iu HEV TTjv Tj?UKiav u-o?,e?^vuevoi tuv klv6vvuv, avveffTparevuivot 6k 4></U'--(V) Tolg fihv (pvyo/iax vai veurepoig TiiKpug wveidiaav ttjv iivav- dpiav, avTol 6h ovva'dpoiadhrtg Kal avvacTTiaav-eg, vnecrrioav rove {"Viovv rof 7/67} veviK7]K£vai
 * Arrian, i. 22, 5.