Et contra propugnatores cum iam discussurus turrim oppositam aries maximus adventaret, prominentem eius ferream frontem, quae re vera formam effingit arietis, arte subtili illaqueatam altrinsecus, laciniis retinuere longissimis, ne retrogradiens resumeret vires, neve ferire muros assultibus densis contemplabiliter posset, fundentes quoque ferventissimam picem.
And on the other hand the defenders, when the huge ram was already drawing near to shake down a tower which stood in its way, by a subtle device entangled its projecting iron end (which in fact has the shape of a rams head) on both sides with very long ropes, and held it so that it might not move back and gather new strength, nor be able with good aim to batter the walls with repeated lunges; and in the meantime they poured down scalding-hot pitch.
final_alignments\Ammianus_Marcellinus_Book20.json