The time is now ripe to attack the fattest city in the land, Saguntum. Situated a mile from the sea, the city is the most opulent south of the Ebro. It is a Greek colony and its inhabitants had become wealthy in gains from the sea and land. It is guarded by a garrison of Roman troops and a brazen populace. You estimate the Saguntines have plentiful stores. The city is built on a hillside, three to four hundred feet above the plain, making planning a siege difficult. But there is more even ground on the west side – although it is guarded by a tower and the walls are highest and thickest here.
