07-09-2004, 05:41 PM
Vincula, the Persian did use the siege ramp, while simultaneously trying to undermine a section of the wall and tower 14 directly on the right of the ramp.<br>
Soon as the Romans saw the works on the siege ramp they heightened the section of wall opposite as was regular practice. They also dug countermines to cut off the persian tunnels, as well as saps directly under the ramp to undermine it, another regular tactic.<br>
It seems that it did not work, since the undermined section of the wall did not collapse but simply sank a few feet in the ground while remaining intact.<br>
As for tower 14, only the outside half collapsed, but enough remained for the besieged to fill it up with rubble and use it again (probably..)<br>
Worthy of notice, one of the persian tunnels was larger than the rest and could have been the tunnel through which the besiegers were supposed to storm the city.<br>
Then, according the the researchers, the Romans managed to successfully fire their mine under the siege ramp which partially collapsed, rendering it inoperative for what it was built in the first place: an assault tower.<br>
Why an assault tower?<br>
The Romans had heightened the wall, remember?<br>
Actually the whole episode reads like a texbook for ancient siege warfare:<br>
First the Persians try to storm the main gate, the Palmyrene Gate, which was reinforced by the Romans with a wall ahead of it. Evidence of ferocious fighting was found in the area between that wall and the gate itself.<br>
It didn't work so they reverted to plan B, which is saps, assault ramp and tower.<br>
Buy the book, really, it's worth every penny.<br>
All these works, BTW, imply that the siege went on for quite some time. Weeks, maybe months.<br>
Then the end came..<br>
Since the Roman sources are strangely silent about the episode, maybe we'll find some sassanid inscription some day that will give us at least the Persian version of the siege. <p></p><i></i>
Soon as the Romans saw the works on the siege ramp they heightened the section of wall opposite as was regular practice. They also dug countermines to cut off the persian tunnels, as well as saps directly under the ramp to undermine it, another regular tactic.<br>
It seems that it did not work, since the undermined section of the wall did not collapse but simply sank a few feet in the ground while remaining intact.<br>
As for tower 14, only the outside half collapsed, but enough remained for the besieged to fill it up with rubble and use it again (probably..)<br>
Worthy of notice, one of the persian tunnels was larger than the rest and could have been the tunnel through which the besiegers were supposed to storm the city.<br>
Then, according the the researchers, the Romans managed to successfully fire their mine under the siege ramp which partially collapsed, rendering it inoperative for what it was built in the first place: an assault tower.<br>
Why an assault tower?<br>
The Romans had heightened the wall, remember?<br>
Actually the whole episode reads like a texbook for ancient siege warfare:<br>
First the Persians try to storm the main gate, the Palmyrene Gate, which was reinforced by the Romans with a wall ahead of it. Evidence of ferocious fighting was found in the area between that wall and the gate itself.<br>
It didn't work so they reverted to plan B, which is saps, assault ramp and tower.<br>
Buy the book, really, it's worth every penny.<br>
All these works, BTW, imply that the siege went on for quite some time. Weeks, maybe months.<br>
Then the end came..<br>
Since the Roman sources are strangely silent about the episode, maybe we'll find some sassanid inscription some day that will give us at least the Persian version of the siege. <p></p><i></i>
