the wars of the jews-第68节

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brought　ladders　to　be　laid　against　the　wall　on　every　side；　the　Galileans　opposed　them　from　above　for　a　while；　but　soon　afterward　they　left　the　walls。　Then　did　Titus's　men　leap　into　the　city；　and　seized　upon　it　presently；　but　when　those　that　were　in　it　were　gotten　together；　there　was　a　fierce　battle　between　them；　for　the　men　of　power　fell　upon　the　Romans　in　the　narrow　streets；　and　the　women　threw　whatsoever　came　next　to　hand　at　them；　and　sustained　a　fight　with　them　for　six　hours'　time；　but　when　the　fighting　men　were　spent；　the　rest　of　the　multitude　had　their　throats　cut；　partly　in　the　open　air；　and　partly　in　their　own　houses；　both　young　and　old　together。　So　there　were　no　males　now　remaining；　besides　infants；　which；　with　the　women；　were　carried　as　slaves　into　captivity；　so　that　the　number　of　the　slain；　both　now　in　the　city　and　at　the　former　fight；　was　fifteen　thousand；　and　the　captives　were　two　thousand　one　hundred　and　thirty。　This　calamity　befell　the　Galileans　on　the　twenty…fifth　day　of　the　month　Desius　＇Sivan。＇　　32。　Nor　did　the　Samaritans　escape　their　share　of　misfortunes　at　this　time；　for　they　assembled　themselves　together　upon　file　mountain　called　Gerizzim；　which　is　with　them　a　holy　mountain；　and　there　they　remained；　which　collection　of　theirs；　as　well　as　the　courageous　minds　they　showed；　could　not　but　threaten　somewhat　of　war；　nor　were　they　rendered　wiser　by　the　miseries　that　had　come　upon　their　neighboring　cities。　They　also；　notwithstanding　the　great　success　the　Romans　had；　marched　on　in　an　unreasonable　manner；　depending　on　their　own　weakness；　and　were　disposed　for　any　tumult　upon　its　first　appearance。　Vespasian　therefore　thought　it　best　to　prevent　their　motions；　and　to　cut　off　the　foundation　of　their　attempts。　For　although　all　Samaria　had　ever　garrisons　settled　among　them；　yet　did　the　number　of　those　that　were　come　to　Mount　Gerizzim；　and　their　conspiracy　together；　give　ground　for　fear　what　they　would　be　at；　he　therefore　sent　I　thither　Cerealis；　the　commander　of　the　fifth　legion；　with　six　hundred　horsemen；　and　three　thousand　footmen；　who　did　not　think　it　safe　to　go　up　to　the　mountain；　and　give　them　battle；　because　many　of　the　enemy　were　on　the　higher　part　of　the　ground；　so　he　encompassed　all　the　lower　part　of　the　mountain　with　his　army；　and　watched　them　all　that　day。　Now　it　happened　that　the　Samaritans；　who　were　now　destitute　of　water；　were　inflamed　with　a　violent　heat；　（for　it　was　summer　time；　and　the　multitude　had　not　provided　themselves　with　necessaries；）　insomuch　that　some　of　them　died　that　very　day　with　heat；　while　others　of　them　preferred　slavery　before　such　a　death　as　that　was；　and　fled　to　the　Romans；　by　whom　Cerealis　understood　that　those　which　still　staid　there　were　very　much　broken　by　their　misfortunes。　So　he　went　up　to　the　mountain；　and　having　placed　his　forces　round　about　the　enemy；　he；　in　the　first　place；　exhorted　them　to　take　the　security　of　his　right　hand；　and　come　to　terms　with　him；　and　thereby　save　themselves；　and　assured　them；　that　if　they　would　lay　down　their　arms；　he　would　secure　them　from　any　harm；　but　when　he　could　not　prevail　with　them；　he　fell　upon　them　and　slew　them　all；　being　in　number　eleven　thousand　and　six　hundred。　This　was　done　on　the　twenty…seventh　day　of　the　month　Desius　＇Sivan＇。　And　these　were　the　calamities　that　befell　the　Samaritans　at　this　time。

33。　But　as　the　people　of　Jotapata　still　held　out　manfully；　and　bore　up　tinder　their　miseries　beyond　all　that　could　be　hoped　for；　on　the　forty…seventh　day　＇of　the　siege＇　the　banks　cast　up　by　the　Romans　were　become　higher　than　the　wall；　on　which　day　a　certain　deserter　went　to　Vespasian；　and　told　him　how　few　were　left　in　the　city；　and　how　weak　they　were；　and　that　they　had　been　so　worn　out　with　perpetual　watching；　and　as　perpetual　fighting；　that　they　could　not　now　oppose　any　force　that　came　against　them；　and　that　they　might　he　taken　by　stratagem；　if　any　one　would　attack　them；　for　that　about　the　last　watch　of　the　night；　when　they　thought　they　might　have　some　rest　from　the　hardships　they　were　under；　and　when　a　morning　sleep　used　to　come　upon　them；　as　they　were　thoroughly　weary；　he　said　the　watch　used　to　fall　asleep；　accordingly　his　advice　was；　that　they　should　make　their　attack　at　that　hour。　But　Vespasian　had　a　suspicion　about　this　deserter；　as　knowing　how　faithful　the　Jews　were　to　one　another；　and　how　much　they　despised　any　punishments　that　could　be　inflicted　on　them；　this　last　because　one　of　the　people　of　Jotapata　had　undergone　all　sorts　of　torments；　and　though　they　made　him　pass　through　a　fiery　trial　of　his　enemies　in　his　examination；　yet　would　he　inform　them　nothing　of　the　affairs　within　the　city；　and　as　he　was　crucified；　smiled　at　them。　However；　the　probability　there　was　in　the　relation　itself　did　partly　confirm　the　truth　of　what　the　deserter　told　them；　and　they　thought　he　might　probably　speak　truth。　However；　Vespasian　thought　they　should　be　no　great　sufferers　if　the　report　was　a　sham；　so　he　commanded　them　to　keep　the　man　in　custody；　and　prepared　the　army　for　taking　the　city。

34。　According　to　which　resolution　they　marched　without　noise；　at　the　hour　that　had　been　told　them；　to　the　wall；　and　it　was　Titus　himself　that　first　got　upon　it；　with　one　of　his　tribunes；　Domitius　Sabinus；　and　had　a　few　of　the　fifteenth　legion　along　with　him。　So　they　cut　the　throats　of　the　watch；　and　entered　the　city　very　quietly。　After　these　came　Cerealis　the　tribune；　and　Placidus；　and　led　on　those　that　were　tinder　them。　Now　when　the　citadel　was　taken；　and　the　enemy　were　in　the　very　midst　of　the　city；　and　when　it　was　already　day；　yet　was　not　the　taking　of　the　city　known　by　those　that　held　it；　for　a　great　many　of　them　were　fast　asleep；　and　a　great　mist；　which　then　by　chance　fell　upon　the　city；　hindered　those　that　got　up　from　distinctly　seeing　the　case　they　were　in；　till　the　whole　Roman　army　was　gotten　in；　and　they　were　raised　up　only　to　find　the　miseries　they　were　under；　and　as　they　were　slaying；　they　perceived　the　city　was　taken。　And　for　the　Romans；　they　so　well　remembered　what　they　had　suffered　during　the　siege；　that　they　spared　none；　nor　pitied　any；　but　drove　the　people　down　the　precipice　from　the　citadel；　and　slew　them　as　they　drove　them　down；　at　which　time　the　difficulties　of　the　place　hindered　those　that　were　still　able　to　fight　from　defending　themselves；　for　as　they　were　distressed　in　the　narrow　streets；　and　could　not　keep　their　feet　sure　along　the　precipice；　they　were　overpowered　with　the　crowd　of　those　that　came　fighting　them　down　from　the　citadel。　This　provoked　a　great　many；　even　of　those　chosen　men　that　were　about　Josephus；　to　kill　themselves　with　their　own　hands；　for　when　they　saw　that　they　could　kill　none　of　the　Romans；　they　resolved　to　prevent　being　killed　by　the　Romans；　and　got　together　in　great　numbers　in　the　utmost　parts　of　the　city；　and　killed　themselves。

35。　However；　such　of　the　watch　as　at　the　first　perceived　they　were　taken；　and　ran　away　as　fast　as　they　could；　went　up　into　one　of　the　towers　on　the　north　side　of　the　city；　and　for　a　while　defended　themselves　there；　but　as　they　were　encompassed　with　a　multitude　of　enemies；　they　tried　to　use　their　right　hands　when　it　was　too　late；　and　at　length　they　cheerfully　offered　their　necks　to　be　cut　off　by　those　that　stood　over　them。　And　the　Romans　might　have　boasted　that　the　conclusion　of　that　siege　was　without　blood　＇on　their　side＇　if　there　had　not　been　a　centurion；　Antonius；　who　was　slain　at　the　taking　of　the　city。　His　death　was　occasioned　by　the　following　treachery；　for　there　was　one　of　those　that　were　fled　into　the　caverns；　which　were　a　great　number；　who　desired　that　this　Antonius　would　reach　him　his　right　hand　for　his　security；　and　would　assure　him　that　he　would　preserve　him；　and　give　him　his　assistance　in　getting　up　out　of　the　cavern；　accordingly；　he　incautiously　reached　him　his　right　hand；　when　the　other　man　prevented　him；　and　stabbed　him　under　his　loins　with　a　spear；　and　killed　him　immediately。

36。　And　on　this　day　it　was　that　the　Romans　slew　all　the　multitude　that　appeared　openly；　but　on　the　following　days　they　searched　the　hiding…places；　and　fell　upon　those　that　were　under　ground；　and　in　the　caverns；　and　went　thus　through　every　age；　excepting　the　infants　and　the　women；　and　of　these　there　were　gathered　together　as　captives　twelve　hundred；　and　as　for　those　that　were　slain　at　the　taking　of　the　city；　and　in　the　former　fights；　they　were　numbered　to　be　forty　thousand。　So　Vespasian　gave　order　that　the　city　should　be　entirely　demolished；　and　all　the　fortifications　burnt　down。　And　thus　was　Jotapata　taken；　in　the　thirteenth　year　of　the　reign　of　Nero；　on　the　first　day　of　the　month　Panemus　＇Tamuz＇。

CHAPTER　8。

How　Josephus　Was　Discovered　By　A　Woman；　And　Was　Willing　To　Deliver　Himself　Up　To　The　Romans；　And　What　Discourse　He　Had　With　His　Own　Men；　When　They　Endeavored　To　Hinder　Him；　And　What　He　Said　To　Vespasian；　When　He　Was　Brought　To　Him；　And　After　What　Manner　Vespasian　Used　Him　Afterward。

1。　And　now　the　Romans　searched　for　Josephus；　both　out　of　the　hatred　they　bore　him；　and　because　their　general　was　very　desirous　to　have　him　taken；　for　he　reckoned　that　if　he　were　once　taken；　the　greatest　part　of　the　war　would　be　over。　They　then　searched　among　the　dead；　and　looked　into　the　most　concealed　recesses　of　the　city；　but　a