the wars of the jews-第53节

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oked　this　offer；　partly　out　of　his　anger　at　the　Jews；　and　partly　because　he　did　not　thoroughly　believe　they　were　in　earnest；　whence　it　was　that　he　delayed　the　matter　so　long；　that　the　seditious　perceived　the　treachery；　and　threw　Ananus　and　those　of　his　party　down　from　the　wall；　and；　pelting　them　with　stones；　drove　them　into　their　houses；　but　they　stood　themselves　at　proper　distances　in　the　towers；　and　threw　their　darts　at　those　that　were　getting　over　the　wall。　Thus　did　the　Romans　make　their　attack　against　the　wall　for　five　days；　but　to　no　purpose。　But　on　the　next　day　Cestius　took　a　great　many　of　his　choicest　men；　and　with　them　the　archers；　and　attempted　to　break　into　the　temple　at　the　northern　quarter　of　it；　but　the　Jews　beat　them　off　from　the　cloisters；　and　repulsed　them　several　times　when　they　were　gotten　near　to　the　wall；　till　at　length　the　multitude　of　the　darts　cut　them　off；　and　made　them　retire；　but　the　first　rank　of　the　Romans　rested　their　shields　upon　the　wall；　and　so　did　those　that　were　behind　them；　and　the　like　did　those　that　were　still　more　backward；　and　guarded　themselves　with　what　they　call　Testudo；　＇the　back　of＇　a　tortoise；　upon　which　the　darts　that　were　thrown　fell；　and　slided　off　without　doing　them　any　harm；　so　the　soldiers　undermined　the　wall；　without　being　themselves　hurt；　and　got　all　things　ready　for　setting　fire　to　the　gate　of　the　temple。

6。　And　now　it　was　that　a　horrible　fear　seized　upon　the　seditious；　insomuch　that　many　of　them　ran　out　of　the　city；　as　though　it　were　to　be　taken　immediately；　but　the　people　upon　this　took　courage；　and　where　the　wicked　part　of　the　city　gave　ground；　thither　did　they　come；　in　order　to　set　open　the　gates；　and　to　admit　Cestius　（30）　as　their　benefactor；　who；　had　he　but　continued　the　siege　a　little　longer；　had　certainly　taken　the　city；　but　it　was；　I　suppose；　owing　to　the　aversion　God　had　already　at　the　city　and　the　sanctuary；　that　he　was　hindered　from　putting　an　end　to　the　war　that　very　day。

7。　It　then　happened　that　Cestius　was　not　conscious　either　how　the　besieged　despaired　of　success；　nor　how　courageous　the　people　were　for　him；　and　so　he　recalled　his　soldiers　from　the　place；　and　by　despairing　of　any　expectation　of　taking　it；　without　having　received　any　disgrace；　he　retired　from　the　city；　without　any　reason　in　the　world。　But　when　the　robbers　perceived　this　unexpected　retreat　of　his；　they　resumed　their　courage；　and　ran　after　the　hinder　parts　of　his　army；　and　destroyed　a　considerable　number　of　both　their　horsemen　and　footmen；　and　now　Cestius　lay　all　night　at　the　camp　which　was　at　Scopus；　and　as　he　went　off　farther　next　day；　he　thereby　invited　the　enemy　to　follow　him；　who　still　fell　upon　the　hindmost；　and　destroyed　them；　they　also　fell　upon　the　flank　on　each　side　of　the　army；　and　threw　darts　upon　them　obliquely；　nor　durst　those　that　were　hindmost　turn　back　upon　those　who　wounded　them　behind；　as　imagining　that　the　multitude　of　those　that　pursued　them　was　immense；　nor　did　they　venture　to　drive　away　those　that　pressed　upon　them　on　each　side；　because　they　were　heavy　with　their　arms；　and　were　afraid　of　breaking　their　ranks　to　pieces；　and　because　they　saw　the　Jews　were　light；　and　ready　for　making　incursions　upon　them。　And　this　was　the　reason　why　the　Romans　suffered　greatly；　without　being　able　to　revenge　themselves　upon　their　enemies；　so　they　were　galled　all　the　way；　and　their　ranks　were　put　into　disorder；　and　those　that　were　thus　put　out　of　their　ranks　were　slain；　among　whom　were　Priscus；　the　commander　of　the　sixth　legion；　and　Longinus；　the　tribune；　and　Emilius　Secundus；　the　commander　of　a　troop　of　horsemen。　So　it　was　not　without　difficulty　that　they　got　to　Gabao；　their　former　camp；　and　that　not　without　the　loss　of　a　great　part　of　their　baggage。　There　it　was　that　Cestius　staid　two　days；　and　was　in　great　distress　to　know　what　he　should　do　in　these　circumstances；　but　when　on　the　third　day　he　saw　a　still　much　greater　number　of　enemies；　and　all　the　parts　round　about　him　full　of　Jews；　he　understood　that　his　delay　was　to　his　own　detriment；　and　that　if　he　staid　any　longer　there；　he　should　have　still　more　enemies　upon　him。

8。　That　therefore　he　might　fly　the　faster；　he　gave　orders　to　cast　away　what　might　hinder　his　army's　march；　so　they　killed　the　mules　and　other　creatures；　excepting　those　that　carried　their　darts　and　machines；　which　they　retained　for　their　own　use；　and　this　principally　because　they　were　afraid　lest　the　Jews　should　seize　upon　them。　He　then　made　his　army　march　on　as　far　as　Bethoron。　Now　the　Jews　did　not　so　much　press　upon　them　when　they　were　in　large　open　places；　but　when　they　were　penned　up　in　their　descent　through　narrow　passages；　then　did　some　of　them　get　before；　and　hindered　them　from　getting　out　of　them；　and　others　of　them　thrust　the　hinder…most　down　into　the　lower　places；　and　the　whole　multitude　extended　themselves　over　against　the　neck　of　the　passage；　and　covered　the　Roman　army　with　their　darts。　In　which　circumstances；　as　the　footmen　knew　not　how　to　defend　themselves；　so　the　danger　pressed　the　horsemen　still　more；　for　they　were　so　pelted；　that　they　could　not　march　along　the　road　in　their　ranks；　and　the　ascents　were　so　high；　that　the　cavalry　were　not　able　to　march　against　the　enemy；　the　precipices　also　and　valleys　into　which　they　frequently　fell；　and　tumbled　down；　were　such　on　each　side　of　them；　that　there　was　neither　place　for　their　flight；　nor　any　contrivance　could　be　thought　of　for　their　defense；　till　the　distress　they　were　at　last　in　was　so　great；　that　they　betook　themselves　to　lamentations；　and　to　such　mournful　cries　as　men　use　in　the　utmost　despair：　the　joyful　acclamations　of　the　Jews　also；　as　they　encouraged　one　another；　echoed　the　sounds　back　again；　these　last　composing　a　noise　of　those　that　at　once　rejoiced　and　were　in　a　rage。　Indeed；　things　were　come　to　such　a　pass；　that　the　Jews　had　almost　taken　Cestius's　entire　army　prisoners；　had　not　the　night　come　on；　when　the　Romans　fled　to　Bethoron；　and　the　Jews　seized　upon　all　the　places　round　about　them；　and　watched　for　their　coming　out　＇in　the　morning＇。

9。　And　then　it　was　that　Cestius；　despairing　of　obtaining　room　for　a　public　march；　contrived　how　he　might　best　run　away；　and　when　he　had　selected　four　hundred　of　the　most　courageous　of　his　soldiers；　he　placed　them　at　the　strongest　of　their　fortifications；　and　gave　order；　that　when　they　went　up　to　the　morning　guard；　they　should　erect　their　ensigns；　that　the　Jews　might　be　made　to　believe　that　the　entire　army　was　there　still；　while　he　himself　took　the　rest　of　his　forces　with　him；　and　marched；　without　any　noise；　thirty　furlongs。　But　when　the　Jews　perceived；　in　the　morning；　that　the　camp　was　empty；　they　ran　upon　those　four　hundred　who　had　deluded　them；　and　immediately　threw　their　darts　at　them；　and　slew　them；　and　then　pursued　after　Cestius。　But　he　had　already　made　use　of　a　great　part　of　the　night　in　his　flight；　and　still　marched　quicker　when　it　was　day；　insomuch　that　the　soldiers；　through　the　astonishment　and　fear　they　were　in；　left　behind　them　their　engines　for　sieges；　and　for　throwing　of　stones；　and　a　great　part　of　the　instruments　of　war。　So　the　Jews　went　on　pursuing　the　Romans　as　far　as　Antipatris；　after　which；　seeing　they　could　not　overtake　them；　they　came　back；　and　took　the　engines；　and　spoiled　the　dead　bodies；　and　gathered　the　prey　together　which　the　Romans　had　left　behind　them；　and　came　back　running　and　singing　to　their　metropolis；　while　they　had　themselves　lost　a　few　only；　but　had　slain　of　the　Romans　five　thousand　and　three　hundred　footmen；　and　three　hundred　and　eighty　horsemen。　This　defeat　happened　on　the　eighth　day　of　the　month　Dius；　＇Marchesvan；＇　in　the　twelfth　year　of　the　reign　of　Nero。

CHAPTER　9。

Cestius　Sends　Ambassadors　To　Nero。　The　People　Of　Damascus　Slay　Those　Jews　That　Lived　With　Them。　The　People　Of　Jerusalem　After　They　Had　＇Left　Off＇　Pursuing　Cestius；　Return　To　The　City　And　Get　Things　Ready　For　Its　Defense　And　Make　A　Great　Many　Generals　For；　Their　Armies　And　Particularly　Josephus　The　Writer　Of　These　Books。　Some　Account　Of　His　Administration。

1。　After　this　calamity　had　befallen　Cestius；　many　of　the　most　eminent　of　the　Jews　swam　away　from　the　city；　as　from　a　ship　when　it　was　going　to　sink；　Costobarus；　therefore；　and　Saul；　who　were　brethren；　together　with　Philip；　the　son　of　Jacimus；　who　was　the　commander　of　king　Agrippa's　forces；　ran　away　from　the　city；　and　went　to　Cestius。　But　then　how　Antipas；　who　had　been　besieged　with　them　in　the　king's　palace；　but　would　not　fly　away　with　them；　was　afterward　slain　by　the　seditious；　we　shall　relate　hereafter。　However；　Cestius　sent　Saul　and　his　friends；　at　their　own　desire；　to　Achaia；　to　Nero；　to　inform　him　of　the　great　distress　they　were　in；　and　to　lay　the　blame　of　their　kindling　the　war　upon　Florus；　as　hoping　to　alleviate　his　own　danger；　by　provoking　his　indignation　against　Florus。

2。　In　the　mean　time；　the　people　of　Damascus；　when　they　were　informed　of　the　destruction　of　the　Romans；　set　about　the　slaughter　of　those　Jews　that　were　among　them；　and　as　they　had　them　already　cooped　up　together　in　the　place　of　public　exercises；　which　they　had　done　out　of　the　suspicion　they　had　of　them；　they　thought　they　should　meet　with　no　difficulty　in　the　attempt；　yet　did　they　distrust　their　own　wives；　which　were　almost　all　of　them　addi