07-07-2004, 10:25 PM
According to Simon James the assault ramp was sapped by the Romans.<br>
"the excavator concluded that two roman mine galleries had been dug into the ramp itself trying to make it unusable. Perhaps to counter the Roman activities under the ramp, the Persians dug yet another sap mine parallel to the thwarted mine 4. However they do to seem to have been able to prevent the Romans firing their mines under the ramp, putting it out of action, at least for machines".<br>
And he concludes: "All the known assaults appear to have failed, lthough they left the defences in a precarious state. Unless the Persians broke in at the river gate or made a successful but unidentified assault somewhere else on the wall circuit, it may be that the Roman defenders surrendered in the face of sustained and massive attack with no prospect of relief". <p></p><i></i>
"the excavator concluded that two roman mine galleries had been dug into the ramp itself trying to make it unusable. Perhaps to counter the Roman activities under the ramp, the Persians dug yet another sap mine parallel to the thwarted mine 4. However they do to seem to have been able to prevent the Romans firing their mines under the ramp, putting it out of action, at least for machines".<br>
And he concludes: "All the known assaults appear to have failed, lthough they left the defences in a precarious state. Unless the Persians broke in at the river gate or made a successful but unidentified assault somewhere else on the wall circuit, it may be that the Roman defenders surrendered in the face of sustained and massive attack with no prospect of relief". <p></p><i></i>
