the wars of the jews-第74章

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own　by　it；　he　resolved　to　elude　for　a　while　the　force　of　the　engine。　With　this　design　he　gave　orders　to　fill　sacks　with　chaff；　and　to　hang　them　down　before　that　place　where　they　saw　the　ram　always　battering；　that　the　stroke　might　be　turned　aside；　or　that　the　place　might　feel　less　of　the　strokes　by　the　yielding　nature　of　the　chaff。　This　contrivance　very　much　delayed　the　attempts　of　the　Romans；　because；　let　them　remove　their　engine　to　what　part　they　pleased；　those　that　were　above　it　removed　their　sacks；　and　placed　them　over　against　the　strokes　it　made；　insomuch　that　the　wall　was　no　way　hurt；　and　this　by　diversion　of　the　strokes；　till　the　Romans　made　an　opposite　contrivance　of　long　poles；　and　by　tying　hooks　at　their　ends；　cut　off　the　sacks。　Now　when　the　battering　ram　thus　recovered　its　force；　and　the　wall　having　been　but　newly　built；　was　giving　way；　Josephus　and　those　about　him　had　afterward　immediate　recourse　to　fire；　to　defend　themselves　withal；　whereupon　they　took　what　materials　soever　they　had　that　were　but　dry；　and　made　a　sally　three　ways；　and　set　fire　to　the　machines；　and　the　hurdles；　and　the　banks　of　the　Romans　themselves；　nor　did　the　Romans　well　know　how　to　come　to　their　assistance；　being　at　once　under　a　consternation　at　the　Jews'　boldness；　and　being　prevented　by　the　flames　from　coming　to　their　assistance；　for　the　materials　being　dry　with　the　bitumen　and　pitch　that　were　among　them；　as　was　brimstone　also；　the　fire　caught　hold　of　every　thing　immediately；　and　what　cost　the　Romans　a　great　deal　of　pains　was　in　one　hour　consumed。

21。　And　here　a　certain　Jew　appeared　worthy　of　our　relation　and　commendation；　he　was　the　son　of　Sameas；　and　was　called　Eleazar；　and　was　born　at　Saab；　in　Galilee。　This　man　took　up　a　stone　of　a　vast　bigness；　and　threw　it　down　from　the　wall　upon　the　ram；　and　this　with　so　great　a　force；　that　it　broke　off　the　head　of　the　engine。　He　also　leaped　down；　and　took　up　the　head　of　the　ram　from　the　midst　of　them；　and　without　any　concern　carried　it　to　the　top　of　the　wall；　and　this　while　he　stood　as　a　fit　mark　to　he　pelted　by　all　his　enemies。　Accordingly；　he　received　the　strokes　upon　his　naked　body；　and　was　wounded　with　five　darts；　nor　did　he　mind　any　of　them　while　he　went　up　to　the　top　of　the　wall；　where　he　stood　in　the　sight　of　them　all；　as　an　instance　of　the　greatest　boldness；　after　which　he　drew　himself　on　a　heap　with　his　wounds　upon　him；　and　fell　down　together　with　the　head　of　the　ram。　Next　to　him；　two　brothers　showed　their　courage；　their　names　were　Netir　and　Philip；　both　of　them　of　the　village　Ruma；　and　both　of　them　Galileans　also；　these　men　leaped　upon　the　soldiers　of　the　tenth　legion；　and　fell　upon　the　Romans　with　such　a　noise　and　force　as　to　disorder　their　ranks；　and　to　put　to　flight　all　upon　whomsoever　they　made　their　assaults。

22。　After　these　men's　performances；　Josephus；　and　the　rest　of　the　multitude　with　him；　took　a　great　deal　of　fire；　and　burnt　both　the　machines　and　their　coverings；　with　the　works　belonging　to　the　fifth　and　to　the　tenth　legion；　which　they　put　to　flight；　when　others　followed　them　immediately；　and　buried　those　instruments　and　all　their　materials　under　ground。　However；　about　the　evening；　the　Romans　erected　the　battering　ram　again；　against　that　part　of　the　wall　which　had　suffered　before；　where　a　certain　Jew　that　defended　the　city　from　the　Romans　hit　Vespasian　with　a　dart　in　his　foot；　and　wounded　him　a　little；　the　distance　being　so　great；　that　no　mighty　impression　could　be　made　by　the　dart　thrown　so　far　off。　However；　this　caused　the　greatest　disorder　among　the　Romans；　for　when　those　who　stood　near　him　saw　his　blood；　they　were　disturbed　at　it；　and　a　report　went　abroad；　through　the　whole　army；　that　the　general　was　wounded；　while　the　greatest　part　left　the　siege；　and　came　running　together　with　surprise　and　fear　to　the　general；　and　before　them　all　came　Titus；　out　of　the　concern　he　had　for　his　father；　insomuch　that　the　multitude　were　in　great　confusion；　and　this　out　of　the　regard　they　had　for　their　general；　and　by　reason　of　the　agony　that　the　son　was　in。　Yet　did　the　father　soon　put　an　end　to　the　son's　fear；　and　to　the　disorder　the　army　was　under；　for　being　superior　to　his　pains；　and　endeavoring　soon　to　be　seen　by　all　that　had　been　in　a　fright　about　him；　he　excited　them　to　fight　the　Jews　more　briskly；　for　now　every　body　was　willing　to　expose　himself　to　danger　immediately；　in　order　to　avenge　their　general；　and　then　they　encouraged　one　another　with　loud　voices；　and　ran　hastily　to　the　walls。

23。　But　still　Josephus　and　those　with　him；　although　they　fell　down　dead　one　upon　another　by　the　darts　and　stones　which　the　engines　threw　upon　them；　yet　did　not　they　desert　the　wall；　but　fell　upon　those　who　managed　the　ram；　under　the　protection　of　the　hurdles；　with　fire；　and　iron　weapons；　and　stones；　and　these　could　do　little　or　nothing；　but　fell　themselves　perpetually；　while　they　were　seen　by　those　whom　they　could　not　see；　for　the　light　of　their　own　flame　shone　about　them；　and　made　them　a　most　visible　mark　to　the　enemy；　as　they　were　in　the　day　time；　while　the　engines　could　not　be　seen　at　a　great　distance；　and　so　what　was　thrown　at　them　was　hard　to　be　avoided；　for　the　force　with　which　these　engines　threw　stones　and　darts　made　them　hurt　several　at　a　time；　and　the　violent　noise　of　the　stones　that　were　cast　by　the　engines　was　so　great；　that　they　carried　away　the　pinnacles　of　the　wall；　and　broke　off　the　corners　of　the　towers；　for　no　body　of　men　could　be　so　strong　as　not　to　be　overthrown　to　the　last　rank　by　the　largeness　of　the　stones。　And　any　one　may　learn　the　force　of　the　engines　by　what　happened　this　very　night；　for　as　one　of　those　that　stood　round　about　Josephus　was　near　the　wall；　his　head　was　carried　away　by　such　a　stone；　and　his　skull　was　flung　as　far　as　three　furlongs。　In　the　day　time　also；　a　woman　with　child　had　her　belly　so　violently　struck；　as　she　was　just　come　out　of　her　house；　that　the　infant　was　carried　to　the　distance　of　half　a　furlong；　so　great　was　the　force　of　that　engine。　The　noise　of　the　instruments　themselves　was　very　terrible；　the　sound　of　the　darts　and　stones　that　were　thrown　by　them　was　so　also；　of　the　same　sort　was　that　noise　the　dead　bodies　made；　when　they　were　dashed　against　the　wall；　and　indeed　dreadful　was　the　clamor　which　these　things　raised　in　the　women　within　the　city；　which　was　echoed　back　at　the　same　time　by　the　cries　of　such　as　were　slain；　while　the　whole　space　of　ground　whereon　they　fought　ran　with　blood；　and　the　wall　might　have　been　ascended　over　by　the　bodies　of　the　dead　carcasses；　the　mountains　also　contributed　to　increase　the　noise　by　their　echoes；　nor　was　there　on　that　night　any　thing　of　terror　wanting　that　could　either　affect　the　hearing　or　the　sight：　yet　did　a　great　part　of　those　that　fought　so　hard　for　Jotapata　fall　manfully；　as　were　a　great　part　of　them　wounded。　However；　the　morning　watch　was　come　ere　the　wall　yielded　to　the　machines　employed　against　it；　though　it　had　been　battered　without　intermission。　However；　those　within　covered　their　bodies　with　their　armor；　and　raised　works　over　against　that　part　which　was　thrown　down；　before　those　machines　were　laid　by　which　the　Romans　were　to　ascend　into　the　city。

24。　In　the　morning　Vespasian　got　his　army　together；　in　order　to　take　the　city　＇by　storm＇；　after　a　little　recreation　upon　the　hard　pains　they　had　been　at　the　night　before；　and　as　he　was　desirous　to　draw　off　those　that　opposed　him　from　the　places　where　the　wall　had　been　thrown　down；　he　made　the　most　courageous　of　the　horsemen　get　off　their　horses；　and　placed　them　in　three　ranks　over　against　those　ruins　of　the　wall；　but　covered　with　their　armor　on　every　side；　and　with　poles　in　their　hands；　that　so　these　might　begin　their　ascent　as　soon　as　the　instruments　for　such　ascent　were　laid；　behind　them　he　placed　the　flower　of　the　footmen；　but　for　the　rest　of　the　horse；　he　ordered　them　to　extend　themselves　over　against　the　wall；　upon　the　whole　hilly　country；　in　order　to　prevent　any　from　escaping　out　of　the　city　when　it　should　be　taken；　and　behind　these　he　placed　the　archers　round　about；　and　commanded　them　to　have　their　darts　ready　to　shoot。　The　same　command　he　gave　to　the　slingers；　and　to　those　that　managed　the　engines；　and　bid　them　to　take　up　other　ladders；　and　have　them　ready　to　lay　up