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ropes that held the ram. Over the heads of those whoworked the ram was a pent-house, formed after themanner of a turret, where two soldiers could stand se-cure from danger, and give directions for annoying theenemy. The ram was one hundred and six feet long, afoot and a palm wide at the butt, a foot thick, taperingtowards the head to a foot in width, and five-eighths inthickness. It was furnished with a hard iron beak likethose fixed on galleys, from which went out four ironprongs about fifteen feet long, to fix it to the beam.Moreover, distributed between the foot and the head ofthe beam, four stout ropes were stretched eight inchesthick, made fast like those which retain the mast of aship between the poop arid the prow. To these wereslung others diagonally, which suspended the ram at thedistance of a palm and a foot from each other. Thewhole of the ram was covered with raw hides. At thefurther end of the ropes, towards the head, were fouriron chains, also covered with raw hides, and it had aprojection from each floor, framed with much skill, whichwas kept in its place by means of large stretched ropes,the roughness of which preventing the feet from slipping,made it easy to get thence on to the wall. The machinecould be moved in six directions, straight forward, to theright and left, and from its extent it could he used onthe ascending and descending slope of a hill. It could,moreover, he so raised as to throw down a wall onehundred feet in height: so, also, when moved to theright and left, it reached not less than one hundred feet.It was worked by one hundred men, and its weightwas four thousand talents, or four hundred and eightythousand pounds.