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enduring in toil and contending for the war. 30.3 For when the sun was leading the day to its midpoint, when it heats the air more with the striking of its rays than at other times, at the peak of the heat, as if having kindled their natural madness, and having further provoked that irrational rage with their despair, they turned their impulse to another kind of siege (and consider how difficult). 30.4 For with four gates leading out on the eastern part of the city, they planned to reduce two of them to ashes with fire, both the aforementioned gate of Rome and the one called Cassandreian, 30.5 having this in mind, that if, with the outer gates burning, they could proceed inside the outer wall and get under the high wall, they would have no fear of also damaging the inner gates and driving everyone into the city at once, having positioned opposite them archers both accurate and terrible, so as by the continuity of their arrows not to allow any of those inside to peer out without danger. 31.1 And so they began the stratagem in this way. 31.2 Having devised wagons, they placed upon them face down the smallest boats, which our fishermen used for catching fish, and also a multitude of other timbers and a heap of brushwood; which, having drenched with pitch and brimstone and having gotten under the wagons, they turned the axles, moving them by hand, until they reached the gates themselves. 31.3 Then, having set that material on fire, and having withdrawn backwards, shielded by their shields against the archers, they furtively brought their plan to action. 31.4 For the fire, taking hold of the material and stirred to a greater flame by the kindling, caused the outer surface of the gates, which was entirely plated with iron, to become red-hot, and the flame, being channeled also to the inside, forced the gates to be ignited through and through, so that after a short time they fell down and cast no ordinary cowardice into all. 31.5 For as soon as the burning of the gates was proclaimed throughout the whole city, it was as if a sword had run under the hearts of all, so it made the people anxious and trembling, changing their expressions and having at once betrayed all good hope. 31.6 For those who a short while before were leaping upon the walls and defending against the enemies and urging one another on to the contest of battle were in truth shown to be more helpless than hares. 31.7 For this very thing, that that device had come to fruition, caused all souls to divine the end, 31.8 except that when the outer gates had been destroyed by fire, we quickly fenced off the inner ones with a certain newly built small wall, and having previously set out water on the battlements in some vessels, we were on guard for when the enemy might perhaps also rush against these, so that whenever they should attempt the villainy again, we might have the means by which we would counteract the flame and keep the gates untouched by the plot. 31.9 And indeed, having realized this, they no longer used such evil plans, but were about to contrive our destruction with certain others, still more terrible and more violent, which for the future it was possible to ward off by no method, being both effective and surpassing every device. 31.10 But when the fire had ceased in this way, for the rest of the day they used stone-throwers and bows against us, until the darkness of night succeeded the light and forced them to cease from the struggle, even though they did not wish to. 32.1 Then, when they had ceased from fighting, having embarked on their ships and having rested for a short while, they began the drama which they had previously devised with their own terrible skills. 32.2 And it was such as to create an attempt for them, that if through it they might be able to sack the city, they would be well off, because nothing else of the things contributing to a siege has equal power to this, and especially when the battle is from the water and no land intervenes to interrupt the plot; 32.3 but if, along with the other things which they had previously done, this too should accomplish nothing for them, those who urged them on to this and so long a voyage

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καρτεροῦντες πόνῳ καὶ πρὸς τὸν πόλεμον ἁμιλλώμενοι. 30.3 τοῦ γὰρ ἡλίου κατὰ τὸ μέσον ἄγοντος τὴν ἡμέραν, ὅτε καὶ ταῖς βολαῖς τῶν ἀκτίνων τὸν ἀέρα πλέον τῶν ἄλλων ὡρῶν διαπυροῖ, τῇ ἀκμῇ τοῦ καύματος ὥσπερ τὴν φυσικὴν ἐκκαύσαντες λύσσαν, καὶ τὸν ἄλογον ἐκεῖνον θυμὸν ταῖς ἀπονοίαις προσερεθίσαντες, ἐφ' ἕτερον εἶδος πολιορκίας (καὶ σκόπει πῶς χαλεπόν) τὴν ὁρμὴν μετηγάγοντο. 30.4 τεττάρων γὰρ πυλῶν πρὸς τῷ ἀνατολικῷ μέρει τῆς πόλεως διεξαγουσῶν, ἐσκέψαντο τὰς δύο αὐτῶν πυρὶ τεφρῶσαι, τήν τε ῥηθεῖσαν Ῥώμην καὶ τὴν Κασσανδρεωτικὴν καλουμένην, 30.5 τοῦτο ἐν τῇ διανοίᾳ θέμενοι, ὡς εἰ δυνηθεῖεν τῶν ἔξω πυλῶν καιομένων εἴσω χωρῆσαι τοῦ προτειχίσματος καὶ τὸ μετέωρον ὑποδύσασθαι τεῖχος, μηδένα φόβον ἔχειν πρὸς τὸ καὶ τὰς ἔνδον κακουργῆσαι καὶ τῇ πόλει πάντας ὑφ' ἓν συνελάσαι, ἐξ ἐναντίας παραστησάμενοι τοξότας εὐστόχους τε καὶ δεινούς, ὡς ἂν τῇ συνεχείᾳ τῶν βελῶν μὴ ἐᾶν ἀκινδύνως προκύπτειν τῶν ἔνδον τινά. 31.1 Καὶ δὴ τοῦ τεχνάσματος οὕτως ἐνήρξαντο. 31.2 ἁμάξας ἐφευρόντες ἐπέθηκαν ἐν αὐταῖς πρηνεῖς τὰς βραχυτάτας νῆας, αἷς πρὸς τὴν θήραν τῶν ἰχθύων οἱ καθ' ἡμᾶς ἁλιεῖς ἐκέχρηντο, ἔτι δὲ καί τινων ἄλλων ξύλων πληθὺν καὶ φρυγάνων σωρείαν· ἅτινα πίσσῃ καὶ θεάφῳ καταρράναντες καὶ τὰς ἁμάξας ὑποδύντες ἔστρεφον τοὺς ἄξονας, ἄγοντες αὐτὰς ταῖς χερσίν, ἕως ἔφθασαν μέχρις αὐτῶν τῶν πυλῶν. 31.3 εἶτα τὴν ὕλην ἐκείνην ὑφάψαντες, καὶ ὀπισθόποδες ταῖς ἀσπίσι φραξάμενοι πρὸς τοὺς τοξότας χωρήσαντες, ἔλαθον τὸ βεβουλευμένον εἰς ἔργον ἀγαγεῖν. 31.4 τὸ πῦρ γὰρ τῆς ὕλης λαβόμενον καὶ τοῖς ὑπεκκαύμασι πρὸς μείζονα φλόγα διεγερθὲν τὴν μὲν ἔξω τῶν πυλῶν ἐπιφάνειαν, ἥτις ἦν ἅπασα σεσιδηρωμένη, πυρακτωθῆναι πεποίηκε, τὴν λαμπάδα δὲ καὶ πρὸς τὸ εἴσω μετοχετεῦσαν ἐξαφθῆναι δι' ὅλου τὰς πύλας ἠνάγκασεν, ὡς μετὰ βραχὺ ταύτας καταπεσεῖν καὶ δειλίαν οὐ τὴν τυχοῦσαν ἅπασιν ἐμβαλεῖν. 31.5 μόνον γὰρ ὅτι καθ' ὅλης ἐκηρύχθη τῆς πόλεως ἡ τῶν πυλῶν ἔκκαυσις, καὶ καθάπερ τινὸς ξίφους ὑποδραμόντος τὰς ἁπάντων καρδίας, οὕτως ἐναγωνίους καὶ τρομώδεις τοὺς ἀνθρώπους πεποίηκε, τὰς μορφὰς ἀλλοιώσαντας καὶ πᾶσαν χρηστὴν ἀθρόον προδεδωκότας ἐλπίδα. 31.6 καὶ γὰρ οἱ πρὸ βραχέος τοῖς τείχεσιν ἐξαλλόμενοι καὶ τοὺς ἐχθροὺς ἀμυνόμενοι καὶ πρὸς τὸν διὰ μάχης ἀγῶνα ἀλλήλους ἐγκελευόμενοι πτωκῶν ἀδρανέστεροι ταῖς ἀληθείαις ἐδείκνυντο. 31.7 αὐτὸ γὰρ τοῦτο, τὸ τὴν μηχανὴν ἐκείνην εἰς ἔργον ἐκβῆναι, μαντεύεσθαι τοῦ τέλους ταῖς ἁπάντων ἐδίδου ψυχαῖς, 31.8 πλὴν ὅτι τῶν ἔξω πυλῶν πυρποληθεισῶν τὰς ἔνδον ἡμεῖς τειχίῳ τινὶ νεοδομήτῳ θᾶττον περιφραξάμενοι, ὕδατά τε ταῖς ἐπάλξεσιν ἔν τισι προαποθέμενοι σκεύεσιν, ἐφυλαττόμεθα, πότε καὶ πρὸς ταύτας τυχὸν ἐφορμήσουσιν οἱ πολέμιοι, ἵν' ὅτε τῆς κακουργίας καὶ αὖθις ἐπιχειρήσωσιν, ἔχωμεν ὅπως τῆς φλογὸς ἀντιποιησόμεθα καὶ τῆς ἐπιβουλῆς ἀπειράτους τὰς πύλας διατηρήσομεν. 31.9 ὃ δὴ καὶ γνόντες ἐκεῖνοι οὐκέτι ταῖς τοιαύταις κακοβουλίαις ἐχρήσαντο, ἑτέραις δέ τισιν ἔμελλον δεινοτέραις ἔτι καὶ σφοδροτέραις τὸν καθ' ἡμῶν ἐπιτηδεύειν ὄλεθρον, ὃν οὐδεμιᾷ μεθόδῳ τοῦ λοιποῦ δυνατὸν ἦν διακρούσασθαι ἐνεργῆ τε ὄντα καὶ πᾶσαν μηχανὴν ὑπερβαίνοντα. 31.10 πλὴν οὕτω τοῦ πυρὸς παυσαμένου τὸ λοιπὸν τῆς ἡμέρας τοῖς πετροβόλοις ἐχρῶντο καθ' ἡμῶν καὶ τοῖς τόξοις, μέχρις ἂν τὸ νυκτερινὸν σκότος τὸ φῶς διεδέξατο καὶ τῆς ἀγωνίας παύεσθαι μηδὲ βουλομένους αὐτοὺς κατηνάγκασεν. 32.1 Εἶτα ἐπειδὴ τοῦ πολεμεῖν ἐπαύσαντο, ταῖς ναυσὶν ἐμβάντες καί τι μικρὸν ἡσυχάσαντες ἤρχοντο τοῦ δράματος ὅπερ ἦσαν ταῖς ἑαυτῶν δεινότησι προεξευρημένοι. 32.2 τὸ δὲ ἦν τοιαύτην αὐτοῖς ἀπόπειραν ἐμποιοῦν, ὡς εἰ μὲν δι' αὐτοῦ δυνηθεῖεν τὴν πόλιν πορθήσειν, εὖ ἂν ἔχοιεν, διὰ τὸ μηδὲν ἄλλο τῶν εἰς πολιορκίαν συντεινόντων ἴσα δύνασθαι τούτου, καὶ μάλισθ' ὅταν ἀφ' ὑδάτων ἐστὶν ἡ μάχη καὶ μὴ μεσιτεύῃ χέρσος τὴν ἐπιβουλὴν διακόπτουσα· 32.3 εἰ δέ γε μετὰ τῶν ἄλλων ὧν προενήργησαν καὶ τοῦτο εἰς μηδὲν αὐτοῖς συντελέσειε, τοὺς εἰς τοῦτο παρορμήσαντας αὐτοὺς καὶ τοσοῦτον πλοῦν