The Battle of the Sombre

 

Reference:

Caesar, H. J. Edwards (trans.)" The Gallic War,"Loeb Classical Library, Cambridge, U.K., 1997

Mediterranean Sites Besieged - 146-27 BC

 

The sites marked on the map are:

--Numantia, Spain;
--Ategua, Spain;
--Massila, Gaul;
--Alesia, Germany;
--Avaricum, Germany;
--Gergovia Gaul;
--Uxellodunum, Gaul;
--Thala, North Africa;
--Capsa, North Africa;
--Carthage, North Africa;
--Rome, Italy;
--Brundisium, Italy;
--Dyrrachium, Greece;
--Athens, Greece;
--Cyzicus, Asia Minor;
--Heraclea Pontica, Asia Minor;
--Xanthus, Asia Minor;
--Tigranocerta, Persia;
--Pindenissus, Asia Minor;
--Jerusalem;
--Alexandria, Egypt

Plan of Numantia, Spain -- Siege, 133 BC

 

This plan outlines the Roman camps, forts and siege walls built for this siege operation:

Camps and Forts

--Castillejo #1, top of dwg., Scipio Aemilianus siege camp;

--Pena Redonda #2, toward bottom of the plan, center, F. Fabius Maximus siege camp;

--Dehesilla #3, left of plan on hill,Q. Fabius Maximus siege camp, alternate location;

--Valdevotton #4, Right side of plan, Possible Alternate siege camp;

--Travesadas #5, Right side of plan, Possible alternate siege camp;

--Canal #6, Bottom Left of plan, Possible alternate siege camp;

--Molino #7, Left of center, below river, River Fort;

--Vega #8, 2/3rds up the plan center, River Fort;

--Pena de Judio #9, Left above Dehesilla, Probable fort and tower;

--Alto Real #10, Above Pena de Judio on hill, Possible Fort.

Siege Walls

--a. Possible tower, wall foundations, above Dehesilla;

--b. Siege Wall, Below Dehesilla;

--c. 300 meter stretch of wall, two "titulus" (*) protected gates;

--d. Siege Wall, above Pena Redonda;

--e. Siege Wall, above Travesadas.

(*) "titulus" refers to a length of rampart and ditch outside a gap in the defences; a standard Roman method of protecting an open gateway.

Reference:

D. B. Campbell, A. Hook (Illust.) "Siege Warfare In the Roman World," Elie, 126, Osprey Pub., London, 2005

Roman Warship -- Trireme

Drawn by Marcus Audens

Caesar's Siege of Avaricum -- 52 BC

 

Reference:--

Duncan B. Campbell, Adam Hook (Illus.), "Siege Warfare In the Roman World, 146 BC -- AD 378, "Elite 126, Osprey Pub.,
Oxford, UK, 2005, pp 34 (Plate B), 62

Caesar's Siege-works at Avaricum (after General Verche're de Reffye)

 

Winch as a Rotary Lever

 

The winch was regarded as a "Rotary Lever", and just as the shorter part of the
lever could support a weight greater than the force applied to the longer
section, so as they expressed it, "the smaller circle overpowers the greater,"
for the weight on the rope from the winch may be many times greater
than the force on the handspike needed to raise it.