re full of men armed with bows and
slings and javelins, with which to dislodge those who fought on the
battlements. As well as these vessels he had eight quinqueremes in
pairs. Each pair had had their oars removed, one on the larboard and
the other on the starboard side, and then had been lasht together on
the sides thus left bare. On these double vessels, rowed by the outer
oars of each of the pair, they brought up under the walls some engines
called "Sambucae," the construction of which was as follows: A ladder
was made four feet broad, and of a height to reach the top of the wall
from the place where its foot had to rest; each side of the ladder was
protected by a railing, and a covering or pent-house was added
overhead. It was then placed so that its foot rested across the sides
of the lasht-together vessels, which touched each other with its other
extremity protruding a considerable way beyond the prows.

On the tops of the mast pulleys were fixt with ropes: and when the
engines were about to be used, men standing on the sterns of the
vessels drew the ropes tied to the head of the ladder, while others
standing on the prows assisted the raising of the machine and kept it
steady with long poles. Having then brought the ships close in shore
by using the outer oars of both vessels they tried to let the machine
down upon the wall. At the head of the ladder was fixt a wooden stage
secured on three sides by wicker-shields, upon which stood four men
who fought and struggled with those who tried to prevent the Sambuca
from being made to rest on the battlements. But when they have fixt it
and so got above the level of the top of the wall, the four men
unfasten the wicker-shields from either side of the stage and walk
out upon the battlements or towers as the case may be; they are
followed by their comrades coming up by the Sambuca, since the
ladder's foot is safely secured with ropes and stands upon both the
ships. This construction has got the name of "Sambuca," or "Harp," for
the natural reason, that when it is raised the combination of the ship
and ladder has very much the appearance of such an instrument.

With such contrivances and preparations were the Romans intending to
assault the towers. But Archimedes had constructed catapults to suit
every range; and as the ships sailing up were still at a considerable
distance, he so wounded the enemy with stones and darts, from the
tighter wound and longer engines as to harass