Tuesday:
Readings:
Gies and Gies, Life, Chap. 10 (pp. 186-205)
Macaulay, pp. 64-78
Order by Edward II to the constable of Portchester Castle to search for
spies, 10 March 1326:
http://www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/education/resources/medieval-castles/medieval-castles-source-3/
The Lanercost Chronicle: Robert Bruce besieges Carlisle, 1316: http://members.iinet.net.au/~rmine/carlisle.html
Major tactics and technologies of medieval town and castle sieges included:
Besiegers’ tactics and technologies: Defenders’ corresponding tactics and technologies:
Blockade supplies to starve town (1) Good provisioning & food rationing; (2) counter-
(very slow and expensive) attack or outside help to break blockade
Scaling ladders (1) Wet moat or dry moat; (2) man walls to repel scalers
Siege towers and (1) Moat; (2) fire arrows or other burning missiles
engines (springalds; mangonels; trebuchets); Destroy siege engines by sortie or by rival
including hurling cadavers to terrorize engines; hurl or display cadavers back to besiegers
Mines (1) Moat; (2) countermines
Battering rams (against gates) (1) Moat; (2) drop rocks or boiling liquids on ram and
crew; (3) shoot crew with longbows or crossbows
Cannon (beginning later 14 C.) Destroy cannon and kill gunners by sortie or by
rival cannon
Negotiation and threats (e.g., Counter-negotiation (e.g., “If no relief arrives within 40
“Surrender now or face dreadful sack”) days, we will surrender peacefully”)
Images from the Maciejowski Bible:
Delivery of military supplies,
Use of scaling ladders and crossbows
Use of trebuchets by besiegers and besieged
A successful sortie (attackers are driven from the city of Hai
The attackers are successful at storming the fortress (here, the city of Hai)
The defenders sue for peace (here, by the Gibeonites)
ORAL REPORTS:
(from Mary:) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VrnmAtQ3aQo&t=6s