the wars of the jews-第133章

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mies；　for　the　great　confused　noise　that　was　made　on　both　sides　hindered　them　from　distinguishing　one　another's　voices；　as　did　the　darkness　of　the　night　hinder　them　from　the　like　distinction　by　the　sight；　besides　that　blindness　which　arose　otherwise　also　from　the　passion　and　the　fear　they　were　in　at　the　same　time；　for　which　reason　it　was　all　one　to　the　soldiers　who　it　was　they　struck　at。　However；　this　ignorance　did　less　harm　to　the　Romans　than　to　the　Jews；　because　they　were　joined　together　under　their　shields；　and　made　their　sallies　more　regularly　than　the　others　did；　and　each　of　them　remembered　their　watch…word；　while　the　Jews　were　perpetually　dispersed　abroad；　and　made　their　attacks　and　retreats　at　random；　and　so　did　frequently　seem　to　one　another　to　be　enemies；　for　every　one　of　them　received　those　of　their　own　men　that　came　back　in　the　dark　as　Romans；　and　made　an　assault　upon　them；　so　that　more　of　them　were　wounded　by　their　own　men　than　by　the　enemy；　till；　upon　the　coming　on　of　the　day；　the　nature　of　the　right　was　discerned　by　the　eye　afterward。　Then　did　they　stand　in　battle…array　in　distinct　bodies；　and　cast　their　darts　regularly；　and　regularly　defended　themselves；　nor　did　either　side　yield　or　grow　weary。　The　Romans　contended　with　each　other　who　should　fight　the　most　strenuously；　both　single　men　and　entire　regiments；　as　being　under　the　eye　of　Titus；　and　every　one　concluded　that　this　day　would　begin　his　promotion　if　he　fought　bravely。　What　were　the　great　encouragements　of　the　Jews　to　act　vigorously　were；　their　fear　for　themselves　and　for　the　temple；　and　the　presence　of　their　tyrant；　who　exhorted　some；　and　beat　and　threatened　others；　to　act　courageously。　Now；　it　so　happened；　that　this　fight　was　for　the　most　part　a　stationary　one；　wherein　the　soldiers　went　on　and　came　back　in　a　short　time；　and　suddenly；　for　there　was　no　long　space　of　ground　for　either　of　their　flights　or　pursuits。　But　still　there　was　a　tumultuous　noise　among　the　Romans　from　the　tower　of　Antonia；　who　loudly　cried　out　upon　all　occasions　to　their　own　men　to　press　on　courageously；　when　they　were　too　hard　for　the　Jews；　and　to　stay　when　they　were　retiring　backward；　so　that　here　was　a　kind　of　theater　of　war；　for　what　was　done　in　this　fight　could　not　be　concealed　either　from　Titus；　or　from　those　that　were　about　him。　At　length　it　appeared　that　this　fight；　which　began　at　the　ninth　hour　of　the　night；　was　not　over　till　past　the　fifth　hour　of　the　day；　and　that；　in　the　same　place　where　the　battle　began；　neither　party　could　say　they　had　made　the　other　to　retire；　but　both　the　armies　left　the　victory　almost　in　uncertainty　between　them；　wherein　those　that　signalized　themselves　on　the　Roman　side　were　a　great　many；　but　on　the　Jewish　side；　and　of　those　that　were　with　Simon；　Judas　the　son　of　Merto；　and　Simon　the　son　of　Josas；　of　the　Idumeans；　James　and　Simon；　the　latter　of　whom　was　the　son　of　Cathlas；　and　James　was　the　son　of　Sosas；　of　those　that　were　with　John；　Gyphtheus　and　Alexas；　and　of　the　zealots；　Simon　the　son　of　Jairus。　　　　7。　In　the　mean　time；　the　rest　of　the　Roman　army　had；　in　seven　days'　time；　overthrown　＇some＇　foundations　of　the　tower　of　Antonia；　and　had　made　a　ready　and　broad　way　to　the　temple。　Then　did　the　legions　come　near　the　first　court；　（12）　and　began　to　raise　their　banks。　The　one　bank　was　over　against　the　north…west　corner　of　the　inner　temple　（13）　another　was　at　that　northern　edifice　which　was　between　the　two　gates；　and　of　the　other　two；　one　was　at　the　western　cloister　of　the　outer　court　of　the　temple；　the　other　against　its　northern　cloister。　However；　these　works　were　thus　far　advanced　by　the　Romans；　not　without　great　pains　and　　difficulty；　and　particularly　by　being　obliged　to　bring　their　materials　from　the　distance　of　a　hundred　furlongs。　They　had　further　difficulties　also　upon　them；　sometimes　by　their　over…great　security　they　were　in　that　they　should　overcome　the　Jewish　snares　laid　for　them；　and　by　that　boldness　of　the　Jews　which　their　despair　of　escaping　had　inspired　them　withal；　for　some　of　their　horsemen；　when　they　went　out　to　gather　wood　or　hay；　let　their　horses　feed　without　having　their　bridles　on　during　the　time　of　foraging；　upon　which　horses　the　Jews　sallied　out　in　whole　bodies；　and　seized　them。　And　when　this　was　continually　done；　and　Caesar　believed　what　the　truth　was；　that　the　horses　were　stolen　more　by　the　negligence　of　his　own　men　than　by　the　valor　of　the　Jews；　he　determined　to　use　greater　severity　to　oblige　the　rest　to　take　care　of　their　horses；　so　he　commanded　that　one　of　those　soldiers　who　had　lost　their　horses　should　be　capitally　punished；　whereby　he　so　terrified　the　rest；　that　they　preserved　their　horses　for　the　time　to　come；　for　they　did　not　any　longer　let　them　go　from　them　to　feed　by　themselves；　but；　as　if　they　had　grown　to　them；　they　went　always　along　with　them　when　they　wanted　necessaries。　Thus　did　the　Romans　still　continue　to　make　war　against　the　temple；　and　to　raise　their　banks　against　it。　　　　8。　Now　after　one　day　had　been　interposed　since　the　Romans　ascended　the　breach；　many　of　the　seditious　were　so　pressed　by　the　famine；　upon　the　present　failure　of　their　ravages；　that　they　got　together；　and　made　an　attack　on　those　Roman　guards　that　were　upon　the　Mount　of　Olives；　and　this　about　the　eleventh　hour　of　the　day；　as　supposing；　first；　that　they　would　not　expect　such　an　onset；　and；　in　the　next　place；　that　they　were　then　taking　care　of　their　bodies；　and　that　therefore　they　should　easily　beat　them。　But　the　Romans　were　apprized　of　their　coming　to　attack　them　beforehand；　and；　running　together　from　the　neighboring　camps　on　the　sudden；　prevented　them　from　getting　over　　their　fortification；　or　forcing　the　wall　that　was　built　about　them。　Upon　this　came　on　a　sharp　fight；　and　here　many　great　actions　were　performed　on　both　sides；　while　the　Romans　showed　both　their　courage　and　their　skill　in　war；　as　did　the　Jews　come　on　them　with　immoderate　violence　and　intolerable　passion。　The　one　part　were　urged　on　by　shame；　and　the　other　by　necessity；　for　it　seemed　a　very　shameful　thing　to　the　Romans　to　let　the　Jews　go；　now　they　were　taken　in　a　kind　of　net；　while　the　Jews　had　but　one　hope　of　saving　themselves；　and　that　was　in　case　they　could　by　violence　break　through　the　Roman　wall；　and　one　whose　name　was　Pedanius；　belonging　to　a　party　of　horsemen；　when　the　Jews　were　already　beaten　and　forced　down　into　the　valley　together；　spurred　his　horse　on　their　flank　with　great　vehemence；　and　caught　up　a　certain　young　man　belonging　to　the　enemy　by　his　ankle；　as　he　was　running　away；　the　man　was；　however；　of　a　robust　body；　and　in　his　armor；　so　low　did　Pedanius　bend　himself　downward　from　his　horse；　even　as　he　was　galloping　away；　and　so　great　was　the　strength　of　his　right　hand；　and　of　the　rest　of　his　body；　as　also　such　skill　had　he　in　horsemanship。　So　this　man　seized　upon　that　his　prey；　as　upon　a　precious　treasure；　and　carried　him　as　his　captive　to　Caesar；　whereupon　Titus　admired　the　man　that　had　seized　the　other　for　his　great　strength；　and　ordered　the　man　that　was　caught　to　be　punished　＇with　death＇　for　his　attempt　against　the　Roman　wall；　but　betook　himself　to　the　siege　of　the　temple；　and　to　pressing　on　the　raising　of　the　banks。　　　　9。　In　the　mean　time；　the　Jews　were　so　distressed　by　the　fights　they　had　been　in；　as　the　war　advanced　higher　and　higher；　and　creeping　up　to　the　holy　house　itself；　that　they；　as　it　were；　cut　off　those　limbs　of　their　body　which　were　infected；　in　order　to　prevent　the　distemper's　spreading　further；　for　they　set　the　north…west　cloister；　which　was　joined　to　the　tower　of　Antonia；　on　fire；　and　after　that　brake　off　about　twenty　cubits　of　that　cloister；　and　thereby　made　a　beginning　in　burning　the　sanctuary；　two　days　after　which；　or　on　the　twenty…fourth　day　of　the　forenamed　month；　＇Panemus　or　Tamuz；＇　the　Romans　set　fire　to　the　cloister　that　joined　to　the　other；　when　the　fire　went　fifteen　cubits　farther。　The　Jews；　in　like　manner；　cut　off　its　roof；　nor　did　they　entirely　leave　off　what　they　were　about　till　the　tower　of　Antonia　was　parted　from　the　temple；　even　when　it　was　in　their　power　to　have　stopped　the　fire；　nay；　they　lay　still　while　the　temple　was　first　set　on　fire；　and　deemed　this　spreading　of　the　fire　to　be　for　their　own　advantage。　However；　the　armies　were　still　fighting　one　agai