ast extremity.

Alexander advanced, and, passing round the city toward the southern
side, established his head-quarters there, so as to cut off
effectually all communication with Athens and the southern cities. He
then extended his posts all around the place so as to invest it
entirely. These preparations made, he paused before he commenced the
work of subduing the city, to give the inhabitants an opportunity to
submit, if they would, without compelling him to resort to force. The
conditions, however, which he imposed were such that the Thebans
thought it best to take their chance of resistance. They refused to
surrender, and Alexander began to prepare for the onset.

He was very soon ready, and with his characteristic ardor and energy
he determined on attempting to carry the city at once by assault.
Fortified cities generally require a siege, and sometimes a very long
siege, before they can be subdued. The army within, sheltered behind
the parapets of the walls, and standing there in a position above that
of their assailants, have such great advantages in the contest that a
long time often elapses before they can be compelled to surrender. The
besiegers have to invest the city on all sides to cut off all supplies
of provisions, and then, in those days, they had to construct engines
to make a breach somewhere in the walls, through which an assaulting
party could attempt to force their way in.

The time for making an assault upon a besieged city depends upon the
comparative strength of those within and without, and also, still
more, on the ardor and resolution of the besiegers. In warfare, an
army, in investing a fortified place, spends ordinarily a considerable
time in burrowing their way along in trenches, half under ground,
until they get near enough to plant their cannon where the balls can
take effect upon some part of the wall. Then some time usually elapses
before a breach is made, and the garrison is sufficiently weakened to
render an assault advisable. When, however, the time at length
arrives, the most bold and desperate portion of the army are
designated to lead the attack. Bundles of small branches of trees are
provided to fill up ditches with, and ladders for mounting embankments
and walls. The city, sometimes, seeing these preparations going on,
and convinced that the assault will be successful, surrenders before
it is made. When the besieged do thus surrender, they save themselves
a vast amount of suffe