Siegecraft - TerpConnect - University of Maryland

Chapter 15
Parangelmata Poliorcetica
tØn piÒthta. The use of fenugreek in Josephus, however, is to cause the
besiegers to slip and fall on their gangways, not to burn their f lesh. Leo,
Taktika, Appendix, 53 (PG 1116B), has p¤ssa ka‹ laion ka‹ t∞liw z°onta
pãnta ka‹ ta›w efirhm°naiw prosxeÒmena kl¤maji; thus the Anon. Byz.
may be reflecting contemporary practice. For a useful collection of references
to fenugreek in antiquity (Trigonella Foenum-graecum, a genus of
leguminous herbs from which about 6% fatty oil can be extracted) see
RE III:580–82 at Bockshornklee.
11–12 …w tax°vw . . . brad°vw: See above on 15:10, tÆlh.
12–13 paromo¤vw . . . sãrkaw: See above on 15:10, tÆlh.
15 purofÒrvn: See above on 2:9.
16 énaptom°nvn flog«n: See above on 2:9.
17–19 ÑVsaÊtvw . . . éntimãxesyai: The Anon. Byz. adds.
18–19 d°rmasi . . . neosfag«n: The references to laisai and wicker
tortoises and this type of protective coating are added here by the Anon.
Byz. For the same use of hides see also below, 17:4, 40:4–5 and 47:14.
Apollod. (142:1, 146:4, 173:14, 189:11) mentions simply d°rreiw, and
once d°rreiw tr¤xinai as protection for various siege machines, while
Ath. Mech. (12:11, 18:3, 24:8) uses the phrase égra›w bÊrsaiw. For military
use of untanned hides see Dar.-Sag., Dictionnaire, IV:1:371–72 (pelles)
and RE XIX:369–73 (pellis). For Byzantine parallels see Miracula Demetrii
148:28–31 tåw kaloum°naw xel≈naw, ëstinaw sÁn to›w petrobÒloiw
d°rresin §piskepãsantew jhra›w, metabouleusãmenoi pãlin diå tÚ mØ
ÍpÚ purÚw µ p¤sshw kaxlazoÊshw édike›syai, d°rreiw neosfag«n bo«n
ka‹ kamÆlvn Ωmagm°naw ti to›w Ùrgãnoiw §ke¤noiw §nÆlvsan, and Leo,
Taktika XV:30: Efis‹ d¢ ka‹ pÊrgoi épÚ jÊlvn sugke¤menoi, ka‹ diå burs«n
µ •t°raw Ïlhw §piskepÒmenoi, Àste diå purÚw mØ fye¤resyai; and Appendix,
54: jÊlinoi pÊrgoi bÊrsaiw neodÒrvn bo«n perifragk¤syvsan.
18 diabrÒxoiw: Leo, Taktika, Appendix, 54 recommends that tortoises
be covered on top with clay and that spÒggoi d¢ ˆjei diãbroxoi taÊtaiw
§pitiy°syvsan jvyen (épotr°poi går ín tÚ ˆjow tØn toË purÚw §rvÆn).
See also below, 50:27.
20 pÒrrvyen . . . tojobolistr«n: For Apollod.’s makrÒyen b°louw.
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