Image Details

Four ways to conquer a city appear simultaneously on this slab found in the palace of Tiglath-pileser III, who had pilfered it from Ashurnasirpal II’s palace for reuse in his own palace. Armed with a short sword and holding a shield above his head, an Assyrian warrior, left, assaults the ramparts by a ladder. At center, an Assyrian bowman, using a torch with four tongues of flame, tries to set the city gate on fire. On the far right, a soldier wearing long scale-armor uses a rod to pry stones out of the city wale Behind the armored soldier, a ramp bears two siege engines that resemble, in shape and function, the much later, Roman siege engines called balistae, which were used for throwing large stones. Among the defenders are archers, a stone thrower and a man trying to torch the siege engines. Above the gate, a woman appears to gesture for mercy.