Page:History of Greece Vol XI.djvu/485

SIEGE OF PEBINTHUS. 45<j promontory terminating in abrupt cliffs southward towards the Propontis, unassailable from seaward, but sloping, though with a steep declivity towards the land, with which it was joined by an isthmus of not more than a furlong in breadth. Across this isth mus stretched the outer wall, behind which were seen the houses of the town, lofty, strongly built, and rising one above the other in terraces up the ascent of the promontory. Philip pressed the place with repeated assaults on the outer wall ; battering it with rams, undermining it by sap, and rolling up movable towers said to be one hundred and twenty feet in height (higher even than the towers of the Perinthian wall), so as to chase away the de- fenders by missiles, and to attempt an assault by boarding-planks hand to hand. The Perinthians, defending themselves with energetic valor, repelled him for a long time from the outer wall. At length the besieging engines, with the reiterated attacks of Macedonian soldiers animated by Philip's promises, overpow- ered this wall, and drove them back into the town. It was found, however, that the town itself supplied a new defensible position to its citizens. The lower range of houses, united by strong bar- ricades across the streets, enabled the Perinthians still to hold out. In spite of all their efforts, however, the town would havo shared the fate of Olynthus, had they not been sustained by effective foreign aid. Not only did their Byzantine kinsmen ex- haust themselves to furnish every sort of assistance by sea, but also the Athenian fleet, and Persian satraps on the Asiatic side of the Propontis, cooperated. A body of Grecian mercenaries under Apollodorus, sent across from Asia by the Phrygian satrap Arsites, together with ample supplies of stores by sea, placed Perinthus in condition to defy the besiegers. 1 After a siege which can hardly have lasted less than three months, Philip found all his efforts against Perinthus baffled, lie then changed his plan, withdrew a portion of his forces, and suddenly appeared before Byzantium. The walls were strong, but inadequately manned and prepared ; much of the Byzantinu force being in service at Perinthus. Among several vigorous at- tacks, Philip contrived to effect a surprise on a dark and stormy 1 Demosth ad Philip. Epistol. p. 153; Diodor. xvi. 75; Pausa-ias, l 29 7.