neuer seene nor heard of before, and the speede which was made in the dispatch there∣of,
sent ambassadours to Caesar, to treate of giuing vp the towne, and by the mediati∣on
of the men of Rheimes obtained their suite.
THE FIRST OBSERVATION.
IN this relation we may obserue the industrious art, which the Romans
vsed in assaulting, and taking holdes and townes; wherein we find three
sortes of engines described, Vinea, Agger, and Turres.
Vinea is thus described by Vegetius: A little strong built house or houell,
made of light wood, that it might be remoued with greatest ease; the roofe was
supported with diuers pillars of a foote square, vvherof the formost were 8 foot
high, and the hindmost 6; and betweene euerie one of these pillars, there was
5 foot distance: it was alwaies made with a double roofe; the first or lower roofe
was of thicke plankes, and the vpper roofe of hurdles, to breake the force of
a waight, without further shaking or disioyning the building: the sides were
likewise walled with hurdles, the better to defend the soldiers that vvere vnder it:
the vvhole length vvas about 16 foot, and the breadth 7: the vpper roofe vvas
commonly couered vvith greene or raw hides, to keepe it from burning, Many
of these houels vvere ioined together in ranke, vvhen they went about to vnder∣mine
a vval: the higher end was put next vnto the wal, that all the waights which
vvere throwen vpon it might easily tumble down, without any great hurt to the
engine: the foure sides and groundsils, had in euery corner a vvheele, & by them
they vvere driuen to any place as occasion serued: the chiefest vse of them vvas
to couer and defend the souldiers, as they vndermined or ouerthrew a vval. This
engine vvas called Vinea, which signifieth a vine, for it sheltered such as vvere
vnder the roofe thereof, as a vine couereth the place vvhere it groweth.
Agger; vvhich vve call a mount, is described in diuers histories to be a hil or
eleuation made of earth and other substance, vvhich by little and little was raised
forward, vntil it approched neare vnto the place, against which it vvas built; that
vpon this mount they might erect fortresses and turrets, and so fight with an ad∣uantage
of height. The matter of this mount, vvas earth and stones, fagots, and
timber. Iosephus saith, that at the siege of Ierusalem, the Romans cut downe al
the trees vvithin 11 mile compasse, for matter and stuffe to make a mount. The
sides of this Agger vvere of timber to keepe in the loose matter; the forepart
which was towards the place of seruice, was open without any timber worke: for
on that part they stil raised it & brought it nearer the wals. That which was built
at Massilia vvas 80 foot high, and that at Auaricum 80 foot high and 30 foote
broad. Iosephus and Egesippus writ, that there was a fortresse in Iudea, 300 cu∣bites
high, which Sulla purposing to vvin by assault, raised a mount 200 cubites
high; and vpon it, he built a castle of stone 50 cubites high, and 50 cubites
broad; and vpon the said castell he erected a turret of 60 cubites in hight, and
so took the fortresse. The Romans oftentimes raised these mounts in the mouth
of a hauen, and commonly to ouer-toppe a towne, that so they might fight with
much aduantage.