asada; it was called the White Promontory.
Accordingly, he got upon that part of the rock, and ordered the army
to bring earth; and when they fell to that work with alacrity, and
abundance of them together, the bank was raised, and became solid for
two hundred cubits in height. Yet was not this bank thought sufficiently
high for the use of the engines that were to be set upon it; but still
another elevated work of great stones compacted together was raised upon
that bank; this was fifty cubits, both in breadth and height. The other
machines that were now got ready were like to those that had been first
devised by Vespasian, and afterwards by Titus, for sieges. There was
also a tower made of the height of sixty cubits, and all over plated
with iron, out of which the Romans threw darts and stones from the
engines, and soon made those that fought from the walls of the place to
retire, and would not let them lift up their heads above the works. At
the same time Silva ordered that great battering ram which he had made
to be brought thither, and to be set against the wall, and to make
frequent batteries against it, which with some difficulty broke down
a part of the wall, and quite overthrew it. However, the Sicarii made
haste, and presently built another wall within that, which should not be
liable to the same misfortune from the machines with the other; it was
made soft and yielding, and so was capable of avoiding the terrible
blows that affected the other. It was framed after the following manner:
They laid together great beams of wood lengthways, one close to the end
of another, and the same way in which they were cut: there were two of
these rows parallel to one another, and laid at such a distance from
each other as the breadth of the wall required, and earth was put into
the space between those rows. Now, that the earth might not fall away
upon the elevation of this bank to a greater height, they further laid
other beams over cross them, and thereby bound those beams together that
lay lengthways. This work of theirs was like a real edifice; and when
the machines were applied, the blows were weakened by its yielding; and
as the materials by such concussion were shaken closer together, the
pile by that means became firmer than before. When Silva saw this, he
thought it best to endeavor the taking of this wall by setting fire to
it; so he gave order that the soldiers should throw a great number of
burning torches upon it: a