Gwyn Davies

Under Siege: The Roman Field Works at Masada

The Roman reduction of Masada, completed over the winter of either a.d. 72/73 or 73/74, offers scholars the opportunity to study the most complete surviving siege system of the ancient world. Although the remains of the Roman works were the subject of extensive comment from the early to middle 20th century, little modern attention has been devoted to the complex suite of siege-related structures that surround the fortresspalace. A controversial new hypothesis contending that the Roman assault ramp at the site was not “operational” at the time that the siege was brought to a close provides a good reason for reviewing the archaeological evidence concerning this famous episode.