the wars of the jews-第140章

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t　deal　them　useless　to　him。　The　main　　reason　why　he　did　not　forbid　that　cruelty　was　this；　that　he　hoped　the　Jews　might　perhaps　yield　at　that　sight；　out　of　fear　lest　they　might　themselves　afterwards　be　liable　to　the　same　cruel　treatment。　So　the　soldiers；　out　of　the　wrath　and　hatred　they　bore　the　Jews；　nailed　those　they　caught；　one　after　one　way；　and　another　after　another；　to　the　crosses；　by　way　of　jest；　when　their　multitude　was　so　great；　that　room　was　wanting　for　the　crosses；　and　crosses　wanting　for　the　bodies。　（19）　　　　2。　But　so　far　were　the　seditious　from　repenting　at　this　sad　sight；　that；　on　the　contrary；　they　made　the　rest　of　the　multitude　believe　otherwise；　for　they　brought　the　relations　of　those　that　had　deserted　upon　the　wall；　with　such　of　the　populace　as　were　very　eager　to　go　over　upon　the　security　offered　them；　and　showed　them　what　miseries　those　underwent　who　fled　to　the　Romans；　and　told　them　that　those　who　were　caught　were　supplicants　to　them；　and　not　such　as　were　taken　prisoners。　This　sight　kept　many　of　　those　within　the　city　who　were　so　eager　to　desert；　till　the　truth　was　known；　yet　did　some　of　them　run　away　immediately　as　unto　certain　punishment；　esteeming　death　from　their　enemies　to　be　a　quiet　departure；　if　compared　with　that　by　famine。　So　Titus　commanded　that　the　hands　of　many　of　those　that　were　caught　should　be　cut　off；　that　they　might　not　be　thought　deserters；　and　might　be　credited　on　account　of　the　calamity　they　were　under；　and　sent　them　in　to　John　and　Simon；　with　this　exhortation；　that　they　would　now　at　length　leave　off　＇their　madness＇；　and　not　force　him　to　destroy　the　city；　whereby　they　would　have　those　advantages　of　repentance；　even　in　their　utmost　distress；　that　they　would　preserve　their　own　lives；　and　so　find　a　city　of　their　own；　and　that　temple　which　was　their　peculiar。　He　then　went　round　about　the　banks　that　were　cast　up；　and　hastened　them；　in　order　to　show　that　his　words　should　in　no　long　time　be　followed　by　his　deeds。　In　answer　to　which　the　seditious　cast　reproaches　upon　Caesar　himself；　and　upon　his　father　also；　and　cried　out；　with　a　loud　voice；　that　they　contemned　death；　and　did　well　in　preferring　it　before　slavery；　that　they　would　do　all　the　mischief　to　the　Romans　they　could　while　they　had　breath　in　them；　and　that　for　their　own　city；　since　they　were；　as　he　said；　to　be　destroyed；　they　had　no　concern　about　it；　and　that　the　world　itself　was　a　better　temple　to　God　than　this。　That　yet　this　temple　would　be　preserved　by　him　that　inhabited　therein；　whom　they　still　had　for　their　assistant　in　this　war；　and　did　therefore　laugh　at　all　his　threatenings；　which　would　come　to　nothing；　because　the　conclusion　of　the　whole　depended　upon　God　only。　These　words　were　mixed　with　reproaches；　and　with　them　they　made　a　mighty　clamor。　　　　3。　In　the　mean　time　Antiochus　Epiphanes　came　to　the　city；　having　with　him　a　considerable　number　of　other　armed　men；　and　a　band　called　the　Macedonian　band　about　him；　all　of　the　same　age；　tall；　and　just　past　their　childhood；　armed；　and　instructed　after　the　Macedonian　manner；　whence　it　was　that　they　took　that　name。　Yet　were　many　of　them　unworthy　of　so　famous　a　nation；　for　it　had　so　happened；　that　the　king　of　Commagene　had　flourished　more　than　any　other　kings　that　were　under　the　power　of　the　Romans；　till　a　change　happened　in　his　condition；　and　when　he　was　become　an　old　man；　he　declared　plainly　that　we　ought　not　to　call　any　man　happy　before　he　is　dead。　But　this　son　of　his；　who　was　then　come　thither　before　his　father　was　decaying；　said　that　he　could　not　but　wonder　what　made　the　Romans　so　tardy　in　making　their　attacks　upon　the　wall。　　Now　he　was　a　warlike　man；　and　naturally　bold　in　exposing　himself　to　dangers；　he　was　also　so　strong　a　man；　that　his　boldness　seldom　failed　of　having　success。　Upon　this　Titus　smiled；　and　said　he　would　share　the　pains　of　an　attack　with　him。　However；　Antiochus　went　as　he　then　was；　and　with　his　Macedonians　made　a　sudden　assault　upon　the　wall；　and；　indeed；　for　his　own　part；　his　strength　and　skill　were　so　great；　that　he　guarded　himself　from　the　Jewish　darts；　and　yet　shot　his　darts　at　them；　while　yet　the　young　men　with　him　were　almost　all　sorely　galled；　for　they　had　so　great　a　regard　to　the　promises　that　had　been　made　of　their　courage；　that　they　would　needs　persevere　in　their　fighting；　and　at　length　many　of　them　retired；　but　not　till　they　were　wounded；　and　then　they　perceived　that　true　Macedonians；　if　they　were　to　be　conquerors；　must　have　Alexander's　good　fortune　also。　　　　4。　Now　as　the　Romans　began　to　raise　their　banks　on　the　twelfth　day　of　the　month　Artemisius；　＇Jyar；＇　so　had　they　much　ado　to　finish　them　by　the　twenty…ninth　day　of　the　same　month；　after　they　had　labored　hard　for　seventeen　days　continually。　For　there　were　now　four　great　banks　raised；　one　of　which　was　at　the　tower　Antonia；　this　was　raised　by　the　fifth　legion；　over　against　the　middle　of　that　pool　which　was　called　Struthius。　Another　was　cast　up　by　the　twelfth　legion；　at　the　distance　of　about　twenty　cubits　from　the　other。　But　the　labors　of　the　tenth　legion；　which　lay　a　great　way　off　these；　were　on　the　north　quarter；　and　at　the　pool　called　Amygdalon；　as　was　that　of　the　fifteenth　legion　about　thirty　cubits　from　it；　and　at　the　high　priest's　monument。　And　now；　when　the　engines　were　brought；　John　had　from　within　undermined　the　space　that　was　over　against　the　tower　of　Antonia；　as　far　as　the　banks　themselves；　and　had　supported　the　ground　over　the　mine　　with　beams　laid　across　one　another；　whereby　the　Roman　works　stood　upon　an　uncertain　foundation。　Then　did　he　order　such　materials　to　be　brought　in　as　were　daubed　over　with　pitch　and　bitumen；　and　set　them　on　fire；　and　as　the　cross　beams　that　supported　the　banks　were　burning；　the　　ditch　yielded　on　the　sudden；　and　the　banks　were　shaken　down；　and　fell　into　the　ditch　with　a　prodigious　noise。　Now　at　the　first　there　arose　a　very　thick　smoke　and　dust；　as　the　fire　was　choked　with　the　fall　of　the　bank；　but　as　the　suffocated　materials　were　now　gradually　consumed；　a　plain　flame　brake　out；　on　which　sudden　appearance　of　the　flame　a　consternation　fell　upon　the　Romans；　and　the　shrewdness　of　the　contrivance　discouraged　them；　and　indeed　this　accident　coming　upon　them　at　a　time　when　they　thought　they　had　　already　gained　their　point；　cooled　their　hopes　for　the　time　to　come。　They　also　thought　it　would　be　to　no　purpose　to　take　the　pains　to　extinguish　the　fire；　since　if　it　were　extinguished；　the　banks　were　swallowed　up　already　＇and　become　useless　to　them＇。　　　　5。　Two　days　after　this；　Simon　and　his　party　made　an　attempt　to　destroy　the　other　banks；　for　the　Romans　had　brought　their　engines　to　bear　there；　and　began　already　to　make　the　wall　shake。　And　here　one　Tephtheus；　of　Garsis；　a　city　of　Galilee；　and　Megassarus；　one　who　was　derived　from　some　of　queen　Mariamne's　servants；　and　with　them　one　from　Adiabene；　he　was　the　son　of　Nabateus；　and　called　by　the　name　of　Chagiras；　from　the　ill　fortune　he　had；　the　word　signifying　〃a　lame　man；〃　snatched　some　torches；　and　ran　suddenly　upon　the　engines。　Nor　were　there　during　this　war　any　men　that　ever　sallied　out　of　the　city　who　were　their　superiors；　either　in　their　boldness；　or　in　the　terror　they　struck　into　their　enemies。　For　they　ran　out　upon　the　Romans；　not　as　if　they　w