the wars of the jews-第126节

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ejected；　and　become　weak。　Now　as　soon　as　a　part　of　the　wall　was　battered　down；　and　certain　of　the　towers　yielded　to　the　impression　of　the　battering　rams；　those　that　opposed　themselves　fled　away；　and　such　a　terror　fell　upon　the　tyrants；　as　was　much　greater　than　the　occasion　required；　for　before　the　enemy　got　over　the　breach　they　were　quite　stunned；　and　were　immediately　for　flying　away。　And　now　one　might　see　these　men；　who　had　hitherto　been　so　insolent　and　arrogant　in　their　wicked　practices；　to　be　cast　down　and　to　tremble；　insomuch　that　it　would　pity　one's　heart　to　observe　the　change　that　was　made　in　those　vile　persons。　Accordingly；　they　ran　with　great　violence　upon　the　Roman　wall　that　encompassed　them；　in　order　to　force　away　those　that　guarded　it；　and　to　break　through　it；　and　get　away。　But　when　they　saw　that　those　who　had　formerly　been　faithful　to　them　had　gone　away；　（as　indeed　they　were　fled　whithersoever　the　great　distress　they　were　in　persuaded　them　to　flee；）　as　also　when　those　that　came　running　before　the　rest　told　them　that　the　western　wall　was　entirely　overthrown；　while　others　said　the　Romans　were　gotten　in；　and　others　that　they　were　near；　and　looking　out　for　them；　which　were　only　the　dictates　of　their　fear；　which　imposed　upon　their　sight；　they　fell　upon　their　face；　and　greatly　lamented　their　own　mad　conduct；　and　their　nerves　were　so　terribly　loosed；　that　they　could　not　flee　away。　And　here　one　may　chiefly　reflect　on　the　power　of　God　exercised　upon　these　wicked　wretches；　and　on　the　good　fortune　of　the　Romans；　for　these　tyrants　did　now　wholly　deprive　themselves　of　the　security　they　had　in　their　own　power；　and　came　down　from　those　very　towers　of　their　own　accord；　wherein　they　could　have　never　been　taken　by　force；　nor　indeed　by　any　other　way　than　by　famine。　And　thus　did　the　Romans；　when　they　had　　taken　such　great　pains　about　weaker　walls；　get　by　good　fortune　what　they　could　never　have　gotten　by　their　engines；　for　three　of　these　towers　were　too　strong　for　all　mechanical　engines　whatsoever；　concerning　which　we　have　treated　above。　　　　5。　So　they　now　left　these　towers　of　themselves；　or　rather　they　were　ejected　out　of　them　by　God　himself；　and　fled　immediately　to　that　valley　which　was　under　Siloam；　where　they　again　recovered　themselves　out　of　the　dread　they　were　in　for　a　while；　and　ran　violently　against　that　part　of　the　Roman　wall　which　lay　on　that　side；　but　as　their　courage　was　too　much　depressed　to　make　their　attacks　with　sufficient　force；　and　their　power　was　now　broken　with　fear　and　affliction；　they　were　repulsed　by　the　guards；　and　dispersing　themselves　at　distances　from　each　other；　went　down　into　the　subterranean　caverns。　So　the　Romans　being　now　become　masters　of　the　walls；　they　both　placed　their　ensigns　upon　the　towers；　and　made　joyful　acclamations　for　the　victory　they　had　gained；　as　having　found　the　end　of　this　war　much　lighter　than　its　beginning；　for　when　they　had　gotten　upon　the　last　wall；　without　any　bloodshed；　they　could　hardly　believe　what　they　found　to　be　true；　but　seeing　nobody　to　oppose　them；　they　stood　in　doubt　what　such　an　unusual　solitude　could　mean。　But　when　they　went　in　numbers　into　the　lanes　of　the　city　with　their　swords　drawn；　they　slew　those　whom　they　overtook　without　and　set　fire　to　the　houses　whither　the　Jews　were　fled；　and　burnt　every　　soul　in　them；　and　laid　waste　a　great　many　of　the　rest；　and　when　they　were　come　to　the　houses　to　plunder　them；　they　found　in　them　entire　families　of　dead　men；　and　the　upper　rooms　full　of　dead　corpses；　that　is；　of　such　as　died　by　the　famine；　they　then　stood　in　a　horror　at　this　sight；　and　went　out　without　touching　any　thing。　But　although　they　had　this　commiseration　for　such　as　were　destroyed　in　that　manner；　yet　had　they　not　the　same　for　those　that　were　still　alive；　but　they　ran　every　one　through　whom　they　met　with；　and　obstructed　the　very　lanes　with　their　dead　bodies；　and　made　the　whole　city　run　down　with　blood；　to　such　a　degree　indeed　that　the　fire　of　many　of　the　houses　was　quenched　　with　these　men's　blood。　And　truly　so　it　happened；　that　though　the　slayers　left　off　at　the　evening；　yet　did　the　fire　greatly　prevail　in　the　night；　and　as　all　was　burning；　came　that　eighth　day　of　the　month　Gorpieus　＇Elul＇　upon　Jerusalem；　a　city　that　had　been　liable　to　so　many　miseries　during　this　siege；　that；　had　it　always　enjoyed　as　much　happiness　from　its　first　foundation；　it　would　certainly　have　been　the　envy　of　the　world。　Nor　did　it　on　any　other　account　so　much　deserve　these　sore　misfortunes；　as　by　producing　such　a　generation　of　men　as　were　the　occasions　of　this　its　overthrow。　　　　CHAPTER　9。　　　　　　　　　　What　Injunctions　Caesar　Gave　When　He　Was　Come　Within　The　City。　The　Number　Of　The　Captives　And　Of　Those　That　Perished　In　The　Siege；　As　Also　Concerning　Those　That　Had　Escaped　Into　The　Subterranean　Caverns；　Among　Whom　Were　The　Tyrants　Simon　And　John　Themselves。　　　　1。　Now　when　Titus　was　come　into　this　＇upper＇　city；　he　admired　not　only　some　other　places　of　strength　in　it；　but　particularly　those　strong　towers　which　the　tyrants　in　their　mad　conduct　had　relinquished；　for　when　he　saw　their　solid　altitude；　and　the　largeness　of　their　several　stones；　and　the　exactness　of　their　joints；　as　also　how　great　was　their　breadth；　and　how　extensive　their　length；　he　expressed　himself　after　the　manner　following：　〃We　have　certainly　had　God　for　our　assistant　in　this　war；　and　it　was　no　other　than　God　who　ejected　the　Jews　out　of　these　fortifications；　for　what　could　the　hands　of　men　or　any　machines　do　towards　overthrowing　these　towers？〃　At　which　time　he　had　many　such　discourses　to　his　friends；　he　also　let　such　go　free　as　had　been　bound　by　the　tyrants；　and　were　left　in　the　prisons。　To　conclude；　when　he　entirely　demolished　the　rest　of　the　city；　and　overthrew　its　walls；　he　left　these　towers　as　a　monument　of　his　good　fortune；　which　had　proved　his　auxiliaries；　and　enabled　him　to　take　what　could　not　otherwise　have　been　taken　by　him。　　　　2。　And　now；　since　his　soldiers　were　already　quite　tired　with　killing　men；　and　yet　there　appeared　to　be　a　vast　multitude　still　remaining　alive；　Caesar　gave　orders　that　they　should　kill　none　but　those　that　were　in　arms；　and　opposed　them；　but　should　take　the　rest　alive。　But；　together　with　those　whom　they　had　orders　to　slay；　they　slew　the　aged　and　the　infirm；　but　for　those　that　were　in　their　flourishing　age；　and　who　might　be　useful　to　them；　they　drove　them　together　into　the　temple；　and　shut　them　up　within　the　walls　of　the　court　of　the　women；　over　which　Caesar　set　one　of　his　freed…men；　as　also　Fronto；　one　of　his　own　friends；　which　last　was　to　determine　every　one's　fate；　according　to　his　merits。　So　this　Fronto　slew　all　those　that　had　been　seditious　and　robbers；　who　were　impeached　one　by　another；　but　of　the　young　men　he　chose　out　the　tallest　and　most　beautiful；　and　reserved　them　for　the　triumph；　and　as　for　the　rest　of　the　multitude　that　were　above　seventeen　years　old；　he　put　them　into　bonds；　and　sent　them　to　the　Egyptian　mines　（31）　Titus　also　sent　a　great　number　into　the　provinces；　as　a　present　to　them；　that　they　might　be　destroyed　upon　their　theatres；　by　the　sword　and　by　the　wild　beasts；　but　those　that　were　under　seventeen　years　of　age　were　sold　for　slaves。　Now　during　the　days　wherein　Fronto　was　distinguishing　these　men；　there　perished；　for　want　of　food；　eleven　thousand；　　some　of　whom　did　not　taste　any　food；　through　the　hatred　their　guards　bore　to　them；　and　others　would　not　take　in　any　when　it　was　given　them。　The　multitude　also　was　so　very　great；　that　they　were　in　want　even　of　corn　for　their　sustenance。　　　　3。　Now　the　number　（32）　of　those　that　were　carried　captive　during　this　whole　war　was　collected　to　be　ninety…seven　thousand；　as　was　the　number　of　those　that　perished　during　the　whole　siege　eleven　hundred　thousand；　the　greater　part　of　whom　were　indeed　of　the　same　nation　＇with　the　citizens　of　Jerusalem＇；　but　not　belonging　to　the　city　itself；　for　they　were　come　up　from　all　the　country　to　the　feast　of　unleavened　bread；　and　were　on　a　sudden　shut　up　by　an　　army；　which；　at　the　very　first；　occasioned　so　great　a　straitness　among　them；　that　there　came　a　pestilential　destruction　upon　them；　and　soon　afterward　such　a　famine；　as　destroyed　them　more　suddenly。　And　that　this　city　could　contain　so　many　people　in　it；　is　manifest　by　that　number　of　them　which　was　taken　under　Cestius；　who　being　desirous　of　informing　Nero　of　the　power　of　the　city；　who　otherwise　was　disposed　to　contemn　that　nation；　entreated　the　high　priests；　if　the　thing　were　possible；　to　take　the　number　of　their　whole　multitude。　So　these　high　priests；　upon　the　coming　of　that　feast　which　is　called　the　Passover；　when　they　slay　their　sacrifices；　from　the　ninth　hour　till　the　eleventh；　but　so　that　a　company　not　less　than　ten　（33）　　belong　to　every　sacrifice；　（for　it　is　not　lawful　for　them　to　feast　singly　by　themselves；）　and　many　of　us　are　twenty　in　a　company；　found　the　number　of　sacrifices　was　two　hundred　and　fifty…six　thousand　five　hundred；　which；　upon　the　allowance　of　no　more　than　ten　that　feast　together；　amounts　to　two　millions　seven　hundred　thousand　and　two　hundred　persons　that　were　pure　and　holy；　for　as　to　those　that　have　the　leprosy；　or　the　gonorrhea；　or　women　that　have　their　monthly　courses；　or　such　as　are　otherwise　polluted；　it　is　not　lawful　for　them　to　be　partakers　of　this　s