the wars of the jews-第123章

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was　that　they　took　that　name。　Yet　were　many　of　them　unworthy　of　so　famous　a　nation；　for　it　had　so　happened；　that　the　king　of　Commagene　had　flourished　more　than　any　other　kings　that　were　under　the　power　of　the　Romans；　till　a　change　happened　in　his　condition；　and　when　he　was　become　an　old　man；　he　declared　plainly　that　we　ought　not　to　call　any　man　happy　before　he　is　dead。　But　this　son　of　his；　who　was　then　come　thither　before　his　father　was　decaying；　said　that　he　could　not　but　wonder　what　made　the　Romans　so　tardy　in　making　their　attacks　upon　the　wall。　　Now　he　was　a　warlike　man；　and　naturally　bold　in　exposing　himself　to　dangers；　he　was　also　so　strong　a　man；　that　his　boldness　seldom　failed　of　having　success。　Upon　this　Titus　smiled；　and　said　he　would　share　the　pains　of　an　attack　with　him。　However；　Antiochus　went　as　he　then　was；　and　with　his　Macedonians　made　a　sudden　assault　upon　the　wall；　and；　indeed；　for　his　own　part；　his　strength　and　skill　were　so　great；　that　he　guarded　himself　from　the　Jewish　darts；　and　yet　shot　his　darts　at　them；　while　yet　the　young　men　with　him　were　almost　all　sorely　galled；　for　they　had　so　great　a　regard　to　the　promises　that　had　been　made　of　their　courage；　that　they　would　needs　persevere　in　their　fighting；　and　at　length　many　of　them　retired；　but　not　till　they　were　wounded；　and　then　they　perceived　that　true　Macedonians；　if　they　were　to　be　conquerors；　must　have　Alexander's　good　fortune　also。　　　　4。　Now　as　the　Romans　began　to　raise　their　banks　on　the　twelfth　day　of　the　month　Artemisius；　＇Jyar；＇　so　had　they　much　ado　to　finish　them　by　the　twenty…ninth　day　of　the　same　month；　after　they　had　labored　hard　for　seventeen　days　continually。　For　there　were　now　four　great　banks　raised；　one　of　which　was　at　the　tower　Antonia；　this　was　raised　by　the　fifth　legion；　over　against　the　middle　of　that　pool　which　was　called　Struthius。　Another　was　cast　up　by　the　twelfth　legion；　at　the　distance　of　about　twenty　cubits　from　the　other。　But　the　labors　of　the　tenth　legion；　which　lay　a　great　way　off　these；　were　on　the　north　quarter；　and　at　the　pool　called　Amygdalon；　as　was　that　of　the　fifteenth　legion　about　thirty　cubits　from　it；　and　at　the　high　priest's　monument。　And　now；　when　the　engines　were　brought；　John　had　from　within　undermined　the　space　that　was　over　against　the　tower　of　Antonia；　as　far　as　the　banks　themselves；　and　had　supported　the　ground　over　the　mine　　with　beams　laid　across　one　another；　whereby　the　Roman　works　stood　upon　an　uncertain　foundation。　Then　did　he　order　such　materials　to　be　brought　in　as　were　daubed　over　with　pitch　and　bitumen；　and　set　them　on　fire；　and　as　the　cross　beams　that　supported　the　banks　were　burning；　the　　ditch　yielded　on　the　sudden；　and　the　banks　were　shaken　down；　and　fell　into　the　ditch　with　a　prodigious　noise。　Now　at　the　first　there　arose　a　very　thick　smoke　and　dust；　as　the　fire　was　choked　with　the　fall　of　the　bank；　but　as　the　suffocated　materials　were　now　gradually　consumed；　a　plain　flame　brake　out；　on　which　sudden　appearance　of　the　flame　a　consternation　fell　upon　the　Romans；　and　the　shrewdness　of　the　contrivance　discouraged　them；　and　indeed　this　accident　coming　upon　them　at　a　time　when　they　thought　they　had　　already　gained　their　point；　cooled　their　hopes　for　the　time　to　come。　They　also　thought　it　would　be　to　no　purpose　to　take　the　pains　to　extinguish　the　fire；　since　if　it　were　extinguished；　the　banks　were　swallowed　up　already　＇and　become　useless　to　them＇。　　　　5。　Two　days　after　this；　Simon　and　his　party　made　an　attempt　to　destroy　the　other　banks；　for　the　Romans　had　brought　their　engines　to　bear　there；　and　began　already　to　make　the　wall　shake。　And　here　one　Tephtheus；　of　Garsis；　a　city　of　Galilee；　and　Megassarus；　one　who　was　derived　from　some　of　queen　Mariamne's　servants；　and　with　them　one　from　Adiabene；　he　was　the　son　of　Nabateus；　and　called　by　the　name　of　Chagiras；　from　the　ill　fortune　he　had；　the　word　signifying　〃a　lame　man；〃　snatched　some　torches；　and　ran　suddenly　upon　the　engines。　Nor　were　there　during　this　war　any　men　that　ever　sallied　out　of　the　city　who　were　their　superiors；　either　in　their　boldness；　or　in　the　terror　they　struck　into　their　enemies。　For　they　ran　out　upon　the　Romans；　not　as　if　they　were　enemies；　but　friends；　without　fear　or　delay；　nor　did　they　leave　their　enemies　till　they　had　rushed　violently　through　the　midst　of　them；　and　set　their　machines　on　fire。　And　though　they　had　darts　thrown　at　them　on　every　side；　and　were　on　every　side　assaulted　with　their　enemies'　swords；　yet　did　they　not　withdraw　themselves　out　of　the　dangers　they　were　in；　till　the　fire　had　caught　hold　of　the　instruments；　but　when　the　flame　went　up；　the　Romans　came　running　from　their　camp　to　save　their　　engines。　Then　did　the　Jews　hinder　their　succors　from　the　wall；　and　fought　with　those　that　endeavored　to　quench　the　fire；　without　any　regard　to　the　danger　their　bodies　were　in。　So　the　Romans　pulled　the　engines　out　of　the　fire；　while　the　hurdles　that　covered　them　were　on　fire；　but　the　Jews　caught　hold　of　the　battering　rams　through　the　flame　itself；　and　held　them　fast；　although　the　iron　upon　them　was　become　red　hot；　and　now　the　fire　spread　itself　from　the　engines　to　the　banks；　and　prevented　those　that　came　to　defend　them；　and　all　this　while　the　Romans　were　　encompassed　round　about　with　the　flame；　and；　despairing　of　saying　their　works　from　it；　they　retired　to　their　camp。　Then　did　the　Jews　become　still　more　and　more　in　number　by　the　coming　of　those　that　were　within　the　city　to　their　assistance；　and　as　they　were　very　bold　upon　the　good　success　they　had　had；　their　violent　assaults　were　almost　irresistible；　nay；　they　proceeded　as　far　as　the　fortifications　of　the　enemies'　camp；　and　fought　with　their　guards。　Now　　there　stood　a　body　of　soldiers　in　array　before　that　camp；　which　succeeded　one　another　by　turns　in　their　armor；　and　as　to　those；　the　law　of　the　Romans　was　terrible；　that　he　who　left　his　post　there；　let　the　occasion　be　whatsoever　it　might　be；　he　was　to　die　for　it；　so　that　body　of　soldiers；　preferring　rather　to　die　in　fighting　courageously；　than　as　a　punishment　for　their　cowardice；　stood　firm；　and　at　the　necessity　these　men　were　in　of　standing　to　it；　many　of　the　others　that　had　run　away；　out　of　shame；　turned　back　again；　and　when　they　had　set　the　engines　against　the　wall；　they　put　the　multitude　from　coming　more　of　them　out　of　the　city；　＇which　they　could　the　more　easily　do＇　because　they　had　made　no　provision　for　preserving　or　guarding　their　bodies　at　this　time；　for　the　Jews　fought　now　hand　to　hand　with　all　that　came　in　their　way；　and；　without　any　caution；　fell　against　the　points　of　their　enemies'　spears；　and　attacked　them　bodies　against　bodies；　for　they　were　now　too　hard　for　the　Romans；　not　so　much　by　their　other　warlike　actions；　as　by　these　courageous　assaults　they　made　upon　them；　and　the　Romans　gave　way　more　to　their　boldness　than　they　did　to　the　sense　of　the　harm　they　had　received　from　them。　　　　6。　And　now　Titus　was　come　from　the　tower　of　Antonia；　whither　he　was　gone　to　look　out　for　a　place　for　raising　other　banks；　and　reproached　the　soldiers　greatly　for　permitting　their　own　walls　to　be　in　danger；　when　they　had　taken　the　wails　of　their　enemies；　and　sustained　the　fortune　of　men　besieged；　while　the　Jews　were　allowed　to　sally　out　against　them；　though　they　were　already　in　a　sort　of　prison。　He　then　went　round　about　the　enemy　with　some　chosen　troops；　and　fell　upon　their　flank　himself；　so　the　Jews；　who　had　been　before　assaulted　in　their　faces；　wheeled　about　to　Titus；　and　continued　the　fight。　The　armies　also　were　now　mixed　one　among　another；　and　the　dust　that　was　raised　so　far　hindered　them　from　seeing　one　another；　and　the　noise　that　was　made　so　far　hindered　them　from　hearing　one　another；　that　neither　side　could　discern　an　enemy　from　a　friend。　However；　the　Jews　did　not　flinch；　though　not　so　much　from　their　real　strength；　as　from　their　despair　of　deliverance。　The　Romans　also　would　not　yield；　by　reason　of　the　regard　they　had　to　glory；　and　to　their　reputation　in　war；　and　because　Caesar　himself　went　into　the　danger　before　them；　insomuch　that　I　cannot　but　think　the　Romans　would　in　the　conclusion　have　now　taken　even　the　whole　multitude　of　the　Jews；　so　very　angry　were　they　at　them；　had　these　not　prevented　the　upshot　of　the　battle；　and　retired　into　the　city。