Peter Darman - Parthian Dawn

‘Indeed,’ I said.

‘How long will it take before they are ready?’ asked Domitus.

‘About two hours.’ Marcus rubbed his hands. ‘After that we’ll soon have a nice fire going.’

‘Fire?’ I asked.

‘Oh, yes, we will be shooting half and half.’

Domitus looked at him. ‘Half and half?’

Marcus looked at us as though what he had said was the most straightforward thing in the world. ‘Half stone and iron shot and half incendiaries. Anyway, I best get back to make sure they are assembled right. If you will excuse me?’

Marcus saluted and strode back to his machines. More wagons began to arrive carrying the ammunition for them, great round stones, smaller stones, iron balls, clay pots and bolts. The pots would be filled with naphtha and then sealed, with a burning, oil-soaked rag wrapped around the top. Upon impact the pot would smash and the flaming rag would ignite the naphtha.

The walls were lined with many soldiers now — so much for Yasser’s claim that Chosroes had no more troops — observing Marcus and his men going about their business. The latter were beyond the range of the Mesenian bows and the soldiers of Uruk would have never seen Roman siege engines in action before, so they just stood and watched, thinking themselves safe behind their big gates and high walls. Behind the siege engines the Duran Legion began forming up in its cohorts. They were widely spaced so that they extended towards the river. Next in line, to the right of the legion, came the Amazons and Dura’s cataphracts commanded by Orodes, with his own men on the extreme right of the heavy cavalry’s line. Nergal’s horse archers then formed a great line that extended north to run parallel to Uruk’s eastern wall. On the northern side of the city were deployed the Exiles in their cohorts and centuries. Thus was Dura’s army arrayed for the garrison of the city to see.

True to my word, and while Marcus readied his machines, I tied a white cloth on the end of a kontus and rode towards the city gates to ask for a parley. I had not ridden fifty paces beyond the siege engines when two arrows were shot in my direction from the walls. Fortunately they both fell short. I wheeled Remus around, walked him out of range and then faced the gates once more. I untied the white cloth from the lance and spat in the direction of the city. The time for talking was over.

I purposely rode over to where Orodes was sitting in his scale armour at the head of the bored cataphracts.

‘They would rather fight than see reason, lord prince.’

He nodded solemnly. ‘You have done all that honour demands, lord.’

I bowed my head to him and rode back to the engines, the cataphracts jeering and whistling at those on the walls.

‘That was rather foolhardy,’ said Domitus.

‘I have fulfilled my promise to Orodes. How is Marcus progressing?’

‘They will be ready in about half an hour. I hope you are not going to keep the men standing for hours in this sun.’

I looked into the clear blue sky. It was going to be another hot day. Most of the horsemen had already taken off their helmets or had pushed them back on their heads. The horses were swishing their tails to keep the flies away. Then I heard a noise coming from the walls and saw the Mesenians jeering and throwing insults. Some jumped on to the wall itself and lifted their robes to expose their genitals. I glanced at Gallia and her Amazons who were sitting emotionless on their horses, their faces enclosed by the cheekguards of their helmets. The other horsemen and the legionaries did not respond to the taunts but remained standing in their ranks in silence.

I dismounted and stood beside Domitus as the taunts and insults were flung in our direction. Gallia rode up on Epona.

‘What are we waiting for? Are we going to sit here all day while they ridicule us?’

‘We are waiting for the engineers to ensure that everything is in place.’ I cocked my head at the walls. ‘Are they upsetting your girls?’

She took off her helmet, her hair plaited behind her neck. ‘Nothing they have not heard before. But they may be frightening your cataphracts. Or perhaps your legionaries, Domitus?’

‘Don’t worry, Gallia, when the city falls I will get some of the boys to slice off the balls of those on the walls and present them on a silver tray to your girls.’

She frowned. ‘You are all heart, Domitus.’

At that moment Marcus sauntered up, looking very pleased with himself. He bowed his head to Gallia and raised his hand to Domitus and me.

‘All is ready, sir.’

‘Excellent,’ I said, ‘please begin.’

Marcus looked at Gallia and then at me. ‘Actually, sir, I was wondering if the queen would bless the first shot, for luck you see.’

I looked at Gallia. ‘Well?’

She smiled at him. ‘I would be delighted, Marcus.’

She dismounted and handed me Epona’s reins. ‘Make yourself useful.’

I led Remus and Epona after Gallia and Marcus as they walked over to one of the machines; one of the giant ballistae that fired stones. A member of its crew lifted up one of the large missiles stacked in a great pile behind the machine and stood holding it. It was obviously heavy as he was straining from the effort.

‘If you would lay a hand on it, lady,’ said Marcus, ‘then we can begin.’

Gallia, clearly delighted, placed her palm on the stone. The crew cheered and then the stone was placed on the wooden channel from which it would be launched. Marcus raised his hand, lowered it and the ballista was fired. The stone shot through the air and slammed into the gates with a loud crunch. And then the other machines opened fire.

Large stones and pots filled with naphtha flew through the air and smashed into the gates, shaking them and then covering them in flames as the clay pots burst and the naphtha ignited. The missiles of the smaller ballista — stones and iron bolts — were directed at the walls and towers that flanked the gates; the stones striking the torsos and skulls of those lining the walls. The crews worked like frenzied ants, loading and reloading their contraptions and sending a hail of stone, fire and metal at the enemy. Marcus had sited his machines well. They did not shoot haphazardly but were directed against where the two gates met and against the walls where their hinges were located. I did not know how old those gates were, but they appeared ancient and would not withstand such an onslaught for long.

The crews sweated and cursed as they loaded the missiles and then loosed them at the gates and the walls. Great gaps began to appear in the latter as chunks of brickwork were ripped out. The gates themselves shuddered every time they were hit and the flames continued to eat away at the ancient wood. I and thousands of others looked on in awe at the devastation that was being unleashed upon Uruk. There was no one on the walls now, no jeering soldiers, only the dead and the dying. The rest had fled for their lives. Then the cheering began, a great wall of noise coming from behind me as the Duran Legion raised their javelins and began beating them against their shields. The men chanted ‘Dura, Dura’ as the city’s defences were pounded without mercy in front of them. Then the horsemen joined in, raising their weapons and shouting the name of their own city. I hoped that Chosroes, wherever the miserable wretch was cowering, could hear the voices of those who had come to repay him for his treachery.

The hail of iron and stone continued. One or more of the naphtha pots must have got wedged in the arch above the gates, because suddenly there was a loud crack and then that part of the wall erupted in flame and caused a great part of it to come crashing down on top of the gates. Marcus immediately ordered his men to halt firing their machines and came running over to me.