44.9
Before
Popilius commenced the assault he tried to induce the magistrates and chief
men to test the good faith and clemency of the Romans rather than their
strength. His appeal made no impression on them, for they saw the fires in
the distance of the king's camp by the Elpeus. Then the attack began in
earnest, by land and also by sea -for the fleet was moored off the shore -by
direct assault as well as by the employment of siege engines and artillery.
Some young Romans turned their training in the Circus games to purposes
of war and in this way seized the lowest portion of the wall. Before the
extravagant habit came in of filling the Circus with animals from all parts of
the world, it was the practice to devise various forms of amusement, as the
chariot and horse races were over within the hour. Amongst other
exhibitions, bodies of youths, numbering generally about sixty, but larger in
the more elaborate games, were introduced fully armed. To some extent they
represented the maneuvers of an army, but their movements were more
skilful and resembled more nearly the combat of gladiators. After going
through various evolutions, they formed a solid square with their shields held
over their heads, touching one another; those in the front rank standing
erect; those in the second slightly stooping; those in the third and fourth
bending lower and lower; whilst those in the rear rank rested on their knees.
In this way they formed a testudo, which sloped like the roof of a house.
From a distance of fifty feet two fully armed men ran forward and,
pretending to threaten one another, went from the lowest to the highest part
of the testudo over the closely locked shields; at one moment assuming an
attitude of defiance on the very edge, and then rushing at one another in the
middle of it just as though they were jumping about on solid ground.
A testudo formed in this way was brought up against the lowest
part of the wall. When the soldiers who were mounted on it came close up to
the wall they were at the same height as the defenders, and when these were
driven off, the soldiers of two companies climbed over into the city. The only
difference was that the front rank and the files did not raise their shields
above their heads for fear of exposing themselves; they held them in front as
in battle. Thus they were not hit by the missiles from the walls, and those
which were hurled on the testudo rolled off harmlessly to the ground like a
shower of rain from the roof of a house. Now that Heracleum was taken, the
consul encamped there, apparently with the intention of marching to Dium
and, after driving the king from there, on to Pieria. But he was already
making his preparations for wintering, and ordered roads to be constructed
for the transport of supplies from Thessaly, suitable places for storing corn
to be selected and houses to be built where those who brought up the
supplies could be lodged.