the wars of the jews-第110节

按键盘上方向键 ← 或 → 可快速上下翻页，按键盘上的 Enter 键可回到本书目录页，按键盘上方向键 ↑ 可回到本页顶部！
————未阅读完？加入书签已便下次继续阅读！


e　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。　However；　seeing　the　banks　of　the　Romans　were　demolished；　these　Romans　were　very　much　east　down　upon　the　loss　of　what　had　cost　them　so　long　pains；　and　this　in　one　hour's　time。　And　many　indeed　despaired　of　taking　the　city　with　their　usual　engines　of　war　only。　　　　CHAPTER　12。　　　　　　　Titus　Thought　Fit　To　Encompass　The　City　Round　With　A　Wall；　After　Which　The　Famine　Consumed　The　People　By　Whole　Houses　And　Families　Together。　　　　1。　And　now　did　Titus　consult　with　his　commanders　what　was　to　be　done。　Those　that　were　of　the　warmest　tempers　thought　he　should　bring　the　whole　army　against　the　city　and　storm　the　wall；　for　that　hitherto　no　more　than　a　part　of　their　army　had　fought　with　the　Jews；　but　that　in　case　the　entire　army　was　to　come　at　once；　they　would　not　be　able　to　sustain　their　attacks；　but　would　be　overwhelmed　by　their　darts。　But　of　those　that　were　for　a　more　cautious　management；　some　were　for　raising　their　banks　again；　and　others　advised　to　let　the　banks　alone；　but　to　lie　still　before　the　city；　to　guard　against　the　coming　out　of　the　Jews；　and　against　their　carrying　provisions　into　the　city；　and　so　to　leave　the　enemy　to　the　famine；　and　this　without　direct　fighting　with　them；　for　that　despair　was　not　to　be　conquered；　especially　as　to　those　who　are　desirous　to　die　by　the　sword；　while　a　more　terrible　misery　than　that　is　reserved　for　them。　However；　Titus　did　not　think　it　fit　for　so　great　an　army　to　lie　entirely　idle；　and　that　yet　it　was　in　vain　to　fight　with　those　that　would　be　destroyed　one　by　another；　he　also　showed　them　how　impracticable　it　was　to　cast　up　any　more　banks；　for　want　of　materials；　and　to　guard　against　the　Jews　coming　out　still　more　impracticable；　as　also；　that　to　encompass　the　whole　city　round　with　his　army　was　not　very　easy；　by　reason　of　its　magnitude；　and　the　difficulty　of　the　situation；　and　on　other　accounts　dangerous；　upon　the　sallies　the　Jews　might　make　out　of　the　city。　For　although　they　might　guard　the　known　passages　out　of　the　place；　yet　would　they；　when　they　found　themselves　under　the　greatest　distress；　contrive　secret　passages　out；　as　being　well　acquainted　with　all　such　places；　and　if　any　provisions　were　carried　in　by　stealth；　the　siege　would　thereby　be　longer　delayed。　He　also　owned　that　he　was　afraid　that　the　length　of　time　thus　to　be　spent　would　diminish　the　glory　of　his　success；　for　though　it　be　true　that　length　of　time　will　perfect　every　thing；　yet　that　to　do　what　we　do　in　a　little　time　is　still　necessary　to　the　gaining　reputation。　That　therefore　his　opinion　was；　that　if　they　aimed　at　quickness　joined　with　security；　they　must　build　a　wall　round　about　the　whole　city；　which　was；　he　thought；　the　only　way　to　prevent　the　Jews　from　coming　out　any　way；　and　that　then　they　would　either　entirely　despair　of　saving　the　city；　and　so　would　surrender　it　up　to　him；　or　be　still　the　more　easily　conquered　when　the　famine　had　further　weakened　them；　for　that　besides　this　　wall；　he　would　not　lie　entirely　at　rest　afterward；　but　would　take　care　then　to　have　banks　raised　again；　when　those　that　would　oppose　them　were　become　weaker。　But　that　if　any　one　should　think　such　a　work　to　be　too　great；　and　not　to　be　finished　without　much　difficulty；　he　ought　to　consider　that　it　is　not　fit　for　Romans　to　undertake　any　small　work；　and　that　none　but　God　himself　could　with　ease　accomplish　any　great　thing　whatsoever。　　　　2。　These　arguments　prevailed　with　the　commanders。　So　Titus　gave　orders　that　the　army　should　be　distributed　to　their　several　shares　of　this　work；　and　indeed　there　now　came　upon　the　soldiers　a　certain　divine　fury；　so　that　they　did　not　only　part　the　whole　wall　that　was　to　be　built　among　them；　nor　did　only　one　legion　strive　with　another；　but　the　lesser　divisions　of　the　army　did　the　same；　insomuch　that　each　soldier　was　ambitious　to　please　his　decurion；　each　decurion　his　centurion；　each　centurion　his　tribune；　and　the　ambition　of　the　tribunes　was　to　please　their　superior　commanders；　while　Caesar　himself　took　notice　of　and　　rewarded　the　like　contention　in　those　commanders；　for　he　went　round　about　the　works　many　times　every　day；　and　took　a　view　of　what　was　done。　Titus　began　the　wall　from　the　camp　of　the　Assyrians；　where　his　own　camp　was　pitched；　and　drew　it　down　to　the　lower　parts　of　Cenopolis；　thence　it　went　along　the　valley　of　Cedron；　to　the　Mount　of　Olives；　it　then　bent　towards　the　south；　and　encompassed　the　mountain　as　far　as　the　rock　called　Peristereon；　and　that　other　hill　which　lies　next　it；　and　is　over　the　valley　which　reaches　to　Siloam；　whence　it　bended　again　to　the　west；　and　went　down　to　the　valley　of　the　Fountain；　beyond　which　it　went　up　again　at　the　monument　of　Ananus　the　high　　priest；　and　encompassing　that　mountain　where　Pompey　had　formerly　pitched　his　camp；　it　returned　back　to　the　north　side　of　the　city；　and　was　carried　on　as　far　as　a　certain　village　called　〃The　House　of　the　Erebinthi；〃　after　which　it　encompassed　Herod's　monument；　and　there；　on　the　east；　was　joined　to　Titus's　own　camp；　where　it　began。　Now　the　length　of　this　wall　was　forty　furlongs；　one　only　abated。　Now　at　this　wall　without　were　erected　thirteen　places　to　keep　garrison　in；　whose　circumferences；　put　together；　amounted　to　ten　furlongs；　the　whole　was　completed　in　three　days；　so　that　what　would　naturally　have　required　some　months　was　done　in　so　short　an　interval　as　is　incredible。　When　Titus　had　therefore　encompassed　the　city　with　this　wall；　and　put　garrisons　into　proper　places；　be　went　round　the　wall；　at　the　first　watch　of　the　night；　and　observed　how　the　guard　was　kept；　the　second　watch　he　allotted　to　Alexander；　the　commanders　of　legions　took　the　third　watch。　They　also　cast　lots　among　themselves　who　should　be　upon　the　watch　in　the　night　time；　and　who　should　go　all　night　long　round　the　spaces　that　were　interposed　between　the　garrisons。　　　　3。　So　all　hope　of　escaping　was　now　cut　off　from　the　Jews；　together　with　their　liberty　of　going　out　of　the　city。　Then　did　the　famine　widen　its　progress；　and　devoured　the　people　by　whole　houses　and　families；　the　upper　rooms　were　full　of　women　and　children　that　were　dying　by　famine；　and　the　lanes　of　the　city　were　full　of　the　dead　bodies　of