The army of Constantius II. attacks the walls and a tower of Bezabde using ladders, siege rams and other tools while under the covering fire of ballistae.
Utque facile defensuri moenia pellerentur, in ipsis aggerum summitatibus binae sunt locatae ballistae, quarum metu ne prospicere quidem posse hostium quisquam crederetur. His satis provisis, prope ipsum crepusculum triplex acies nostrorum instructa, conisque galearum minacius nutans, scalas vehentibus multis, impetum conabatur in muros. Iamque resultantibus armis et tubis, uno parique ardore hinc indeque pugnabatur audaci conflictu, latiusque sese pandente manu Romana, cum Persas occultari viderent, pavore impositorum aggeribus tormentorum, pulsabant turrim ariete, et cum ligonibus et dolabris et vectibus scalae quoque propinquabant utrimque convolante missilium crebritate.
Translation :
And in order that those who would defend the ramparts might the more readily be kept back, on the very highest part of each mound two ballistae were placed, through fear of which it was believed that no one of the enemy would be able even to put out his head. When these preparations had been sufficiently made, just before dawn our men were drawn up in three divisions and tried an assault upon the walls, the cones of their helmets nodding in threatening wise and many carrying scaling-ladders. And now, while arms clashed and trumpets brayed, both sides fought with equal ardour and courage. And as the Romans extended their forces more widely and saw that the Persians were in hiding through fear of the engines placed upon the mounds, they attacked a tower with the ram; and in addition to mattocks, pickaxes, and crowbars the scaling- ladders also drew near, while missiles flew thick and fast from both sides.
Edition :
Ammianus Marcellinus. With An English Translation. John C. Rolfe, Ph.D., Litt.D. Cambridge. Cambridge, Mass., Harvard University Press; London, William Heinemann, Ltd. 1935-1940.
