the wars of the jews-第72章

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y；　while　the　people　of　Jotapata　made　sallies　out；　and　fought　at　the　walls　most　desperately；　nor　were　the　Jews　affrighted　at　the　strength　of　the　enemy；　nor　were　the　Romans　discouraged　at　the　difficulties　they　met　with　in　taking　the　city。

7。　Now　Jotapata　is　almost　all　of　it　built　on　a　precipice；　having　on　all　the　other　sides　of　it　every　way　valleys　immensely　deep　and　steep；　insomuch　that　those　who　would　look　down　would　have　their　sight　fail　them　before　it　reaches　to　the　bottom。　It　is　only　to　be　come　at　on　the　north　side；　where　the　utmost　part　of　the　city　is　built　on　the　mountain；　as　it　ends　obliquely　at　a　plain。　This　mountain　Josephus　had　encompassed　with　a　wall　when　he　fortified　the　city；　that　its　top　might　not　be　capable　of　being　seized　upon　by　the　enemies。　The　city　is　covered　all　round　with　other　mountains；　and　can　no　way　be　seen　till　a　man　comes　just　upon　it。　And　this　was　the　strong　situation　of　Jotapata。

8。　Vespasian；　therefore；　in　order　to　try　how　he　might　overcome　the　natural　strength　of　the　place；　as　well　as　the　bold　defense　of　the　Jews；　made　a　resolution　to　prosecute　the　siege　with　vigor。　To　that　end　he　called　the　commanders　that　were　under　him　to　a　council　of　war；　and　consulted　with　them　which　way　the　assault　might　be　managed　to　the　best　advantage。　And　when　the　resolution　was　there　taken　to　raise　a　bank　against　that　part　of　the　wall　which　was　practicable；　he　sent　his　whole　army　abroad　to　get　the　materials　together。　So　when　they　had　cut　down　all　the　trees　on　the　mountains　that　adjoined　to　the　city；　and　had　gotten　together　a　vast　heap　of　stones；　besides　the　wood　they　had　cut　down；　some　of　them　brought　hurdles；　in　order　to　avoid　the　effects　of　the　darts　that　were　shot　from　above　them。　These　hurdles　they　spread　over　their　banks；　under　cover　whereof　they　formed　their　bank；　and　so　were　little　or　nothing　hurt　by　the　darts　that　were　thrown　upon　them　from　the　wall；　while　others　pulled　the　neighboring　hillocks　to　pieces；　and　perpetually　brought　earth　to　them；　so　that　while　they　were　busy　three　sorts　of　ways；　nobody　was　idle。　However；　the　Jews　cast　great　stones　from　the　walls　upon　the　hurdles　which　protected　the　men；　with　all　sorts　of　darts　also；　and　the　noise　of　what　could　not　reach　them　was　yet　so　terrible；　that　it　was　some　impediment　to　the　workmen。

9。　Vespasian　then　set　the　engines　for　throwing　stones　and　darts　round　about　the　city。　The　number　of　the　engines　was　in　all　a　hundred　and　sixty；　and　bid　them　fall　to　work；　and　dislodge　those　that　were　upon　the　wall。　At　the　same　time　such　engines　as　were　intended　for　that　purpose　threw　at　once　lances　upon　them　with　a　great　noise；　and　stones　of　the　weight　of　a　talent　were　thrown　by　the　engines　that　were　prepared　for　that　purpose；　together　with　fire；　and　a　vast　multitude　of　arrows；　which　made　the　wall　so　dangerous；　that　the　Jews　durst　not　only　not　come　upon　it；　but　durst　not　come　to　those　parts　within　the　walls　which　were　reached　by　the　engines；　for　the　multitude　of　the　Arabian　archers；　as　well　also　as　all　those　that　threw　darts　and　slung　stones；　fell　to　work　at　the　same　time　with　the　engines。　Yet　did　not　the　otters　lie　still；　when　they　could　not　throw　at　the　Romans　from　a　higher　place；　for　they　then　made　sallies　out　of　the　city；　like　private　robbers；　by　parties；　and　pulled　away　the　hurdles　that　covered　the　workmen；　and　killed　them　when　they　were　thus　naked；　and　when　those　workmen　gave　way；　these　cast　away　the　earth　that　composed　the　bank；　and　burnt　the　wooden　parts　of　it；　together　with　the　hurdles；　till　at　length　Vespasian　perceived　that　the　intervals　there　were　between　the　works　were　of　disadvantage　to　him；　for　those　spaces　of　ground　afforded　the　Jews　a　place　for　assaulting　the　Romans。　So　he　united　the　hurdles；　and　at　the　same　time　joined　one　part　of　the　army　to　the　other；　which　prevented　the　private　excursions　of　the　Jews。

10。　And　when　the　bank　was　now　raised；　and　brought　nearer　than　ever　to　the　battlements　that　belonged　to　the　walls；　Josephus　thought　it　would　be　entirely　wrong　in　him　if　he　could　make　no　contrivances　in　opposition　to　theirs；　and　that　might　be　for　the　city's　preservation；　so　he　got　together　his　workmen；　and　ordered　them　to　build　the　wall　higher；　and　while　they　said　that　this　was　impossible　to　be　done　while　so　many　darts　were　thrown　at　them；　he　invented　this　sort　of　cover　for　them：　He　bid　them　fix　piles；　and　expand　before　them　the　raw　hides　of　oxen　newly　killed；　that　these　hides　by　yielding　and　hollowing　themselves　when　the　stones　were　thrown　at　them　might　receive　them；　for　that　the　other　darts　would　slide　off　them；　and　the　fire　that　was　thrown　would　be　quenched　by　the　moisture　that　was　in　them。　And　these　he　set　before　the　workmen；　and　under　them　these　workmen　went　on　with　their　works　in　safety；　and　raised　the　wall　higher；　and　that　both　by　day　and　by　night；　fill　it　was　twenty　cubits　high。　He　also　built　a　good　number　of　towers　upon　the　wall；　and　fitted　it　to　strong　battlements。　This　greatly　discouraged　the　Romans；　who　in　their　own　opinions　were　already　gotten　within　the　walls；　while　they　were　now　at　once　astonished　at　Josephus's　contrivance；　and　at　the　fortitude　of　the　citizens　that　were　in　the　city。

11。　And　now　Vespasian　was　plainly　irritated　at　the　great　subtlety　of　this　stratagem；　and　at　the　boldness　of　the　citizens　of　Jotapata；　for　taking　heart　again　upon　the　building　of　this　wall；　they　made　fresh　sallies　upon　the　Romans；　and　had　every　day　conflicts　with　them　by　parties；　together　with　all　such　contrivances；　as　robbers　make　use　of；　and　with　the　plundering　of　all　that　came　to　hand；　as　also　with　the　setting　fire　to　all　the　other　works；　and　this　till　Vespasian　made　his　army　leave　off　fighting　them；　and　resolved　to　lie　round　the　city；　and　to　starve　them　into　a　surrender；　as　supposing　that　either　they　would　be　forced　to　petition　him　for　mercy　by　want　of　provisions；　or　if　they　should　have　the　courage　to　hold　out　till　the　last；　they　should　perish　by　famine：　and　he　concluded　he　should　conquer　them　the　more　easily　in　fighting；　if　he　gave　them　an　interval；　and　then　fell　upon　them　when　they　were　weakened　by　famine；　but　still　he　gave　orders　that　they　should　guard　against　their　coming　out　of　the　city。

12。　Now　the　besieged　had　plenty　of　corn　within　the　city；　and　indeed　of　all　necessaries；　but　they　wanted　water；　because　there　was　no　fountain　in　the　city；　the　people　being　there　usually　satisfied　with　rain　water；　yet　is　it　a　rare　thing　in　that　country　to　have　rain　in　summer；　and　at　this　season；　during　the　siege；　they　were　in　great　distress　for　some　contrivance　to　satisfy　their　thirst；　and　they　were　very　sad　at　this　time　particularly；　as　if　they　were　already　in　want　of　water　entirely；　for　Josephus　seeing　that　the　city　abounded　with　other　necessaries；　and　that　the　men　were　of　good　courage；　and　being　desirous　to　protract　the　siege　to　the　Romans　longer　than　they　expected；　ordered　their　drink　to　be　given　them　by　measure；　but　this　scanty　distribution　of　water　by　measure　was　deemed　by　them　as　a　thing　more　hard　upon　them　than　the　want　of　it；　and　their　not　being　able　to　drink　as　much　as　they　would　made　them　more　desirous　of　drinking　than　they　otherwise　had　been；　nay；　they　were　as　much　disheartened　hereby　as　if　they　were　come　to　the　last　degree　of　thirst。　Nor　were　the　Romans　unacquainted　with　the　state　they　were　in；　for　when　they　stood　over　against　them；　beyond　the　wall；　they　could　see　them　running　together；　and　taking　their　water　by　measure；　which　made　them　throw　their　javelins　thither　the　place　being　within　their　reach；　and　kill　a　great　many　of　them。

13。　Hereupon　Vespasian　hoped　that　their　receptacles　of　water　would　in　no　long　time　be　emptied；　and　that　they　would　be　forced　to　deliver　up　the　city　to　him；　but　Josephus　being　minded　to　break　such　his　hope；　gave　command　that　they　should　wet　a　great　many　of　their　clothes；　and　hang　them　out　about　the　battlements；　till　the　entire　wall　was　of　a　sudden　all　wet　with　the　running　down　of　the　water。　At　this　sight　the　Romans　were　discouraged；　and　under　consternation；　when　they　saw　them　able　to　throw　away　in　sport　so　much　water；　when　they　supposed　them　not　to　have　enough　to　drink　themselves。　This　made　the　Roman　general　despair　of　taking　the　city　by　their　want　of　necessaries；　and　to　betake　himself　again　to　arms；　and　to　try　to　force　them　to　surr