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Then they, whose business it was, executed the unpleasing task laid
upon them; and other master-builders were set over the work, who
accomplished it in the way which I will now describe.
They joined together triremes and penteconters, 360 to support the
bridge on the side of the Euxine Sea, and 314 to sustain the
other; and these they placed at right angles to the sea, and in the
direction of the current of the Hellespont, relieving by these means
the tension of the shore cables. Having joined the vessels, they
moored them with anchors of unusual size, that the vessels of the
bridge towards the Euxine might resist the winds which blow from within
the straits, and that those of the more western bridge facing the
Egean might withstand the winds which set in from the south and from
the south-east. A gap was left in the penteconters in no fewer than
three places, to afford a passage for such light craft as chose to
enter or leave the Euxine. When all this was done, they made the
cables taut from the shore by the help of wooden capstans. This time,
moreover, instead of using the two materials separately, they assigned
to each bridge six cables, two of which were of white flax, while four
were of papyrus. Both cables were of the same size and quality; but
the flaxen were the heavier, weighing not less than a talent the
cubit. When the bridge across the channel was thus complete, trunks
of trees were sawn into planks, which were out to the width of the
bridge, and these were laid side by side upon the tightened cables,
and then fastened on the top. This done, brushwood was brought, and
arranged upon the planks, after which earth was heaped upon the
brushwood, and the whole trodden down into a solid mass. Lastly a
bulwark was set up on either side of this causeway, of such a height as
to prevent the sumpter-beasts and the horses from seeing over it and
taking fright at the water.
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