What Cities Did Under Siege

The first level explains where fortresses were built. Having a water source inside the walls was decisive; cities that depended on water from outside surrendered quickly, regardless of how thick their walls were.

The second level was not just about arithmetic. As soon as it became clear that supplies were being distributed unfairly, the defense collapsed from within - and the besiegers knew it and tried to make matters worse with rumors.

The third level proved decisive more often than the others. Crowding behind the walls led to outbreaks of disease, which killed defenders faster than any battlefield losses - sometimes taking the besiegers with them.

A siege was costly for both sides. The army outside the walls lost people to disease, consumed the surrounding area, and could not fight elsewhere - so a long siege was also a defeat for the besiegers.

This led to a common agreement: if help did not arrive by the appointed day, the city would surrender on agreed terms. This allowed the defenders to preserve their honor, and the attackers to save time and people.

Sorties continued throughout. Their goal was not battle, but to damage the siege works: fill in a tunnel, burn the machines, and prevent a ramp from being built - in other words, delay the outcome by another week.