siege of tyre.

the third day after this, having waited for a calm sea, after encouraging the leaders of the regiments for the action, he led the ships containing the military engines up to the city. in the first place he shook down a large piece of the wall; and when the breach appeared to be sufficiently wide, he ordered the vessels conveying the military engines to retire, and brought up two others, which carried his bridges, which he intended to throw upon the breach in the wall. the shield-bearing guards occupied one of these vessels, which he had put under the command of admetus; and the other was occupied by the regiment of coenus, called the foot companions. alexander himself, with the shield-bearing guards, intended to scale the wall where it might be practicable. he ordered some of his triremes to sail against both of the harbours, to see if by any means they could force an entrance when the tyrians had turned themselves to oppose him. he also ordered those of his triremes which contained the missiles to be hurled from engines, or which were carrying archers upon deck, to sail right round the wall and to put in where it was practicable, and to take up position within shooting range, until it became impossible to put in, so that the tyrians, being shot at from all quarters, might become distracted, and not know whither to turn in their distress. when alexander’s ships drew close to the city and the bridges132 were thrown from them upon the wall, the shield-bearing guards mounted valiantly along these upon the wall; for their captain, admetus, proved himself brave on that occasion, and alexander accompanied them, both as a courageous participant in the action itself, and as a witness of brilliant and dangerous feats of valour performed by others. the first part of the wall that was captured was where alexander had posted himself; the tyrians being easily beaten back from it, as soon as the macedonians found firm footing, and at the same time a way of entrance not abrupt on every side. admetus was the first to mount the wall; but while cheering on his men to mount, he was struck with a spear and died on the spot.

after him, alexander with the companions got possession of the wall327; and when some of the towers and the parts of the wall between them were in his hands, he advanced through the battlements to the royal palace, because the descent into the city that way seemed the easiest.