the wars of the jews-第63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！


　with　them；　and　had　only　light　armor　on；　while　the　others　were　completely　armed。　However；　three　men　of　the　Jews'　side　were　slain；　and　a　few　wounded；　so　Placidus；　finding　himself　unable　to　assault　the　city；　ran　away。

2。　But　as　Vespasian　had　a　great　mind　to　fall　upon　Galilee；　he　marched　out　of　Ptolemais；　having　put　his　army　into　that　order　wherein　the　Romans　used　to　march。　He　ordered　those　auxiliaries　which　were　lightly　armed；　and　the　archers；　to　march　first；　that　they　might　prevent　any　sudden　insults　from　the　enemy；　and　might　search　out　the　woods　that　looked　suspiciously；　and　were　capable　of　ambuscades。　Next　to　these　followed　that　part　of　the　Romans　which　was　completely　armed；　both　footmen　；and　horsemen。　Next　to　these　followed　ten　out　of　every　hundred；　carrying　along　with　them　their　arms；　and　what　was　necessary　to　measure　out　a　camp　withal；　and　after　them；　such　as　were　to　make　the　road　even　and　straight；　and　if　it　were　any　where　rough　and　hard　to　be　passed　over；　to　plane　it；　and　to　cut　down　the　woods　that　hindered　their　march；　that　the　army　might　not　be　in　distress；　or　tired　with　their　march。　Behind　these　he　set　such　carriages　of　the　army　as　belonged　both　to　himself　and　to　the　other　commanders；　with　a　considerable　number　of　their　horsemen　for　their　security。　After　these　he　marched　himself；　having　with　him　a　select　body　of　footmen；　and　horsemen；　and　pikemen。　After　these　came　the　peculiar　cavalry　of　his　own　legion；　for　there　were　a　hundred　and　twenty　horsemen　that　peculiarly　belonged　to　every　legion。　Next　to　these　came　the　mules　that　carried　the　engines　for　sieges；　and　the　other　warlike　machines　of　that　nature。　After　these　came　the　commanders　of　the　cohorts　and　tribunes；　having　about　them　soldiers　chosen　out　of　the　rest。　Then　came　the　ensigns　encompassing　the　eagle；　which　is　at　the　head　of　every　Roman　legion；　the　king；　and　the　strongest　of　all　birds；　which　seems　to　them　a　signal　of　dominion；　and　an　omen　that　they　shall　conquer　all　against　whom　they　march；　these　sacred　ensigns　are　followed　by　the　trumpeters。　Then　came　the　main　army　in　their　squadrons　and　battalions；　with　six　men　in　depth；　which　were　followed　at　last　by　a　centurion；　who；　according　to　custom；　observed　the　rest。　As　for　the　servants　of　every　legion；　they　all　followed　the　footmen；　and　led　the　baggage　of　the　soldiers；　which　was　borne　by　the　mules　and　other　beasts　of　burden。　But　behind　all　the　legions　carne　the　whole　multitude　of　the　mercenaries；　and　those　that　brought　up　the　rear　came　last　of　all　for　the　security　of　the　whole　army；　being　both　footmen；　and　those　in　their　armor　also；　with　a　great　number　of　horsemen。

3。　And　thus　did　Vespasian　march　with　his　army；　and　came　to　the　bounds　of　Galileo；　where　he　pitched　his　camp　and　restrained　his　soldiers；　who　were　eager　for　war；　he　also　showed　his　army　to　the　enemy；　in　order　to　affright　them；　and　to　afford　them　a　season　for　repentance；　to　see　whether　they　would　change　their　minds　before　it　came　to　a　battle；　and　at　the　same　time　he　got　things　ready　for　besieging　their　strong　minds。　And　indeed　this　sight　of　the　general　brought　many　to　repent　of　their　revolt；　and　put　them　all　into　a　consternation；　for　those　that　were　in　Josephus's　camp；　which　was　at　the　city　called　Garis；　not　far　from　Sepphoris；　when　they　heard　that　the　war　was　come　near　them；　and　that　the　Romans　would　suddenly　fight　them　hand　to　hand；　dispersed　themselves　and　fled；　not　only　before　they　came　to　a　battle；　but　before　the　enemy　ever　came　in　sight；　while　Josephus　and　a　few　others　were　left　behind；　and　as　he　saw　that　he　had　not　an　army　sufficient　to　engage　the　enemy；　that　the　spirits　of　the　Jews　were　sunk；　and　that　the　greater　part　would　willingly　come　to　terms；　if　they　might　be　credited；　he　already　despaired　of　the　success　of　the　whole　war；　and　determined　to　get　as　far　as　he　possibly　could　out　of　danger；　so　he　took　those　that　staid　along　with　him；　and　fled　to　Tiberias。

CHAPTER　7。

Vespasian；　When　He　Had　Taken　The　City　Gadaea　Marches　To　Jotapata。　After　A　Long　Siege　The　City　Is　Betrayed　By　A　Deserter；　And　Taken　By　Vespasian。

1。　So　Vespasian　marched　to　the　city　Gadara；　and　took　it　upon　the　first　onset；　because　he　found　it　destitute　of　any　considerable　number　of　men　grown　up　and　fit　for　war。　He　came　then　into　it；　and　slew　all　the　youth；　the　Romans　having　no　mercy　on　any　age　whatsoever；　and　this　was　done　out　of　the　hatred　they　bore　the　nation；　and　because　of　the　iniquity　they　had　been　guilty　of　in　the　affair　of　Cestius。　He　also　set　fire　not　only　to　the　city　itself；　but　to　all　the　villas　and　small　cities　that　were　round　about　it；　some　of　them　were　quite　destitute　of　inhabitants；　and　out　of　some　of　them　he　carried　the　inhabitants　as　slaves　into　captivity。

2。　As　to　Josephus；　his　retiring　to　that　city　which　he　chose　as　the　most　fit　for　his　security；　put　it　into　great　fear；　for　the　people　of　Tiberias　did　not　imagine　that　he　would　have　run　away；　unless　he　had　entirely　despaired　of　the　success　of　the　war。　And　indeed；　as　to　that　point；　they　were　not　mistaken　about　his　opinion；　for　he　saw　whither　the　affairs　of　the　Jews　would　tend　at　last；　and　was　sensible　that　they　had　but　one　way　of　escaping；　and　that　was　by　repentance。　However；　although　he　expected　that　the　Romans　would　forgive　him；　yet　did　he　chose　to　die　many　times　over；　rather　than　to　betray　his　country；　and　to　dishonor　that　supreme　command　of　the　army　which　had　been　intrusted　with　him；　or　to　live　happily　under　those　against　whom　he　was　sent　to　fight。　He　determined；　therefore；　to　give　an　exact　account　of　affairs　to　the　principal　men　at　Jerusalem　by　a　letter；　that　he　might　not；　by　too　much　aggrandizing　the　power　of　the　enemy；　make　them　too　timorous；　nor；　by　relating　that　their　power　beneath　the　truth；　might　encourage　them　to　stand　out　when　they　were　perhaps　disposed　to　repentance。　He　also　sent　them　word；　that　if　they　thought　of　coming　to　terms；　they　must　suddenly　write　him　an　answer；　or　if　they　resolved　upon　war；　they　must　send　him　an　army　sufficient　to　fight　the　Romans。　Accordingly；　he　wrote　these　things；　and　sent　messengers　immediately　to　carry　his　letter　to　Jerusalem。

3。　Now　Vespasian　was　very　desirous　of　demolishing　Jotapata；　for　he　had　gotten　intelligence　that　the　greatest　part　of　the　enemy　had　retired　thither；　and　that　it　was；　on　other　accounts；　a　place　of　great　security　to　them。　Accordingly；　he　sent　both　foot…men　and　horsemen　to　level　the　road；　which　was　mountainous　and　rocky；　not　without　difficulty　to　be　traveled　over　by　footmen；　but　absolutely　impracticable　for　horsemen。　Now　these　workmen　accomplished　what　they　were　about　in　four　days'　time；　and　opened　a　broad　way　for　the　army。　On　the　fifth　day；　which　was　the　twenty…first　of　the　month　Artemisius；　（Jyar；）　Josephus　prevented　him；　and　came　from　Tiberias；　and　went　into　Jotapata；　and　raised　the　drooping　spirits　of　the　Jews。　And　a　certain　deserter　told　this　good　news　to　Vespasian；　that　Josephus　had　removed　himself　thither；　which　made　him　make　haste　to　the　city；　as　supposing　that　with　taking　that　he　should　take　all　Judea；　in　case　he　could　but　withal　get　Josephus　under　his　power。　So　he　took　this　news　to　be　of　the　vastest　advantage　to　him；　and　believed　it　to　be　brought　about　by　the　providence　of　God；　that　he　who　appeared　to　be　the　most　prudent　man　of　all　their　enemies；　had；　of　his　own　accord；　shut　himself　up　in　a　place　of　sure　custody。　Accordingly；　he　sent　Placidus　with　a　thousand　horsemen；　and　Ebutius　a　decurion；　a　person　that　was　of　eminency　both　in　council　and　in　action；　to　encompass　the　city　round；　that　Josephus　might　not　escape　away　privately。

4。　Vespasian　also；　the　very　next　day；　took　his　whole　army　and　followed　them；　and　by　marching　till　late　in　the　evening；　arrived　then　at　Jotapata；　and　bringing　his　army　to　the　northern　side　of　the　city；　he　pitched　his　camp　on　a　certain　small　hill　which　was　seven　furlongs　from　the　city；　and　still　greatly　endeavored　to　be　well　seen　by　the　enemy；　to　put　them　into　a　consternation；　which　was　indeed　so　terrible　to　the　Jews　immediately；　that　no　one　of　them　durst　go　out　beyond　the　wall。　Yet　did　the　Romans　put　off　the　attack　at　that　time；　because　they　had　marched　all　the　day；　although　they　placed　a　double　row　of　battalions　round　the　city；　with　a　third　row　beyond　them　round　the　whole；　which　consisted　of　cavalry；　in　order　to　stop　up　every　way　for　an　exit；　which　thing　making　the　Jews　despair　of　escaping；　excited　them　to　act　more　boldly；　for　nothing　makes　men　fight　so　desperately　in　war　as　necessity。

5。　Now　when　the　next　day　an　assault　was　made　by　the　Romans；　the　Jews　at　first　staid　out　of　the　walls　and　opposed　them；　and　met　them；　as　having　formed　themselves　a　camp　before　the　city　walls。　But　when　Vespasian　had　set　against　them　the　archers　and　slingers；　and　the　whole　multitude　that　could　throw　to　a　great　distance；　he　permitted　them　to　go　to　work；　while　he　himself；　with　the　footmen；　got　upon　an　acclivity；　whence　the　city　might　easily　be　taken。　Josephus　was　then　in　fear　for　the　city；　and　leaped　out；　and　all　the　Jewish　multitude　with　him；　these　fell　together　upon　the　Romans　in　great　numbers；　and　drove　them　away　from　the　wall；　and　performed　a　great　many　glorious　and　bold　actions。　Yet　did　they　suffer　as　much　as　they　made　the　enemy　suffer；　for　as　despair　of　deliverance　encouraged　the　Jews；　so　did　a　sense　of　shame　equally　encourage　the　Roma