the wars of the jews-第76节

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ls　of　the　city。　Now　a　great　number　of　the　Romans　fell　in　this　battle；　among　whom　was　Ebutius；　the　　　decurion；　a　man　who　appeared　not　only　in　this　engagement；　wherein　he　fell；　but　every　where；　and　in　former　engagements；　to　be　of　the　truest　courage；　and　one　that　had　done　very　great　mischief　to　the　Jews。　But　there　was　a　centurion　whose　name　was　Gallus；　who；　during　this　disorder；　being　encompassed　about；　he　and　ten　other　soldiers　privately　crept　into　the　house　of　a　certain　person；　where　he　heard　them　talking　at　supper；　what　the　people　intended　to　do　against　the　Romans；　or　about　themselves　（for　both　the　man　himself　and　those　with　him　　　were　Syrians）。　So　he　got　up　in　the　night　time；　and　cut　all　their　throats；　and　escaped；　together　with　his　soldiers；　to　the　Romans。　　　　　　6。　And　now　Vespasian　comforted　his　army；　which　was　much　　　dejected　by　reflecting　on　their　ill　success；　and　because　they　had　never　before　fallen　into　such　a　calamity；　and　besides　this；　because　they　were　greatly　ashamed　that　they　had　left　their　general　alone　in　great　dangers。　As　to　what　concerned　himself；　he　avoided　to　say　any　thing；　that　he　might　by　no　means　seem　to　complain　of　it；　but　he　said　that　〃we　ought　to　bear　manfully　what　usually　falls　out　in　war；　and　this；　by　considering　what　the　nature　of　war　is；　and　how　it　can　never　be　that　we　must　conquer　without　bloodshed　on　our　own　side；　for　there　stands　about　us　that　fortune　which　is　of　its　own　nature　mutable；　that　while　they　had　killed　so　many　ten　thousands　of　the　Jews；　they　had　now　paid　their　small　share　of　the　reckoning　to　fate；　and　as　it　is　the　part　of　weak　people　to　be　too　much　puffed　up　with　good　success；　so　is　it　the　part　of　cowards　to　be　too　much　aftrighted　at　that　which　is　ill；　for　the　change　from　the　one　to　the　other　is　sudden　on　both　sides；　and　he　is　the　best　warrior　who　is　of　a　sober　mind　under　misfortunes；　that　he　may　　　continue　in　that　temper；　and　cheerfully　recover　what　had　been　lost　formerly；　and　as　for　what　had　now　happened；　it　was　neither　owing　to　their　own　effeminacy；　nor　to　the　valor　of　the　Jews；　but　the　difficulty　of　the　place　was　the　occasion　of　their　advantage；　and　of　our　disappointment。　Upon　reflecting　on　which　matter　one　might　blame　your　zeal　as　perfectly　　　ungovernable；　for　when　the　enemy　had　retired　to　their　　　highest　fastnesses；　you　ought　to　have　restrained　yourselves；　and　not；　by　presenting　yourselves　at　the　top　of　the　city；　to　be　exposed　to　dangers；　but　upon　your　having　obtained　the　lower　parts　of　the　city；　you　ought　to　have　provoked　those　that　had　retired　thither　to　a　safe　and　settled　battle；　whereas；　in　rushing　so　hastily　upon　victory；　you　took　no　care　of　your　safety。　But　this　incautiousness　in　war；　and　this　madness　of　zeal；　is　not　a　Roman　maxim。　While　we　perform　all　that　we　attempt　by　skill　and　good　order；　that　procedure　is　the　part　of　barbarians；　and　is　what　the　Jews　chiefly　support　themselves　by。　We　ought　therefore　to　return　to　our　own　virtue；　and　to　be　rather　angry　than　any　longer　dejected　at　this　unlucky　misfortune；　and　let　every　one　seek　for　his　own　consolation　from　his　own　hand；　for　by　this　means　he　will　avenge　those　that　have　been　　　destroyed；　and　punish　those　that　have　killed　them。　For　　　myself；　I　will　endeavor；　as　I　have　now　done；　to　go　first　before　you　against　your　enemies　in　every　engagement；　and　to　be　the　last　that　retires　from　it。〃　　　　　　7。　So　Vespasian　encouraged　his　army　by　this　speech；　but　for　the　people　of　Gamala；　it　happened　that　they　took　courage　for　a　little　while；　upon　such　great　and　unaccountable　success　as　they　had　had。　But　when　they　considered　with　themselves　that　they　had　now　no　hopes　of　any　terms　of　accommodation；　and　reflecting　upon　it　that　they　could　not　get　away；　and　that　their　provisions　began　already　to　be　short；　they　were　exceedingly　cast　down；　and　their　courage　failed　them；　yet　did　they　not　neglect　what　might　be　for　their　preservation；　so　far　as　they　were　able；　but　the　most　courageous　among　them　guarded　　　those　parts　of　the　wall　that　were　beaten　down；　while　the　more　infirm　did　the　same　to　the　rest　of　the　wall　that　still　remained　round　the　city。　And　as　the　Romans　raised　their　　　banks；　and　attempted　to　get　into　the　city　a　second　time；　a　great　many　of　them　fled　out　of　the　city　through　impracticable　valleys；　where　no　guards　were　placed；　as　also　through　　　subterraneous　caverns；　while　those　that　were　afraid　of　being　caught；　and　for　that　reason　staid　in　the　city；　perished　for　want　of　food；　for　what　food　they　had　was　brought　together　from　all　quarters；　and　reserved　for　the　fighting　men。　　　　　　8。　And　these　were　the　hard　circumstances　that　the　people　of　Gamala　were　in。　But　now　Vespasian　went　about　other　work　　　by　the　by；　during　this　siege；　and　that　was　to　subdue　those　that　had　seized　upon　Mount　Tabor；　a　place　that　lies　in　the　middle　between　the　great　plain　and　Scythopolis；　whose　top　is　　　elevated　as　high　as　thirty　furlongs　（2）　and　is　hardly　to　be　ascended　on　its　north　side；　its　top　is　a　plain　of　twenty…six　furlongs；　and　all　encompassed　with　a　wall。　Now　Josephus　　　erected　this　so　long　a　wall　in　forty　days'　time；　and　furnished　it　with　other　materials；　and　with　water　from　below；　for　the　inhabitants　only　made　use　of　rain　water。　As　therefore　there　was　a　great　multitude　of　people　gotten　together　upon　this　mountain；　Vespasian　sent　Placidus　with　six　hundred　　　horsemen　thither。　Now；　as　it　was　impossible　for　him　to　　　ascend　the　mountain；　he　invited　many　of　them　to　peace；　by　the　offer　of　his　right　hand　for　their　security；　and　of　his　intercession　for　them。　Accordingly　they　came　down；　but　with　a　treacherous　design；　as　well　as　he　had　the　like　treacherous　design　upon　them　on　the　other　side；　for　Placidus　spoke　　　mildly　to　them；　as　aiming　to　take　them；　when　he　got　them　into　the　plain；　they　also　came　down；　as　complying　with　his　proposals；　but　it　was　in　order　to　fall　upon　him　when　he　was　not　aware　of　it：　however；　Placidus's　stratagem　was　too　hard　for　theirs；　for　when　the　Jews　began　to　fight；　he　pretended　to　run　away；　and　when　they　were　in　pursuit　of　the　Romans；　he　enticed　them　a　great　way　along　the　plain；　and　then　made　his　horsemen　turn　back；　whereupon　he　beat　them；　and　slew　a　　　great　number　of　them；　and　cut　off　the　retreat　of　the　rest　of　the　multitude；　and　hindered　their　return。　So　they　left　Tabor；　and　fled　to　Jerusalem；　while　the　people　of　the　country　came　to　terms　with　him；　for　their　water　failed　them；　and　so　they　delivered　up　the　mountain　and　themselves　to　Placidus。　　　　　　9。　But　of　the　people　of　Gamala；　those　that　were　of　the　bolder　sort　fled　away　and　hid　themselves；　while　the　more　infirm　perished　by　famine；　but　the　men　of　war　sustained　the　siege　till　the　two　and　twentieth　day　of　the　month　Hyperberetmus；　＇Tisri；＇　when　three　soldiers　of　the　fifteenth　legion；　about　the　morning　watch；　got　under　a　high　tower　that　was　near　them；　and　undermined　it；　without　making　any　noise；　nor　when　they　either　came　to　it；　which　was　in　the　night　time；　nor　when　they　were　under　it；　did　those　that　guarded　it　perceive　them。　These　soldiers　then　upon　their　coming　avoided　making　a　noise；　and　when　they　had　rolled　away　five　of　its　strongest　stones；　they　went　away　hastily；　whereupon　the　tower　fell　down　on　a　　　sudden；　with　a　very　great　noise；　and　its　guard　fell　headlong　with　it；　so　that　those　that　kept　guard　at　other　places　were　under　such　disturbance；　that　they　ran　away；　the　Romans　also　slew　many　of　those　that　ventured　to　oppose　them；　among　　　whom　was　Joseph；　who　was　slain　by　a　dart；　as　he　was　running　away　over　that　part　of　the　wall　that　was　broken　down：　but　as　those　that　were　in　the　city　were　greatly　aftrighted　at　the　noise；　they　ran　hither　and　thither；　and　a　great　consternation　fell　upon　them；　as　though　all　the　enemy　had　fallen　in　at　once　upon　them。　Then　it　was　that　Chares；　who　was　ill；　and　under　the　physician's　hands；　gave　up　the　ghost；　the　fear　he　was　in　greatly　contributing　to　make　his　distemper　fatal　to　him。　But　the　Romans　so　well　remembered　their　former　ill　success；　that　they　did　not　enter　the　city　till　the　three　and　twentieth　day　of　the　forementioned　month。　　　　　　10。　At　which　time　Titus；　who　was　now　returned；　out　of　the　indignation　he　had　at　the　destruction　the　Romans　had　　　undergone　while　he　was　absent；　took　two　hundred　chosen　　　horsemen　and　some　footmen　with　him；　and　entered　without　　　noise　into　the　city。　Now　as　the　watch　perceived　that　he　was　coming；　they　made　a　noise；　and　betook　themselves　to　their　arms；　and　as　that　his　entrance　was　presently　known　to　those　that　were　in　the　city；　some　of　them　caught　hold　of　their　children　and　their　wives；　and　drew　them　after　them；　and　fled　away　to　the　citadel；　with　lamentations　and　cries；　while　others　of　them　went　to　meet　Titus；　and　were　killed　perpetually；　but　so　many　of　them　as　were　hindered　from　running　up　to　the　　　citadel；　not　knowing　what　in　the　world　to　do；　fell　among　the　Roman　guards；　while　the　groans　of　those　that　were　killed　were　prodigiously　great　every　where；　and　blood　ran　down　　　over　all　the　lower　parts　of　the　city；　from　the　upper。　But　then　Vespasian　himself　came　to　his　assistance　against　those　that　had　fled　to　the　citadel；　and　brought　his　whole　army　with　him；　now　this　upper　part　of　the　city　was　every　way　rocky；　and　difficult　of　ascent；　and　elevated　to　a　vast　altitude；　and　very　full　of　people　on　all　sides；　and　encompassed　with　precipices；　whereby　the　Jews　cut　off　those　th