advantage of the easy movements of his vessel and just escaped in time. The ships which were at full speed came into such violent collision with one another that both were greatly damaged, and one of them had the beak broken and was crushed altogether. The ships of Brutus, which were nearest, observing what had happened fell on the two disabled ships and quickly sunk them.

The ships of Nasidius did nothing and soon retired from the fight, for the men had neither the sight of their native town nor the entreaties of kinsmen to urge them to risk their lives. Accordingly they did not lose a single ship; but of the Massiliot vessels five were sunk, four were taken and one escaped with the ships of Nasidius, all of which sailed to the coast of Nearer Spain. One of the remaining ships of the Massiliots was sent forward to announce the defeat. As soon as it approached the city, all the people came out to hear the news, and such was the lamentation that the city appeared as if it were already in the hands of the enemy. However the citizens began to make all preparation that they could for the defence of the place (c. 7).

The soldiers of Trebonius, who were employed at the works on the right hand, observed that it would be a great protection to them in that part against the frequent sallies, if they should build under the wall a brick tower which they could use as a fort and a place of retreat. At first they made the tower low and small to protect them against sudden attacks: to this tower they withdrew when there was occasion, defended themselves in it against any violent assault, and sallied out themselves to drive back and pursue the enemy. The tower was a square of thirty feet in the side, and the thickness of the walls was five feet. Afterwards however, as experience is the great teacher, inventive talent showed that the tower might be made very useful if it was raised higher; which was done in this manner. When the tower was raised to the first story, they fitted the ends of beams into the walls in such wise that they were covered by the outer part of the brick work so that no part of the beams should project and be exposed to danger from fire. Above the flooring of this first story they built up with bricks as high as the blinds (plutei) and

5

covered galleries would allow, and then they placed two cross beams resting at points not far from the extremities of the walls, which beams were designed to support the wood-work intended as a roof for the tower. Above these beams at right angles to two opposite walls they laid joists and tied them together with planks. These joists were made to project a little beyond the outside of the walls, that coverings might be suspended from them to ward off missiles from the men while they were completing the walls up to the height of the roof. The surface of this roof was covered with bricks and clay to protect it from fire from the enemy, and mattresses also were thrown over to prevent missiles from the military engines breaking through or stones from the catapults disturbing the brickwork. They also made of ships' cables three mats equal in length to the width of the walls (thirty feet) and four feet wide, which mats were hung on the projecting beams on the three sides of the tower exposed to the enemy; for this was the only kind of protection which in other places had been found to be impervious to any missile or engine. When that part of the tower was finished and protected against the attacks of the enemy, they removed the blinds (plutei) in order to employ them for other works: and then they began to raise the roof of the tower by pressure from below upwards from the floor of the first story. When they had raised this roof as high as the hanging curtains allowed (four feet), the workmen within the curtains being thus protected continued to build up the walls with bricks, and then again by using pressure from below they made fresh room for building. When it was time to make another flooring, they laid down beams, as they had done at first, which were protected by the outer part of the walls, and from this floor again they raised the surface of the roof and hung the curtains. Thus without suffering any wounds and with no danger they built up six stories, and left openings in suitable places for the discharge of missiles from engines.

6

When they felt confident that from this tower they could

5 Perhaps these beams crossed one another and were fastened together at the centre thus X, so that the extremities would reach the four angles. Guischardt understands it so; and Kraner.

6 By windlasses and screws.

protect the surrounding works, they began to build a hut (musculus) sixty feet long of timber two feet in the square, for the purpose of pushing it forwards from the tower to the enemy's tower and wall. The form of the "musculus" was this. Two balks of equal length were laid on the ground at the distance of four feet, and in these balks were fixed small pillars five feet high and of course opposite to one another. These pillars were joined together by rafters (capreoli) forming on each side a gentle slope and intended to support the beams placed on them for covering the roof. Over these rafters were laid beams two feet in the square and fastened together with plates and nails. At the outer margin of the roof of the "musculus" and the outer part of the beams they fixed quadrangular pieces of wood four fingers' breadth in width, for the purpose of supporting the bricks which would be laid on them. Thus the "musculus" being made with a sloping roof, and the beams placed upon the rafters, it was covered with bricks and clay in order to be safe against fire thrown by the besieged. Hides were spread over the bricks to prevent water discharged from pipes from washing away the bricks, which we must suppose to have been only slightly baked; and further, the hides were covered with mattresses to save them from damage by fire and stones. All this work was accomplished under the protection of covered galleries (vineae) close to the tower; and all at once, when the enemy were not expecting, it was pushed forward on rollers, such as were used for moving ships, close up to the tower of the enemy. Caesar has described the construction of the tower and "musculus " with as much minuteness as the bridge which he built over the Rhine. He seems to have been pleased with mechanical contrivances and to have understood them well. There is some difficulty in the translation, but the general meaning is clear. Guischardt (Mémoires Militaires, vol. ii.) has explained the passage in Caesar without having made a simple translation, and he has added what he thought necessary for the understanding of the text. He remarks that up to his time no commentator had explained this bold undertaking, and he thinks that he has done it. Perhaps he has: at least I cannot find much fault with his explanation. He condemns Folard's

plan and description of this siege as altogether different from Caesar's text.

The townsmen, alarmed by the danger which now threatened them, pushed forward with levers the largest stones that they could, and rolled them down on the "musculus;" but the strength of the structure resisted the force of the blows and all the stones slipped off the roof. Then they filled casks with pine-wood and pitch which they set on fire and sent down on the "musculus ;" but these also slipped off at the sides and were removed by the soldiers with poles and forks. In the meantime the soldiers working under the "musculus" pulled up with levers the stones at the foundation of the enemy's tower, while the "musculus" was protected by missiles discharged from the brick tower, and the enemy were driven from the wall and their own towers. Many stones had now been removed from the enemy's tower when part of it fell with a sudden crash, and the remaining part threatened to follow. The inhabitants, terrified at the expected plunder of the city, came out in a body from the gates in the guise of suppliants and stretched out their hands to the commanders and the army. This strange spectacle stopped all acts of hostility, and the soldiers turned aside to see what was going to be done. When the enemy reached the commanders, they fell down at their feet, and entreated them to wait for Caesar's arrival: they saw that their city was now taken, the Roman works were completed, their own tower was undermined, and accordingly they would make no further defence; they knew that if they did not submit to Caesar's orders when he came, nothing could save them from immediate plunder; and that if the whole tower fell, the soldiers could not be restrained from breaking in and plundering and destroying the town. These considerations and more to the same effect were urged in a way to excite compassion, for the Massiliots were well versed in the art of rhetoric. The legati moved by the words of the suppliants drew away the soldiers, stopped the siege, and left only men to take care of the works. A kind of truce was made out of compassion, and they waited for Caesar's arrival: no missiles were discharged from the town wall nor by the Romans all was quiet as if the siege was finished. Caesar

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had by letter earnestly enjoined Trebonius not to allow the town to be taken by assault, for fear that the soldiers irritated by the defection of the townsmen, by the resistance which they had made and their own long toil should kill all the fullgrown males, as they threatened to do, and indeed they were with difficulty restrained from immediately breaking into the town, and they complained grievously that Trebonius was the only obstacle to their taking possession of the place.

But the enemy were faithlessly looking for the opportunity of accomplishing a treacherous purpose. After waiting a few days for a time when the Romans were off their guard at midday, some having retired and others after their continuous labour having gone to sleep in their works, all their arms being laid aside and covered up, the Massiliots suddenly issued from the gates and aided by a strong and favourable wind set fire to the Roman works. The wind spread the flames, and at once the earthworks, the blinds, the testudo, the tower and the military engines took fire, and were consumed before it could be discovered how this calamity had happened. The Romans roused by this unexpected accident seized such arms as they could, some hurried out of the camp to assist, and all fell upon the enemy; but they were prevented from pursuing by the arrows from the wall and the missiles sent by the engines. The Massiliots retiring beneath the wall burnt the "musculus" and the brick tower without any hindrance. Thus the labour of many months perished in a moment through the treachery of the enemy and the violence of the wind. On the following day the citizens repeated the attack, and having the wind still favourable they made an assault with more confidence on the second tower and earthwork and threw fire on them; but the Romans warned by the misfortune of the previous day were prepared for the defence, and accordingly after killing many of the enemy they drove the rest back into the town without having accomplished their purpose.

Trebonius now began to repair his losses, and the soldiers. worked with still great ardour; for they saw that all their labour had been useless, and they were greatly irritated that by the treachery of the enemy during a time of truce their valour would be a subject of derision to the townsmen. There