HumanitiesWeb.org - Roman History Roman History - Book XIX. (II. Amida is blockaded, and within two days is twice assaulted by the Persians.) by Ammianus Marcellinus
Roman History Roman History - Book XIX. II. Amida is blockaded, and within two days is twice assaulted by the Persians.
by Ammianus Marcellinus
When the body was burnt and the bones collected in a silver urn, which his father had ordered to be carried back to his native
land, to be there buried beneath the earth, Sapor, after taking
counsel, determined to propitiate the shade of the deceased prince by
making the destroyed city of Amida his monument. Nor indeed was
Grumbates willing to move onward while the shade of his only son
remained unavenged.
And having given two days to rest, and sent out large
bodies of troops to ravage the fertile and well-cultivated fields which
were as heavy with crops as in the time of peace, the enemy surrounded
the city with a line of heavy-armed soldiers five deep; and at the
beginning of the third day the brilliant squadrons filled every spot as
far as the eye could see in every direction, and the ranks marching
slowly, took up the positions appointed to each by lot.
All the Persians were employed in surrounding the walls;
that part which looked eastward, where that youth so fatal to us was
slain, fell to the
Chionitae. The Vertae were appointed to the south; the Albani watched
the north; while opposite to the western gate were posted the
Segestani, the fiercest warriors of all, with whom were trains of tall
elephants, horrid with their wrinkled skins, which marched on slowly,
loaded with armed men, terrible beyond the savageness of any other
frightful
sight, as we have often said.
When we saw these countless hosts thus deliberately
collected for the conflagration of the Roman world, and directed to our
own immediate destruction, we despaired of safety, and sought only how
to end our lives gloriously, as we all desired.
From the rising of the sun to its setting, the enemy's
lines stood immovable, as if rooted to the ground, without changing a
step or uttering a sound; nor was even the neigh of a horse heard; and
the men having withdrawn in the same order as they had advanced, after
refreshing themselves with food and sleep, even before the dawn,
returned, led by the clang of brazen trumpets, to surround the city, as
if fated to fall with their terrible ring.
And scarcely had Grumbates, like a Roman fecial,
hurled at us a spear stained with blood, according to his native
fashion, than the whole army, rattling their arms, mounted up to the
walls, and instantly the tumult of war grew fierce, while
all the squadrons hastened with speed and alacrity to the attack, and
our men on their side opposed them with equal fierceness and resolution.
Soon many of the enemy fell with their heads crushed by
vast stones hurled from scorpions, some were pierced with arrows,
others were transfixed with javelins, and strewed the ground with their
bodies; others, wounded, fled back in haste to their comrades.
Nor was there less grief or less slaughter in the city,
where the cloud of arrows obscured the air, and the vast engines, of
which the Persians had got possession when they took Singara, scattered
wounds everywhere.
For the garrison, collecting all their forces, returning in
constant reliefs to the combat, in their eagerness to defend the city,
fell wounded, to the hindrance of their comrades, or, being sadly torn
as they fell, threw down those who stood near them, or if still alive,
sought the aid of those skilful in extracting darts which had become
fixed in their bodies.
So slaughter was met by slaughter, and lasted till the
close of day, being scarcely stopped by the darkness of evening, so
great was the obstinacy with which both sides fought.
And the watches of the night were passed under arms, and
the hills resounded with the shouts raised on both sides, while our men
extolled the valour of Constantius Caesar as lord of the empire and of
the world, and the Persians styled Sapor Saansas and Pyroses, which
appellations mean king of kings, and conqueror in wars.
The next morning, before daybreak, the trumpet gave the
signal, and countless numbers from all sides flocked like birds to a
contest of similar violence; and in every direction, as far as the eye
could reach, nothing could be seen in the plains and valleys but the
glittering arms of
these savage nations.
And presently a shout was raised, and as the enemy
rushed forward all at once, they were met by a dense shower of missiles
from the walls; and as may be conjectured, none were hurled in vain,
falling as they did among so dense a crowd. For while so many evils
surrounded us, we fought as I have said before, with the hope, not of
procuring safety, but of dying bravely; and from dawn to eventide the
battle was evenly balanced, both fighting with more ferocity than
method, and there arose the shouts of men striking and falling, so that
from the eagerness of both parties there was scarcely any one who did
not give or receive wounds.
At last, night put an end to the slaughter, and the losses
on both sides caused a longer truce. For when the time intended for
rest was allowed to us, continual sleepless toil still exhausted our
little remaining strength, in spite of the dread caused by the
bloodshed and the pallid faces of the dying, whom the scantiness of our
room did not permit us even the last solace of burying; since within
the circuit of a moderate city there were seven legions, and a vast
promiscuous multitude of citizens and strangers of both sexes, and
other soldiers, so that at least twenty thousand men were shut up
within the walls.
So each attended to his own wounds as well as he could,
availing himself of whatever assistance or remedies came in his way.
While some, being severely wounded, died of loss of blood; and some,
pierced through by swords, lay on the ground, and breathed their last
in the open air; others who were pierced through and through the
skilful refused to touch, in order not to pain them further by inflicting
useless sufferings; some, seeking the doubtful remedy of extracting the
arrows, only incurred agonies worse than death.