Page:History of Greece Vol XII.djvu/171

TYRE TAKEN BY STORM. 139 From this time forward, the doom of Tyre was certain. The Tyrians could no longer offer obstruction to the mole, which Avas completed across the channel and brought up to the town. En- gines were planted upon it to batter the walls : movable towers were rolled up to take them by assault ; attack was also made from seaward. Yet though reduced altogether to the defensive, the Tyrians still displayed obstinate bravery, and exhausted all the resources of ingenuity in repelling the besiegers. So gigan- tic was the strength of the wall fronting the mole, and even that of the northern side fronting Sidon, that none of Alexander's engines could make any breach in it ; but on the south side to- wards Egypt he was more successful. A large breach having been made in this south-wall, he assaulted it with two ships man- ned by the hypaspists and the soldiers of his phalanx : he him- self commanded in one and Admetus in the other. At the same time he caused the town to be menaced all round, at every ap- proachable point, for the purpose of distracting the attention of the defenders. Himself and his two ships having been rowed close up to the breach in the south wall, boarding bridges were thrown out from each deck, upon which he and Admetus rushed forward with their respective storming-parties. Admetus got upon the v/all, but was there slain ; Alexander also was among the lirst to mount, and the two parties got such a footing on the wall as to overpower all resistance. At the same time, his ships also forced their way into the two harbors, so that Tyre came on all sides into his power.^ Though the walls were now lost, and resistance had become desperate, the gallant defenders did not lose their courage. They barricaded the streets, and concentrated their strength es- pecially at a defensible post called the Agenorion, or chapel of Agenor. Here the battle again raged furiously until they were overpowered by the Macedonians, incensed with the long toils of the previous siege, as well as by the slaughter of some of their prisoners, whom the Tyrians had killed publicly on the battle- ments. All who took shelter in the temple of Herakles were spared by Alexander from respect to the sanctuary : among the number were the prince Azemilchus, a few leading Tyrians, the 1 Anian. ii. 23, 24; Curtius, iv. 4, 11 ; Diodor. xvii 46.