forums.rs

Forums

History

Quick find code: 23-24-996-66205824

of 2
Wild Bill63

Wild Bill63

Posts: 2,947 Adamant Posts by user Forum Profile RuneMetrics Profile
With the land being cleared in preparation for siege works and removal of cover for the Jews the Roman army had pulled itself together and it was time to get to work on the total destruction of the occupants.

Titus drew up plans for the assault and saw that attacking the eastern side would be quite a difficult task due to the ravines being steepest. Instead he focused his assault on the western side at the third wall of the city where the ground was closer to level.

The 10th Fertensis was left to hold the Mount of Olives while the three remaining legions were redeployed, the 5th Macedonica built a camp 400 meters (1312 feet) to the west of the western wall and the 12th and 15h legions established a presence opposite of the Psephinus Tower, artillery moved into place. With the covering fire of the artillery each legions began construction of an earth and timber ramp up to the third wall. As they drew near to the wall Jewish forces rained down arrows, javelins, and stones from slings which slowed down the progress as they were guarding the wall all day and all night. Despite the effort of the Jews the might of the three legions with artillery support had proven to be over bearing.

Eventually the Romans completed their ramps and so began slowly moving the battering rams up to the gates. The thudding of the iron rams head against the barred city gates was the sound of progress to the Romans but to the Jews it was a rallying cry and so units from around the city moved to the walls and pelted the Romans from above while raiding parties attacked the siege engine on foot from postern doors. The Jews hacked and slashed their way to the rams and were ready to totally destroy it when Titus lead a cavalry charge to drive them off.

Before the ramming of the city gates resumed, Roman engineers built three siege towers which were too heavy to be over turned and were fire proofed.

---Continued---

02-Mar-2021 01:59:27

Wild Bill63

Wild Bill63

Posts: 2,947 Adamant Posts by user Forum Profile RuneMetrics Profile
These towers were then moved in to place and provided fire support for construction and serve to clear the area of defenders. On the 15th day of the siege the rams broke through the third wall, upon doing so the Jews gave up the outer city to the Romans and they withdrew to the second wall of the second city. To keep progress going Titus set up a camp in the center of the New City while destroying many structures in the process. Once again the rams were moved in, this time targeting the central tower gate and within 4 days that gate was breached and so the legions formed up and rushed in through the narrow gap but were met with eerie silence. As they moved cautiously through the city they were suddenly ambushed from all sides and the defenders unleashed missiles into the dense infantry clusters while at the same time there were hit and run parties attacking all exposed Roman troops who had gotten too far from the main body. In the shock of the moment the Romans tried to retreat back through the breach but they found that it was so narrow that only a few men could get through at a time. This bottle neck was a perfect place for the bowmen and slingers of the defenders.

Roman archers were then brought up to provide support which caused the Jews to ease the pressure off just enough for a withdrawal, while this was going on the Jews mobilized and went out after the fleeing enemy while the Jews reclaimed the walls and unleashed a barrage of fire into the enemy army, meanwhile sorties of large units of Jews pressed the Romans back while the breach was mended. Ancient historian Flavius Josephus recalled that the fighting continued all day and into the night. Fighting around the tower gate continued and by the 4th day the Romans had breached again, this time Titus ordered the entire stretch of the northern portion of the second wall be razed to the ground and the surrounding towers be manned by Roman forces.

---Continued---

02-Mar-2021 02:22:12

Wild Bill63

Wild Bill63

Posts: 2,947 Adamant Posts by user Forum Profile RuneMetrics Profile
The Jews then pulled back to the first wall of the Lower City which was part of a deliberate plan to carry out a fighting retreat against the Romans while conserving strength and maximizing their damage. The commanders of the defenders were now in a position to make a stand where the defensive line covered a smaller surface area than at the start of the siege, this meant the outnumbered Jews could far more readily focus their forces and rebuff attacks. At this point of the siege overall defense had been handed over to Simon who held the 1st wall along the northern side up to the Royal Palace. John's forces of Galileans and zealots held the temple and Antonia fortress on the eastern edge of the defensive line.

The legions moved into the Second City and Titus dispatched the 12th and 12th legions to raise ramps where the 2nd and 1st walls met, to the east had the 10th and the 15th begin construction against the Antonia Fortress which they did despite non-stop sorties and missile attacks. Historians state that at this point the Jews could bring 300 ballistas (bolt throwers) and 40 catapults (stone throwers) from the rebel armory. This amount of fire power must have forced the Romans to build protective countermeasures.

On May 29th after 17 days of intense labor and nonstop fighting the Romans completed their attack paths up the east and west flanks. Battering rams, siege towers and many cohorts were called on for an all-out assault. Unknown to the Romans though the Jews had been conducting sapping operations digging tunnels travelling under the 1st wall right up to siege ramps against the Antonia. The excavations were supported by pit-props which the Jews set alight, as the fire did it's work the ground gave way and a massive chasm opened up and engulfing the ramps and their siege engines. The fires were smothered by soon reignited and yet again burned what remained of the siege equipment.

---Continued---

02-Mar-2021 02:43:03

Quick find code: 23-24-996-66205824 Back to Top