Crusader Kings: Prisoners of War.

Chapter 41 Breaking the Wall
Obviously the Romans had rich experience in warfare. They knew what tactics to use against various enemies and had corresponding training.

The situation on the Parvi people's side was different. They had few tactics to choose from. If they could have defeated the Romans so easily, they would have long since become the overlord of the Mediterranean.

The defenders who left the city suffered heavy losses. After repeated attempts, they had no more ideas.

Different legions took turns bringing battering rams to hammer at the city walls every day. After ten days in a row, the city walls finally could not withstand the day-to-day hammering and bombardment of catapults. Nearly twenty days after the siege officially began, the city walls collapsed and a crack was smashed into them.

The attackers filed in through the gap, and the defenders gave up the attack and began to flee behind the second city wall.

The three city walls are not continuous fortifications. There is a large space between the first wall and the second wall. In order to facilitate command and dispatch, Tia moved her main camp inside the city wall and continued to command the battle here.

The defenders in the city relied on the second city wall and the surrounding towers for defense. Tia also used the same trick again, first letting the auxiliary troops and legionnaires level the surrounding ground, and then demolished part of the first city wall to allow the battering ram and siege platform to come in.

When everything was ready, the battering ram started working again.

Since their long-range weapons could not completely destroy the battering ram, the defenders launched multiple assaults and harassments in the hope of slowing down the progress of the attackers.

There are many hidden passages on the city walls. The defenders do not need to open the city gates. They only need to open the secret passages to transport a small number of people to launch a raid on the Romans.

By now the war had changed from a test of courage to a test of endurance. The Romans worried that their camp would be raided at night, and the Parvi people worried that their city would be threatened by battering rams and catapults. Both sides slept with weapons in hand, ready to deal with any emergency at any time.

Tia ordered an attack on the central tower in the middle of the city wall. After knocking on the tower for several days, the tower showed signs of loosening. Perhaps they felt that the city wall could not hold out for too long. The number of soldiers guarding the wall was obviously reduced, and the archers and heavy projectile weapons on the Roman side could completely suppress the enemy.

The next morning, just as Tia was about to send people to attack the city wall again, someone on the wall shouted for mercy to the people below.

"We surrender, we surrender! Stop fighting!"

Tia stopped the battering ram that was advancing forward. Considering that the defenders were no longer confident, she personally stepped forward and asked, "What do you want?"

"As long as you can guarantee our safety, we will go down now!"

"I agree. It's good that you are sensible. I hope more people can make wise choices. As long as you all surrender, I promise that this city will not be harmed."

"Traitor, running dog!" Some others roared and rushed towards the leader.

Before the leader could say anything, a fight broke out on the city wall. In the end, it seemed that the surrenderists had the upper hand, and they headed down again.

"We'll open the secret door of the tower, you guys come in!!"

After that, a secret door under the tower was opened, and a centurion volunteered to lead his team forward. Just when they were not far below the city wall, the people on the wall suddenly began to throw stones and javelins at them.

The centurion, who had been prepared, raised his shield to block the attacks of these people, and led his men to sprint towards the secret door. In the end, they were a step faster and killed the Palphi soldiers who were about to close the door, and began to invade the tower.

But not long after they entered, thick smoke came out of the tower. The defenders set fire to something in the tower, forcing the centurion to leave the tower and return to his position.

Tia did not blame them, but just calmly let the battering ram continue to hit the tower. By dusk that day, the second city wall was damaged and a small crack appeared at the location of the central tower.

Seeing the opportunity, Tia would never let it go. She raised her sword and said, "Command is handed over to the Egyptian Governor Antonis. The first and second battalions of the 12th Legion, follow me and charge in!!"

Orville looked at her helplessly, and found that the Egyptian governor beside him was also helpless. He found that the style of this young man was completely different from that of his old superior Vespa.

It is good to lead the troops, but it will also put the commander in danger. The Romans' habit is to let the commander sit firmly in the center of the army and have an insight into the overall situation. Only a few people, like Tia, see an opportunity and directly lead the spearhead troops to charge forward.

He said, "I think you should first demolish the wall near the tower so that our soldiers can move in and out freely. This gap is too narrow and it is difficult to transport troops. At the same time, I request that my men guard the wall. Although many of them are native to this city, they have a blood feud with the rebels and have a strong fighting spirit."

Orville's words were reasonable and well-founded, and the Governor of Egypt agreed after a little thought.

After more than a thousand heavily-armored warriors of Tiya entered the city, Orville led his men to climb up the deserted city walls.

Luo Xie's army climbed up the city wall, occupied the high ground and prepared to use slingshots and other weapons to attack the rebels who might appear below. The regular legion soldiers assigned to them formed a formation to guard the ramps and steps leading to the city wall to prevent enemy surprise attacks.

There are mostly open spaces and scattered houses between the first and second city walls. Inside the second city wall is the formal urban area, where the terrain is quite complex and many civilians still live there.

It is now dusk, and Tia will be impulsive but not brainless. Entering an unfamiliar city at this time of year, no matter how strong the Roman legionnaires are, they will not squander them like this.

She thought for a few seconds to compose her words, and finally shouted in Aramaic, the ancient Middle Eastern language: "We will not loot this place! All the hiding party members, if you do not want to harm innocent civilians, you are free to come out and fight. If you want to return to the city to continue the struggle, that's fine too. I reserve your right to choose freely.

Civilians in the city, you can leave here safely with your property. I swear in the name of the Flavian dynasty that the main purpose of my fighting is to protect the Holy City for Rome and to protect your temple for the Holy City. Anyone who gives up resistance will be given safety and shelter. "

After saying this, she switched back to Latin and ordered her soldiers: "Maintain the formation! Unite around the centurion, don't walk around, don't scatter to rob property, and those who walk away will be treated as deserters!"

This was the best solution she could think of. On the one hand, it would not harm local civilians, and on the other hand, it would maintain order in the army and not undermine the morale of the soldiers.

(End of this chapter)