Alexander : a history of the origin and growth of the art of war from ...

346 A FOURTH ASSAULT.the forced labor of the entire population of a district. Thefact that to build such a mound all around the city would bea vast expenditure of unnecessary labor (for the mound wasofuse only for the towers and rams, and these were erectedbut at one or two of the most available spots, and the rest ofthe wall of contravallation need be but comparatively small),leads us to construe the passage as above, whatever thedictionary meaning- of the words. If opposite but a smallpart ofthe wall, the performance is sufficiently magnificent.From this mound the Macedonian engines could easily op-A large part of the city wall was speedily underminederate.or battered down, and much more made full of breaches.Butthough Alexander thus commanded the walls, and could drivethe defenders from the parapet and embrasures, the defense wasvery stubborn, the garrison forcing back three assaults, thoughthese were made with true Macedonian elan, and the garrisonlost heavily. The fourth was delivered in greater force, andfrom several sides, after enlarging the breaches and makinguse of all the ladders and tools which their previous ill successhad shown to be necessary. There was the greatestemulation as to who should first scale the wall.Neoptolemus,one of the Companions, was the man' who outstripped all therest.Being closely followed by other leaders, on whose heelspressed the balance of the troops, the wall was surmounted,and a chosen body made for each gate. These were soonopened, and the Macedonians passed into the city.The mostbloody contest raged through its entire extent. The braveGazeans fell to a man sword inhand, where each had beenposted. The women and children were sold into slavery. Itis said that ten thousand men were slain at Gaza, and thatAlexander took barbarous revenge on Batis, thecommander,dragging him around the walls lashed to the back of hischariot— as his ancestor Achilles had done to Hector. Un-