§20.95.1Δημήτριος δὲ τῶν τε μηχανῶν αὐτῷ τέλος ἐχουσῶν καὶ τοῦ πρὸς τὸ τεῖχος τόπου παντὸς ἀνακαθαρθέντος τὴν μὲν ἑλέπολιν μέσην ἔστησε, τὰς δὲ χωστρίδας χελώνας ἐπιδιεῖλεν, οὔσας ὀκτώ· κατέστησεν δʼ εἰς ἑκάτερον μέρος τῆς μηχανῆς τέτταρας καὶ τούτων ἑκάστῃ συνῆψεν στοὰν μίαν εἰς τὸ δύνασθαι μετʼ ἀσφαλείας ἐπιτελεῖν τὸ προσταττόμενον τοὺς εἰσιόντας τε καὶ πάλιν ἐξιόντας, κριοφόρους δὲ δύο πολλαπλασίας τοῖς μεγέθεσιν·
When his engines were completed and all the ground leading to the wall had been cleared, Demetrius set up the Helepolis in the center, and distributed the tortoise-shelters for filling trenches, which were eight in number; he stationed four of them on each side of the engine and connected to each of them a gallery, so that those entering and leaving again might be able to perform their assigned duty in safety, and also two battering rams many times larger than the usual ones in size.
εἶχε γὰρ ἑκατέραν πηχῶν ἑκατὸν εἴκοσι, σεσιδηρωμένην καὶ τὴν ἐμβολὴν ἔχουσαν παραπλησίαν νεὼς ἐμβόλῳ, καὶ προωθουμένην μὲν εὐκινήτως, ὑπότροχον δὲ καὶ τὴν ἐναγώνιον ἐνέργειαν λαμβάνουσαν δι’ ἀνδρῶν οὐκ ἐλαττόνων ἢ χιλίων.
For each of these was one hundred and twenty cubits long, plated with iron and having a projecting point similar to the ram of a ship, and it was easily pushed forward, being on wheels and receiving its driving force during action from no fewer than a thousand men.
§20.95.2μέλλων δὲ προσάγειν τὰς μηχανὰς τοῖς τείχεσι τοὺς μὲν πετροβόλους καὶ τοὺς ὀξυβελεῖς παρήνεγκε τῆς ἑλεπόλεως εἰς ἑκάστην στέγην τοὺς ἁρμόζοντας, §20.95.3ἐπὶ δὲ τοὺς λιμένας καὶ τοὺς πλησίον τόπους ἀπέστειλε τὴν ναυτικὴν δύναμιν, πρὸς δὲ τὸ λοιπὸν τεῖχος τὸ δυνάμενον προσβολὰς δέξασθαι τὸ πεζὸν στρατόπεδον ἐπιδιεῖλεν.
As he was about to bring the engines against the walls, he brought the appropriate stone-throwers and bolt-projectors to each story of the Helepolis, while he dispatched his naval force against the harbors and the nearby areas, and distributed his infantry army against the remaining part of the wall that was capable of receiving assaults.
§20.95.4ἔπειτα δὲ πρὸς ἓν παρακέλευσμα καὶ σημεῖον πάντων συναλαλαξάντων πανταχόθεν τῇ πόλει προσβολὰς ἐποιεῖτο.
Then, at a single command and signal, when all raised the war-cry together, he made assaults on the city from all sides.
διασείοντος δʼ αὐτοῦ τοῖς κριοῖς καὶ τοῖς πετροβόλοις τὰ τείχη παρεγενήθησαν Κνιδίων πρέσβεις, ἀξιοῦντες ἐπισχεῖν καὶ πείσειν ἐπαγγελλόμενοι τοὺς Ῥοδίους δέχεσθαι τὰ δυνατώτατα τῶν προσταγμάτων.
While he was shaking the walls with his rams and stone-throwers, ambassadors from Cnidus arrived, asking him to hold back and promising to persuade the Rhodians to accept the most possible of his demands.
§20.95.5ἀνέντος δὲ τοῦ βασιλέως καὶ τῶν πρέσβεων δεῦρο κἀκεῖσε πολλὰ διαλεχθέντων πέρας οὐ δυναμένων συμφωνῆσαι πάλιν ἐνηργεῖτο τὰ τῆς πολιορκίας.
When the king relaxed his attack and the ambassadors had talked much to and fro, but in the end were unable to come to an agreement, the operations of the siege were actively carried on again.
καὶ Δημήτριος μὲν κατέβαλε τὸν στερεώτατον τῶν πύργων, ᾠκοδομημένον ἐκ λίθων τετραπέδων, καὶ μεσοπύργιον ὅλον διέσεισεν, ὥστε μὴ δύνασθαι τοὺς ἐν τῇ πόλει πάροδον ἔχειν ἐπὶ τὰς ἐπάλξεις κατὰ τοῦτον τὸν τόπον.
And Demetrius threw down the strongest of the towers, built of squared stones, and shook an entire curtain wall, so that those in the city were unable to have access to the battlements at this place.