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Often appears with: siege and fortification · conquest, plunder, and captives · arms, armor, and machines · winter quarters · trebuchet counterpoise types · tradition · strategy and the aims of war · river crossing tactics · poisoning with carcasses · pirisabora siege · persian retreat · naval warfare and sea power
Usually: narrative (3) · detachment (3) · curiosity (2) · commentary or gloss (1) · sudden reversal of fortune (1) · the stranger's arrival (1)
“But with the great mass of men crowding upon it with a rush, the hill suddenly fell in and killed almost all of them.” Procopius of Caesarea, History of the Wars, Books I and II: The Persian War · vivid
Julian’s army fights near Macepracta, crosses river canals and the Nahamalca toward Ctesiphon, defeats an arrow attack, besieges Pirisabora through negotiations and siegeworks, and briefly advances before being repulsed.
had learnt was about to go forth on a reconnoitring expedition, and only failed because the river being very narrow at that point, was so deep as to be unfordable. 5. And so at daybreak, when the enemy were now in sight, the moment that they were discovered by their glittering helmets and bristling armour, our men sprang up vigorously to the conflict, and dashed at them with great courage; and although the enemy wie…
The author lists siege uses of incendiaries, poisoned carcasses, and various unusual missiles, citing episodes from besieged towns and rulers, and then notes technical variations of trebuchets’ counterpoise designs and performance.
scantling. Mr. Hewitt points out a curious resemblance between this kind of Trebuchet and the apparatus used on the Thames to raise the cargo from the hold of a collier. The Emperor Napoleon deduces from certain passages in mediæval writers that the *Mangonel* was similar to the Trebuchet, but of lighter structure and power. But often certainly the term Mangonel seems to be used generically for all machines of…
It describes Cabades of Persia besieging Amida, failing with rams and an artificial hill because the defenders secretly hollow it, causing the hill to collapse and forcing a Persian retreat.
of men, as might be expected, came flocking to him from all sides and found safety there; for the deed became widely known. Thus, then, did these things take place. Cabades, in besieging Amida, brought against every part of the defences the engines known as rams; but the townspeople constantly broke off the heads of the rams by means of timbers thrown across them[8]. However, Cabades did not slacken his efforts unti…
After skirmishes and siege attempts with slings and battering-rams, the captains retreat to winter quarters; Shaddai’s forces introduce new allies—Tradition, Human-Wisdom, and Man’s-Invention—who are captured and repurposed by Diabolus.
several slings, and two or three battering-rams; with their slings, therefore, they battered the houses and people of the town, and with their rams they sought to break Ear-gate open. The camp and the town had several skirmishes and brisk encounters, while the captains with their engines made many brave attempts to break open or beat down the tower that was over Ear-gate, and at the said gate to make their entrance;…