26.45
Whilst
this was going on the Carthaginian general had manned the walls with his
regular soldiers, and they were amply supplied with missiles, great heaps of
which had been stored in readiness. But neither the men, nor their missiles,
nor anything else proved such a sure defence as the walls themselves. Very
few of the ladders were long enough to reach to the top of the wall, and the
longer the ladders the weaker they were. The consequence was that whilst
each man who reached the top was unable to get on to the wall, the others
who came up behind him were unable to advance and the ladder was broken
by the mere weight of men. Some who were on ladders which stood the
strain grew dizzy from the height and fell to the ground. As men and ladders
were crashing down in all directions and the spirits and courage of the enemy
were rising with their success, the signal was sounded for retiring. This led
the besieged to hope that they would not only gain a respite from their hard
and wearisome struggle for the time being, but would also be safe for the
future, as they believed that the city could not be taken by escalade and
storm, whilst the construction of siege works would be a difficult matter and
would allow time for succours to be sent. The noise and tumult of this first
attempt had hardly subsided when Scipio ordered fresh troops to take the
ladders from those who were exhausted and wounded and make a more
determined attack upon the city. He had ascertained from the fishermen of
Tarraco, who were in the habit of crossing these waters in light skiffs and
when these ran aground of wading ashore through the shallows, that it was
easy at low water to approach the walls on foot. It was now reported to him
that the tide was on the ebb; and he at once took about 500 men with him
and marched down to the water. It was about midday, and not only was the
falling tide drawing the water seaward, but a strong northerly wind which
had sprung up was driving it in the same direction, and the lagoon had
become so shallow that in some places it was waist-deep and in others only
reached to the knee. This state of things, which Scipio had ascertained by
careful investigation and reasoning, he ascribed to the direct intervention of
the gods, who he said were turning the sea into a highway for the Romans,
and by withdrawing its waters were opening up a path which had never
before been trodden by mortal feet. He bade his men follow the guidance of
Neptune and make their way through the middle of the lagoon up to the
walls.
