ides; some completely
capsized; while the greater number, by their prows coming down
suddenly from a height, dipt low in the sea, shipped a great quantity
of water, and became a scene of the utmost confusion. Tho reduced
almost to despair by these baffling inventions of Archimedes, and tho
he saw that all his attempts were repulsed by the garrison with
mockery on their part and loss to himself, Marcellus could not yet
refrain from making a joke at his own expense, saying that "Archimedes
was using his ships to ladle out the sea-water, but that his 'harps'
not having been invited to the party were buffeted and turned out with
disgrace." Such was the end of the attempt at storming Syracuse by
sea.

Nor was Appius Claudius more successful. He, too, was compelled by
similar difficulties to desist from the attempt; for while his men
were still at a considerable distance from the wall, they began
falling by the stones and shots from the engines and catapults. The
volleys of missiles, indeed, were extraordinarily rapid and sharp, for
their construction had been provided for by all the liberality of a
Hiero, and had been planned and engineered by the skill of an
Archimedes. Moreover, when they did at length get near the walls, they
were prevented from making an assault by the unceasing fire through
the loop-holes, which I mentioned before; or if they tried to carry
the place under cover of pent-houses, they were killed by the stones
and beams let down upon their heads. The garrison also did them no
little damage with those hands at the end of their engines; for they
used to lift the men, armor, and all, into the air, and then throw
them down. At last Appius retired into the camp, and summoning the
Tribunes to a council of war, decided to try every possible means of
taking Syracuse except a storm. And this decision they carried out;
for during the eight months of siege which followed, tho there was no
stratagem or measure of daring which they did not attempt, they never
again ventured to attempt a storm. So true it is that one man and one
intellect, properly qualified for the particular undertaking, is a
host in itself and of extraordinary efficacy. In this instance, at any
rate, we find the Romans confident that their forces by land and sea
would enable them to become masters of the town, if only one old man
could be got rid of; while as long as he remained there, they did not
venture even to think of making the attempt, at le