History of Rome

​Before moving his armed men near the walls, Popilius sent messengers to persuade the magistrates and leading men that they should prefer to experience the good faith and clemency of the Romans rather than their force.

​These counsels had no effect, because the campfires from the king’s camp near the Elpeus were visible. Then, by land and sea—and the fleet, having put in, was standing off the shore—they began to be assaulted at once by arms and by siege works and engines.

​Certain Roman youths also, by turning a circus spectacle to the use of war, captured the lowest part of the wall.

​It was the custom at that time, before this lavish practice of filling the circus with wild beasts of all nations had been introduced, to seek out various kinds of spectacles; for once a four-horse chariot race, and once a vaulting rider had been sent out, both heats together scarcely filled the space of a single hour.

​Among other things, about sixty youths at a time, and sometimes more in the more elaborate games, were introduced in arms. Their entrance was in part an imitation of an army performing maneuvers, in part of an art more elegant than military, and closer to the use of gladiatorial weapons.

​When they had performed other movements in their maneuvers, forming a square, with their shields packed closely over their heads, the first standing, the second somewhat lower, the third and fourth still lower, and the last even kneeling on their knees, they formed a sloping testudo, like the roofs of buildings.

​From a distance of about fifty feet from this, two armed men would run forward and, threatening each other, when they had mounted from the lowest to the highest part of the testudo over the closely packed shields, now as if defending themselves along the edges of the outer testudo, now colliding with each other in the middle, they skipped about just as if they were on stable ground.

​A testudo similar to this was brought up to the lowest part of the wall. When the armed men standing on top of it approached, they were equaled in height to the defenders of the wall; and when these were driven back into the city, the soldiers of two companies crossed over.

​The only difference was that those at the very front and those on the sides did not have their shields raised above their heads, so as not to expose their bodies, but held them out in front of them in the manner of men fighting. Thus, the missiles thrown from the wall did not injure them as they advanced, and those cast upon the testudo slid harmlessly to the bottom down the slippery slope like rain.

​And the consul, Heracleum being now captured, moved his camp thither, as if about to advance to Dium, and from there, once the king was driven out, even into Pieria.

​But in reality, already preparing for winter quarters, he ordered roads to be constructed for bringing up provisions from Thessaly, suitable sites to be chosen for granaries, and shelters to be built where those carrying the provisions might find lodging.