the wars of the jews-第62节

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　into　streets；　very　conveniently；　and　place　the　tents　of　the　commanders　in　the　middle；　but　in　the　very　midst　of　all　is　the　general's　own　tent；　in　the　nature　of　a　temple；　insomuch；　that　it　appears　to　be　a　city　built　on　the　sudden；　with　its　market…place；　and　place　for　handicraft　trades；　and　with　seats　for　the　officers　superior　and　inferior；　where；　if　any　differences　arise；　their　causes　are　heard　and　determined。　The　camp；　and　all　that　is　in　it；　is　encompassed　with　a　wall　round　about；　and　that　sooner　than　one　would　imagine；　and　this　by　the　multitude　and　the　skill　of　the　laborers；　and；　if　occasion　require；　a　trench　is　drawn　round　the　whole；　whose　depth　is　four　cubits；　and　its　breadth　equal。

3。　When　they　have　thus　secured　themselves；　they　live　together　by　companies；　with　quietness　and　decency；　as　are　all　their　other　affairs　managed　with　good　order　and　security。　Each　company　hath　also　their　wood；　and　their　corn；　and　their　water　brought　them；　when　they　stand　in　need　of　them；　for　they　neither　sup　nor　dine　as　they　please　themselves　singly；　but　all　together。　Their　times　also　for　sleeping；　and　watching；　and　rising　are　notified　beforehand　by　the　sound　of　trumpets；　nor　is　any　thing　done　without　such　a　signal；　and　in　the　morning　the　soldiery　go　every　one　to　their　centurions；　and　these　centurions　to　their　tribunes；　to　salute　them；　with　whom　all　the　superior　officers　go　to　the　general　of　the　whole　army；　who　then　gives　them　of　course　the　watchword　and　other　orders；　to　be　by　them　cared　to　all　that　are　under　their　command；　which　is　also　observed　when　they　go　to　fight；　and　thereby　they　turn　themselves　about　on　the　sudden；　when　there　is　occasion　for　making　sallies；　as　they　come　back　when　they　are　recalled　in　crowds　also。

4。　Now　when　they　are　to　go　out　of　their　camp；　the　trumpet　gives　a　sound；　at　which　time　nobody　lies　still；　but　at　the　first　intimation　they　take　down　their　tents；　and　all　is　made　ready　for　their　going　out；　then　do　the　trumpets　sound　again；　to　order　them　to　get　ready　for　the　march；　then　do　they　lay　their　baggage　suddenly　upon　their　mules；　and　other　beasts　of　burden；　and　stand；　as　at　the　place　of　starting；　ready　to　march；　when　also　they　set　fire　to　their　camp；　and　this　they　do　because　it　will　be　easy　for　them　to　erect　another　camp；　and　that　it　may　not　ever　be　of　use　to　their　enemies。　Then　do　the　trumpets　give　a　sound　the　third　time；　that　they　are　to　go　out；　in　order　to　excite　those　that　on　any　account　are　a　little　tardy；　that　so　no　one　may　be　out　of　his　rank　when　the　army　marches。　Then　does　the　crier　stand　at　the　general's　right　hand；　and　asks　them　thrice；　in　their　own　tongue；　whether　they　be　now　ready　to　go　out　to　war　or　not？　To　which　they　reply　as　often；　with　a　loud　and　cheerful　voice；　saying；　〃We　are　ready。〃　And　this　they　do　almost　before　the　question　is　asked　them：　they　do　this　as　filled　with　a　kind　of　martial　fury；　and　at　the　same　time　that　they　so　cry　out；　they　lift　up　their　right　hands　also。　　5。　When；　after　this；　they　are　gone　out　of　their　camp；　they　all　march　without　noise；　and　in　a　decent　manner；　and　every　one　keeps　his　own　rank；　as　if　they　were　going　to　war。　The　footmen　are　armed　with　breastplates　and　head…pieces；　and　have　swords　on　each　side；　but　the　sword　which　is　upon　their　left　side　is　much　longer　than　the　other；　for　that　on　the　right　side　is　not　longer　than　a　span。　Those　foot…men　also　that　are　chosen　out　from　the　rest　to　be　about　the　general　himself　have　a　lance　and　a　buckler；　but　the　rest　of　the　foot　soldiers　have　a　spear　and　a　long　buckler；　besides　a　saw　and　a　basket；　a　pick…axe　and　an　axe；　a　thong　of　leather　and　a　hook；　with　provisions　for　three　days；　so　that　a　footman　hath　no　great　need　of　a　mule　to　carry　his　burdens。　The　horsemen　have　a　long　sword　on　their　right　sides；　axed　a　long　pole　in　their　hand；　a　shield　also　lies　by　them　obliquely　on　one　side　of　their　horses；　with　three　or　more　darts　that　are　borne　in　their　quiver；　having　broad　points；　and　not　smaller　than　spears。　They　have　also　head…pieces　and　breastplates；　in　like　manner　as　have　all　the　footmen。　And　for　those　that　are　chosen　to　be　about　the　general；　their　armor　no　way　differs　from　that　of　the　horsemen　belonging　to　other　troops；　and　he　always　leads　the　legions　forth　to　whom　the　lot　assigns　that　employment。

6。　This　is　the　manner　of　the　marching　and　resting　of　the　Romans；　as　also　these　are　the　several　sorts　of　weapons　they　use。　But　when　they　are　to　fight；　they　leave　nothing　without　forecast；　nor　to　be　done　off…hand；　but　counsel　is　ever　first　taken　before　any　work　is　begun；　and　what　hath　been　there　resolved　upon　is　put　in　execution　presently；　for　which　reason　they　seldom　commit　any　errors；　and　if　they　have　been　mistaken　at　any　time；　they　easily　correct　those　mistakes。　They　also　esteem　any　errors　they　commit　upon　taking　counsel　beforehand　to　be　better　than　such　rash　success　as　is　owing　to　fortune　only；　because　such　a　fortuitous　advantage　tempts　them　to　be　inconsiderate；　while　consultation；　though　it　may　sometimes　fail　of　success；　hath　this　good　in　it；　that　it　makes　men　more　careful　hereafter；　but　for　the　advantages　that　arise　from　chance；　they　are　not　owing　to　him　that　gains　them；　and　as　to　what　melancholy　accidents　happen　unexpectedly；　there　is　this　comfort　in　them；　that　they　had　however　taken　the　best　consultations　they　could　to　prevent　them。

7。　Now　they　so　manage　their　preparatory　exercises　of　their　weapons；　that　not　the　bodies　of　the　soldiers　only；　but　their　souls　may　also　become　stronger：　they　are　moreover　hardened　for　war　by　fear；　for　their　laws　inflict　capital　punishments；　not　only　for　soldiers　running　away　from　the　ranks；　but　for　slothfulness　and　inactivity；　though　it　be　but　in　a　lesser　degree；　as　are　their　generals　more　severe　than　their　laws；　for　they　prevent　any　imputation　of　cruelty　toward　those　under　condemnation；　by　the　great　rewards　they　bestow　on　the　valiant　soldiers；　and　the　readiness　of　obeying　their　commanders　is　so　great；　that　it　is　very　ornamental　in　peace；　but　when　they　come　to　a　battle；　the　whole　army　is　but　one　body；　so　well　coupled　together　are　their　ranks；　so　sudden　are　their　turnings　about；　so　sharp　their　hearing　as　to　what　orders　are　given　them；　so　quick　their　sight　of　the　ensigns；　and　so　nimble　are　their　hands　when　they　set　to　work；　whereby　it　comes　to　pass　that　what　they　do　is　done　quickly；　and　what　they　suffer　they　bear　with　the　greatest　patience。　Nor　can　we　find　any　examples　where　they　have　been　conquered　in　battle；　when　they　came　to　a　close　fight；　either　by　the　multitude　of　the　enemies；　or　by　their　stratagems；　or　by　the　difficulties　in　the　places　they　were　in；　no；　nor　by　fortune　neither；　for　their　victories　have　been　surer　to　them　than　fortune　could　have　granted　them。　In　a　case；　therefore；　where　counsel　still　goes　before　action；　and　where；　after　taking　the　best　advice；　that　advice　is　followed　by　so　active　an　army；　what　wonder　is　it　that　Euphrates　on　the　east；　the　ocean　on　the　west；　the　most　fertile　regions　of　Libya　on　the　south；　and　the　Danube　and　the　Rhine　on　the　north；　are　the　limits　of　this　empire？　One　might　well　say　that　the　Roman　possessions　are　not　inferior　to　the　Romans　themselves。

8。　This　account　I　have　given　the　reader；　not　so　much　with　the　intention　of　commending　the　Romans；　as　of　comforting　those　that　have　been　conquered　by　them；　and　for　the　deterring　others　from　attempting　innovations　under　their　government。　This　discourse　of　the　Roman　military　conduct　may　also　perhaps　be　of　use　to　such　of　the　curious　as　are　ignorant　of　it；　and　yet　have　a　mind　to　know　it。　I　return　now　from　this　digression。

CHAPTER　6。

Placidus　Attempts　To　Take　Jotapata　And　Is　Beaten　Off。　Vespasian　Marches　Into　Galilee。

1。　And　now　Vespasian；　with　his　son　Titus；　had　tarried　some　time　at　Ptolemais；　and　had　put　his　army　in　order。　But　when　Placidus；　who　had　overrun　Galilee；　and　had　besides　slain　a　number　of　those　whom　he　had　caught；　（which　were　only　the　weaker　part　of　the　Galileans；　and　such　as　were　of　timorous　souls；）　saw　that　the　warriors　ran　always　to　those　cities　whose　walls　had　been　built　by　Josephus；　he　marched　furiously　against　Jotapata；　which　was　of　them　all　the　strongest；　as　supposing　he　should　easily　take　it　by　a　sudden　surprise；　and　that　he　should　thereby　obtain　great　honor　to　himself　among　the　commanders；　and　bring　a　great　advantage　to　them　in　their　future　campaign；　because　if　this　strongest　place　of　them　all　were　once　taken；　the　rest　would　be　so　aftrighted　as　to　surrender　themselves。　But　he　was　mightily　mistaken　in　his　undertaking；　for　the　men　of　Jotapata　were　apprized　of　his　coming　to　attack　them；　and　came　out　of　the　city；　and　expected　him　there。　So　they　fought　the　Romans　briskly　when　they　least　expected　it；　being　both　many　in　number；　and　prepared　for　fighting；　and　of　great　alacrity；　as　esteeming　their　country；　their　wives；　and　their　children　to　be　in　danger；　and　easily　put　the　Romans　to　flight；　and　wounded　many　of　them；　and　slew　seven　of　them；　（4）　because　their　retreat　was　not　made　in　a　disorderly　manner；　be…cause　the　strokes　only　touched　the　surface　of　their　bodies；　which　were　covered　with　their　armor　in　all　parts；　and　because　the　Jews　did　rather　throw　their　weapons　upon　them　from　a　great　distance；　than　venture　to　come　hand　to　hand　with　them；　and　had　only　light　armor　on；　while　the　others　were　completely　armed。　However；　three　men