the wars of the jews-第112章

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the　terror　they　were　in；　till　at　last　the　most　courageous　of　them　brake　through　those　horsemen　and　fled　to　the　wall　of　the　village。　And　now　those　that　guarded　the　wall　were　in　great　doubt　what　to　do；　for　they　could　not　bear　the　thoughts　of　excluding　those　that　came　from　Gadara；　because　of　their　own　people　that　were　among　them；　and　yet；　if　they　should　admit　them；　they　expected　to　perish　with　them；　which　came　to　pass　accordingly；　for　as　they　were　crowding　together　at　the　wall；　the　Roman　horsemen　were　just　ready　to　fall　in　with　them。　However；　the　guards　prevented　them；　and　shut　the　　　gates；　when　Placidus　made　an　assault　upon　them；　and　fighting　courageously　till　it　was　dark；　he　got　possession　of　the　wall；　and　of　the　people　that　were　in　the　city；　when　the　useless　multitude　were　destroyed；　but　those　that　were　more　potent　ran　away；　and　the　soldiers　plundered　the　houses；　and　set　the　village　on　fire。　As　for　those　that　ran　out　of　the　village；　they　stirred　up　such　as　were　in　the　country；　and　exaggerating　their　own　calamities；　and　telling　them　that　the　whole　army　of　the　Romans　were　upon　them；　they　put　them　into　great　fear　on　　　every　side；　so　they　got　in　great　numbers　together；　and　fled　to　Jericho；　for　they　knew　no　other　place　that　could　afford　them　any　hope　of　escaping；　it　being　a　city　that　had　a　strong　wall；　and　a　great　multitude　of　inhabitants。　But　Placidus；　relying　much　upon　his　horsemen；　and　his　former　good　success；　　　followed　them；　and　slew　all　that　he　overtook；　as　far　as　　　Jordan；　and　when　he　had　driven　the　whole　multitude　to　the　river…side；　where　they　were　stopped　by　the　current；　（for　it　had　been　augmented　lately　by　rains；　and　was　not　fordable；）　he　put　his　soldiers　in　array　over　against　them；　so　the　necessity　the　others　were　in　provoked　them　to　hazard　a　battle；　because　there　was　no　place　whither　they　could　flee。　They　then　　　extended　themselves　a　very　great　way　along　the　banks　of　the　river；　and　sustained　the　darts　that　were　thrown　at　them；　as　well　as　the　attacks　of　the　horsemen；　who　beat　many　of　them；　and　pushed　them　into　the　current。　At　which　fight；　hand　to　hand；　fifteen　thousand　of　them　were　slain；　while　the　number　of　those　that　were　unwillingly　forced　to　leap　into　Jordan　was　prodigious。　There　were　besides　two　thousand　and　two　　　hundred　taken　prisoners。　A　mighty　prey　was　taken　also；　　　consisting　of　asses；　and　sheep；　and　camels；　and　oxen。　　　　　　6。　Now　this　destruction　that　fell　upon　the　Jews；　as　it　was　not　inferior　to　any　of　the　rest　in　itself；　so　did　it　still　appear　greater　than　it　really　was；　and　this；　because　not　only　the　whole　country　through　which　they　fled　was　filled　with　　　slaughter；　and　Jordan　could　not　be　passed　over；　by　reason　of　the　dead　bodies　that　were　in　it；　but　because　the　lake　　　Asphaltiris　was　also　full　of　dead　bodies；　that　were　carried　down　into　it　by　the　river。　And　now　Placidus；　after　this　good　success　that　he　had；　fell　violently　upon　the　neighboring　smaller　cities　and　villages；　when　he　took　Abila；　and　Julias；　and　Bezemoth；　and　all　those　that　lay　as　far　as　the　lake　　　Asphaltitis；　and　put　such　of　the　deserters　into　each　of　them　as　he　thought　proper。　He　then　put　his　soldiers　on　board　the　ships；　and　slew　such　as　had　fled　to　the　lake；　insomuch　that　all　Perea　had　either　surrendered　themselves；　or　were　taken　by　the　Romans；　as　far　as　Macherus。　　　　　　　　　　CHAPTER　8。　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　How　Vespasian　。Upon　Hearing　Of　Some　Commotions　In　Gall；　（12）　Made　Haste　To　Finish　The　Jewish　War。　A　Description　Of。　Jericho；　And　Of　The　Great　Plain；　With　An　Account　Besides　Of　The　Lake　Asphaltitis。　　　　　　　　　　　　1。　In　the　mean　time；　an　account　came　that　there　were　　　commotions　in　Gall；　and　that　Vindex；　together　with　the　men　of　power　in　that　country；　had　revolted　from　Nero；　which　　　affair　is　more　accurately　described　elsewhere。　This　report；　thus　related　to　Vespasian；　excited　him　to　go　on　briskly　with　the　war；　for　he　foresaw　already　the　civil　wars　which　were　coming　upon　them；　nay；　that　the　very　government　was　in　　　danger；　and　he　thought；　if　he　could　first　reduce　the　eastern　parts　of　the　empire　to　peace；　he　should　make　the　fears　for　Italy　the　lighter；　while　therefore　the　winter　was　his　　　hinderance　＇from　going　into　the　field＇；　he　put　garrisons　into　the　villages　and　smaller　cities　for　their　security；　he　put　decurions　also　into　the　villages；　and　centurions　into　the　cities：　he　besides　this　rebuilt　many　of　the　cities　that　had　been　laid　waste；　but　at　the　beginning　of　the　spring　he　took　the　greatest　part　of　his　army；　and　led　it　from　Cesarea　to　Antipatris；　where　he　spent　two　days　in　settling　the　affairs　of　that　city；　and　then；　on　the　third　day；　he　marched　on；　laying　waste　and　burning　all　the　neighboring　villages。　And　when　he　had　laid　waste　all　the　places　about　the　toparchy　of　Thamnas；　he　passed　on　to　　　Lydda　and　Jamnia；　and　when　both　these　cities　had　come　over　to　him；　he　placed　a　great　many　of　those　that　had　come　over　to　him　＇from　other　places＇　as　inhabitants　therein；　and　then　came　to　Emmaus；　where　he　seized　upon　the　passage　which　　　led　thence　to　their　metropolis；　and　fortified　his　camp；　and　leaving　the　fifth　legion　therein；　he　came　to　the　toparchy　of　Bethletephon。　He　then　destroyed　that　place；　and　the　　　neighboring　places；　by　fire；　and　fortified；　at　proper　places；　the　strong　holds　all　about　Idumea；　and　when　he　had　seized　upon　two　villages；　which　were　in　the　very　midst　of　Idumea；　Betaris　and　Caphartobas；　he　slew　above　ten　thousand　of　the　people；　and　carried　into　captivity　above　a　thousand；　and　drove　away　the　rest　of　the　multitude；　and　placed　no　small　part　of　his　own　forces　in　them；　who　overran　and　laid　waste　the　whole　　　mountainous　country；　while　he；　with　the　rest　of　his　forces；　returned　to　Emmaus；　whence　he　came　down　through　the　　　country　of　Samaria；　and　hard　by　the　city；　by　others　called　Neapoils；　（or　Sichem；）　but　by　the　people　of　that　country　Mabortha；　to　Corea；　where　he　pitched　his　camp；　on　the　　　second　day　of　the　month　Desius　＇Sivan＇；　and　on　the　day　　　following　he　came　to　Jericho；　on　which　day　Trajan；　one　of　his　commanders；　joined　him　with　the　forces　he　brought　out　of　Perea；　all　the　places　beyond　Jordan　being　subdued　already。　　　　2。　Hereupon　a　great　multitude　prevented　their　approach；　and　came　out　of　Jericho；　and　fled　to　those　mountainous　parts　that　lay　over　against　Jerusalem；　while　that　part　which　was　left　behind　was　in　a　great　measure　destroyed；　they　also　found　the　city　desolate。　It　is　situated　in　a　plain；　but　a　naked　and　barren　mountain；　of　a　very　great　length；　hangs　over　it；　which　extends　itself　to　the　land　about　Scythopolis　northward；　but　as　far　as　the　country　of　Sodom；　and　the　utmost　limits　of　the　lake　　　Asphaltiris；　southward。　This　mountain　is　all　of　it　very　uneven　and　uninhabited；　by　reason　of　its　barrenness：　there　is　an　opposite　mountain　that　is　situated　over　against　it；　on　the　other　side　of　Jordan；　this　last　begins　at　Julias；　and　the　northern　quarters；　and　extends　itself　southward　as　far　as　Somorrhon；　（13）　which　is　the　bounds　of　Petra；　in　Arabia。　In　this　ridge　of　mountains　there　is　one　called　the　Iron　　　Mountain；　that　runs　in　length　as　far　as　Moab。　Now　the　region　that　lies　in　the　middle　between　these　ridges　of　mountains　is　called　the　Great　Plain；　it　reaches　from　the　village　Ginnabris；　as　far　as　the　lake　Asphaltitis；　its　length　is　two