the wars of the jews-第105节

按键盘上方向键 ← 或 → 可快速上下翻页，按键盘上的 Enter 键可回到本书目录页，按键盘上方向键 ↑ 可回到本页顶部！
————未阅读完？加入书签已便下次继续阅读！


this　was　a　　　delusion；　he　perceived　that　mercy　in　war　is　a　pernicious　thing；　because　such　cunning　tricks　have　less　place　under　the　exercise　of　greater　severity。　So　he　caused　the　engine　to　work　more　strongly　than　before；　on　account　of　his　anger　at　the　deceit　put　upon　him。　But　Castor　and　his　companions　　　set　the　tower　on　fire　when　it　began　to　give　way；　and　leaped　through　the　flame　into　a　hidden　vault　that　was　under　it；　which　made　the　Romans　further　suppose　that　they　were　　　men　of　great　courage；　as　having　cast　themselves　into　the　fire。　　　　　　CHAPTER　8。　　　　　　　　　　　　How　The　Romans　Took　The　Second　Wall　Twice；　　　And　Got　All　Ready　For　Taking　The　Third　Wall。　　　　　　1。　Now　Caesar　took　this　wall　there　on　the　fifth　day　after　he　had　taken　the　first；　and　when　the　Jews　had　fled　from　him；　he　entered　into　it　with　a　thousand　armed　men；　and　those　of　his　choice　troops；　and　this　at　a　place　where　were　the　　　merchants　of　wool；　the　braziers；　and　the　market　for　cloth；　and　where　the　narrow　streets　led　obliquely　to　the　wall。　　　Wherefore；　if　Titus　had　either　demolished　a　larger　part　of　the　wall　immediately；　or　had　come　in；　and；　according　to　the　law　of　war；　had　laid　waste　what　was　left；　his　victory　would　not；　I　suppose；　have　been　mixed　with　any　loss　to　himself。　But　now；　out　of　the　hope　he　had　that　he　should　make　the　　　Jews　ashamed　of　their　obstinacy；　by　not　being　willing；　when　he　was　able；　to　afflict　them　more　than　he　needed　to　do；　he　did　not　widen　the　breach　of　the　wall；　in　order　to　make　a　safer　retreat　upon　occasion；　for　he　did　not　think　they　would　lay　snares　for　him　that　did　them　such　a　kindness。　When　　　therefore　he　came　in；　he　did　not　permit　his　soldiers　to　kill　any　of　those　they　caught；　nor　to　set　fire　to　their　houses　neither；　nay；　he　gave　leave　to　the　seditious；　if　they　had　a　mind；　to　fight　without　any　harm　to　the　people；　and　promised　to　restore　the　people's　effects　to　them；　for　he　was　very　desirous　to　preserve　the　city　for　his　own　sake；　and　the　　　temple　for　the　sake　of　the　city。　As　to　the　people；　he　had　them　of　a　long　time　ready　to　comply　with　his　proposals；　but　as　to　the　fighting　men；　this　humanity　of　his　seemed　a　mark　of　his　weakness；　and　they　imagined　that　he　made　these　　　proposals　because　he　was　not　able　to　take　the　rest　of　the　city。　They　also　threatened　death　to　the　people；　if　they　　　should　any　one　of　them　say　a　word　about　a　surrender。　　　They　moreover　cut　the　throats　of　such　as　talked　of　a　peace；　and　then　attacked　those　Romans　that　were　come　within　the　wall。　Some　of　them　they　met　in　the　narrow　streets；　and　　　some　they　fought　against　from　their　houses；　while　they　　　made　a　sudden　sally　out　at　the　upper　gates；　and　assaulted　such　Romans　as　were　beyond　the　wall；　till　those　that　　　guarded　the　wall　were　so　aftrighted；　that　they　leaped　down　from　their　towers；　and　retired　to　their　several　camps：　upon　which　a　great　noise　was　made　by　the　Romans　that　were　　　within；　because　they　were　encompassed　round　on　every　　　side　by　their　enemies；　as　also　by　them　that　were　without；　because　they　were　in　fear　for　those　that　were　left　in　the　city。　Thus　did　the　Jews　grow　more　numerous　perpetually；　　　and　had　great　advantages　over　the　Romans；　by　their　full　　　knowledge　of　those　narrow　lanes；　and　they　wounded　a　　　great　many　of　them；　and　fell　upon　them；　and　drove　them　　　out　of　the　city。　Now　these　Romans　were　at　present　forced　to　make　the　best　resistance　they　could；　for　they　were　not　able；　in　great　numbers；　to　get　out　at　the　breach　in　the　wall；　it　was　so　narrow。　It　is　also　probable　that　all　those　that　were　gotten　within　had　been　cut　to　pieces；　if　Titus　had　not　sent　them　succors；　for　he　ordered　the　archers　to　stand　at　the　upper　ends　of　these　narrow　lakes；　and　he　stood　himself　　　where　was　the　greatest　multitude　of　his　enemies；　and　with　his　darts　he　put　a　stop　to　them；　as　with　him　did　Domitius　Sabinus　also；　a　valiant　man；　and　one　that　in　this　battle　appeared　so　to　be。　Thus　did　Caesar　continue　to　shoot　darts　at　the　Jews　continually；　and　to　hinder　them　from　coming　　　upon　his　men；　and　this　until　all　his　soldiers　had　retreated　out　of　the　city。　　　　　　2。　And　thus　were　the　Romans　driven　out；　after　they　had　　　possessed　themselves　of　the　second　wall。　Whereupon　the　　　fighting　men　that　were　in　the　city　were　lifted　up　in　their　minds；　and　were　elevated　upon　this　their　good　success；　　　and　began　to　think　that　the　Romans　would　never　venture　to　come　into　the　city　any　more；　and　that　if　they　kept　within　it　themselves；　they　should　not　be　any　more　conquered。　For　　　God　had　blinded　their　minds　for　the　transgressions　they　　　had　been　guilty　of；　nor　could　they　see　how　much　greater　　　forces　the　Romans　had　than　those　that　were　now　expelled；　no　more　than　they　could　discern　how　a　famine　was　　　creeping　upon　them；　for　hitherto　they　had　fed　themselves　out　of　the　public　miseries；　and　drank　the　blood　of　the　city。　But　now　poverty　had　for　a　long　time　seized　upon　the　better　part；　and　a　great　many　had　died　already　for　want　of　　　necessaries；　although　the　seditious　indeed　supposed　the　　　destruction　of　the　people　to　be　an　easement　to　themselves；　for　they　desired　that　none　others　might　be　preserved　but　such　as　were　against　a　peace　with　the　Romans；　and　were　　　resolved　to　live　in　opposition　to　them；　and　they　were　　　pleased　when　the　multitude　of　those　of　a　contrary　opinion　were　consumed；　as　being　then　freed　from　a　heavy　burden。　　　And　this　was　their　disposition　of　mind　with　regard　to　those　that　were　within　the　city；　while　they　covered　themselves　with　their　armor；　and　prevented　the　Romans；　when　they　　　were　trying　to　get　into　the　city　again；　and　made　a　wall　of　their　own　bodies　over　against　that　part　of　the　wall　that　was　cast　down。　Thus　did　they　valiantly　defend　themselves　for　three　days；　but　on　the　fourth　day　they　could　not　support　themselves　against　the　vehement　assaults　of　Titus　but　were　compelled　by　force　to　fly　whither　they　had　fled　before；　so　he　quietly　possessed　himself　again　of　that　wall；　and　　　demolished　it　entirely。　And　when　he　had　put　a　garrison　into　the　towers　that　were　on　the　south　parts　of　the　city；　he　　　contrived　how　he　might　assault　the　third　wall。　　　　　　CHAPTER　9。　　　　　　　　　　　　Titus　When　The　Jews　Were　Not　At　All　Mollified　By　His　　　Leaving　Off　The　Siege　For　A　While；　Set　Himself　Again　To　　　Prosecute　The　Same；　But　Soon　Sent　Josephus　To　　　Discourse　With　His　Own　Countrymen　About　Peace。　　　　　　1。　A　Resolution　was　now　taken　by　Titus　to　relax　the　siege　for　a　little　while；　and　to　afford　the　seditious　an　interval　for　consideration；　and　to　see　whether　the　demolishing　of　their　second　wall　would　not　make　them　a　little　more　compliant；　or　whether　they　were　not　somewhat　afraid　of　a　famine；　　　because　the　spoils　they　had　gotten　by　rapine　would　not　be　sufficient　for　them　long；　so　he　made　use　of　this　relaxation　in　order　to　compass　his　own　designs。　Accordingly；　as　the　　　usual　appointed　time　when　he　must　distribute　subsistence　money　to　the　soldiers　was　now　come；　he　gave　orders　that　　　the　commanders　should　put　the　army　into　battle…array；　in　the　face　of　the　enemy；　and　then　give　every　one　of　the　　　soldiers　their　pay。　So　the　soldiers；　according　to　custom；　opened　the　cases　wherein　their　arms　before　lay　covered；　　　and　marched　with　their　breastplates　on；　as　did　the　　　horsemen　lead　their　horses　in　their　fine　trappings。　Then　did　the　places　that　were　before　the　city　shine　very　splendidly　for　a　great　way；　nor　was　there　any　thing　so　grateful　to　　　Titus's　own　men；　or　so　terrible　to　the　enemy；　as　that　sight。　For　the　whole　old　wall；　and　the　north　side　of　the　temple；　were　full　of　spectators；　and　one　might　see　the　houses　full　of　such　as　looked　at　them；　nor　was　there　any　part　of　the　city　which　was　not　covered　over　with　their　multitudes；　nay；　a　very　great　consternation　seized　upon　the　hardiest　of　the　Jews　themselves；　when　they　saw　all　the　army　in　the　same　　　place；　together　with　the　fineness　of　their　arms；　and　the　good　order　of　their　men。　And　I　cannot　but　think　that　the　seditious　would　have　changed　their　minds　at　that　sight；　　　unless　the　crimes　they　had　committed　against　the　people　　　had　been　so　horrid；　that　they　despaired　of　forgiveness　from　the　Romans；　but　as　they　believed　death　with　torments　must　be　their　punishment；　if　they　did　not　go　on　in　the　defense　of　the　city；　they　thought　it　much　better　to　die　in　war。　Fate　also　prevailed　so　far　over　them；　that　the　innocent　were　to　perish　with　the　guilty；　and　the　city　was　to　be　destroyed　with　the　seditious　that　were　in　it。　　　　　　2。　Thus　did　the　Romans　spend　four　days　in　bringing　this　　　subsistence…money　to　the　several　legions。　But　on　the　fifth　day；　when　no　signs　of　peace　appeared　to　come　from　the　　　Jews；　Titus　divided　his　legions；　and　began　to　raise　banks；　both　at　the　tower　of　Antonia　and　at　John's　monument。　Now　his　designs　were　to　take　the　upper　city　at　that　monument；　and　the　temple　at　the　tower　of　Antonia；　for　if　the　temple　were　not　taken；　it　would　be　dangerous　to　keep　the　city　　　itself；　so　at　each　of　these　parts　he　raised　him　banks；　each　legion　raising　one。　As　for　those　that　wrought　at　John's　　　monument；　the　Idumeans；　and　those　that　were　in　arms　with　Simon；　made　sallies　upon　them；　and　put　some　stop　to　　　them；　while　John's　party；　and　the　multitude　of　zealots　with　them；　did　the　like　to　those　that　were　before　the　tower　of　Antonia。　These　Jews　were　now　too　hard　for　the　Romans；　　　not　only　in　direct　fighting；　because　they　stood　upon　the　hi