During the first year of the Great Roman Civil War, Julius Caesar’s troops lay siege to the walled city of Massilia (modern-day Marseille, France) using siege towers, battering rams, and by digging “mines” or tunnels to undermine the city walls. Massilians defend their city with “dogged determination;” tactics included directing water through pipes to wash down on attackers, which the Romans counter by covering siege buildings with bricks and “several coatings of stucco.” Defenders also excavate a large basin inside the walls, filling it with water. As the Roman miners reach the walls, the tunnels are flooded with water and collapse. Massilia ultimately surrenders after a five-month siege.
