Siege warfare was the major way of doing battle in the ancient world. Once people started putting up walls around their cities and possessions, others contrived ways to breach them.

Starting with the Greeks of Alexander, through Hannibal and Caeser, siege warfare became even more and more intricate, punctuated by remarkable feats of engineering. During the siege of Tyre, Alexander the Great's men enlisted the tens of thousands to help  build a causeway that allegedly measured 200 feet wide by 2400 feet in length to overcome the defenses. In retaliation, the Tyrians used a fire-ship, an enormous vessel filled with combustibles that was rigged to ignite upon reaching its destination.

There were other siege weapons; catapults of various designs, battering rams, moving towers to place up against and over walls. While underground, men dug to undermine these defenses and allow the invading army to enter via subterranean passages.

The author starts with the ancient Persians and then takes us through the changes in siege warfare through to the fall of Rome in the 4th Century AD. Using maps, illustrations, and historical artifacts, we get an excellent look at how each of the various siege engines were developed and improved, as well as methods used to combat each of them. This is further enhanced by photos of the sites as they are today and complete descriptions of the various major offensive operations.

Lavishly illustrated, this is the best work so far on this fascinating part of ancient warfare and is an essential read for anyone interested in the distant past. Like all Osprey titles, it is highly recommended and one that you will find as fascinating as did I. 

April 2007

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