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

THE SEVEN CITIES. 469rection in his rear, nor was he probably aware of the extentof the matter.But he determined to suppress the one in hisfront in short measure. lie instructed each company to getready its scaling ladders. He sent Craterus by a forcedmarch to Cyropolis, the largest of tlie towns of the country,with instructions to blockade it with a stockade and ditch, tobuild siegeengines on the ground, and to keep up such activedemonstrations as to prevent any aid being rendered the othercities by this one.Cyropolis was surrounded by stone walls,and had a citadel with a large garrison.The king himself marched to Gaza, the nearest city to theMacedonian camp. This was defended only by an earthenand conglomerate rampart. No sooner on the ground thanhe began operations. With his archers and slingers, and thesmaller military engines he had brought with him, the wallswere speedily cleared, and thephalangites then advanced tothe assault with their ladders. It was but short work ; thetown was taken at the first rush, and every man put to thesword. The women and children were reserved as plunder,and distributed among the soldiers ; the town was razed.The second city, probably at no great distance, was taken inlike manner on the same day, and suffered the like fate.This was indeed a marvelous day's work, well exhibitingAlexander's tireless energy. The third city fell the nextday.While all this was going on, Alexander had established acordon ofcavalry around the two nearest other towns to preventthe population from taking to flight and reaching theuplands. When by the smoke from the burning cities andby the report of some who escaped, their fate was known, theinhabitants of the two other towns endeavored, as Alexanderhad anticipated, to secure safety by flight ; but they wereremorselessly cut down by the cavalry which was around them