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

ASSAULT REPULSED. 403shower of sling-stones and arrows, by the shouts of theenemy and by heavy rocks being east down upon them, insuch a manner as to crush whole files of men. Against theordinary missiles they could use their shields, but nothingcould resist the immense boulders which the enemy rolledupon them — an enemy unseen and out of reach. It isasserted that Ariobarzanes had collected a number ofmissilethrowingengines at the wall ready for use if an assaultingparty should reach so far.Not to be easily discouraged, the Macedonians tried theirbest to scale these walls of granite.They helped each otherup ; they formed a tortoise ; they puUed themselves up by thebushes ; they clung to the rocks like flies. The men who laterscaled the rock of Chorienes were among them.They essayedevery avenue of approach ; took advantage of every crevice.But all was of no avail. Alexander was compelled to soundthe retreat, a rare thing with him. After the loss of manymen — the casualties are not given, though Diodorus says agreat number were killedand wounded—he returned to thecamp at the mouth of the defile, some four miles from thewall — for the moment foiled.Napoleon, stopped by the FortofBard, comes strongly to mind, when we see Alexander forthe moment reduced to helplessness at the foot of these unassailabledefenses. But the Fort of Bard was a trifle comparedto this. Here were defenses held by forty thousandmen.Alexander had captured some prisoners. From these atfirst he learned nothing ;but finally a shepherd, who had beena slave, and for many years had fed flocks in these mountains,told him that by certain other, but unknown and difficult footpaths,he could reach the farther end of the defile, or in otherwords, the rear of the position of Ariobarzanes. Alexanderwas always prolific of his gifts for services rendered. This