the wars of the jews-第149章

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　imagined　more　of　them　had　got　upon　the　wall　than　really　had；　they　were　put　to　flight。　And　now　one　cannot　but　complain　here　of　fortune；　as　still　envious　at　virtue；　and　always　hindering　the　performance　of　glorious　achievements：　this　was　the　case　of　the　man　before　us；　when　he　had　just　obtained　his　purpose；　for　he　then　stumbled　at　a　certain　large　stone；　and　fell　down　upon　it　headlong；　with　a　very　great　noise。　Upon　which　the　Jews　turned　back；　and　when　they　saw　him　to　be　alone；　and　fallen　down　also；　they　threw　darts　at　him　from　every　side。　However。　be　got　upon　his　knee；　and　covered　himself　with　his　shield；　and　at　the　first　defended　himself　against　them；　and　wounded　many　of　　those　that　came　near　him；　but　he　was　soon　forced　to　relax　his　right　hand；　by　the　multitude　of　the　wounds　that　had　been　given　him；　till　at　length　he　was　quite　covered　over　with　darts　before　he　gave　up　the　ghost。　He　was　one　who　deserved　a　better　fate；　by　reason　of　his　bravery；　but；　as　might　be　expected；　he　fell　under　so　vast　an　attempt。　As　for　the　rest　of　his　partners；　the　Jews　dashed　three　of　them　to　pieces　with　stones；　and　slew　them　as　they　were　gotten　up　to　the　top　of　the　wall；　the　other　eight　being　wounded；　were　pulled　down；　and　carried　back　to　the　camp。　These　things　were　done　upon　the　third　day　of　the　month　Panemus　＇Tamuz＇。　　　　7。　Now　two　days　afterward　twelve　of　those　men　that　were　on　the　forefront；　and　kept　watch　upon　the　banks；　got　together；　and　called　to　them　the　standard…bearer　of　the　fifth　legion；　and　two　others　of　a　troop　of　horsemen；　and　one　trumpeter；　these　went　without　noise；　about　the　ninth　hour　of　the　night；　through　the　ruins；　to　the　tower　of　Antonia；　and　when　they　had　cut　the　throats　of　the　first　guards　of　the　place；　as　they　were　asleep；　they　got　possession　of　the　wall；　and　ordered　the　trumpeter　to　sound　his　trumpet。　Upon　which　the　rest　of　the　guard　got　up　on　the　sudden；　and　ran　away；　before　any　body　could　see　how　many　they　were　that　were　gotten　up；　for；　partly　from　the　fear　they　were　in；　and　partly　from　the　sound　of　the　trumpet　which　they　heard；　they　imagined　a　great　number　of　the　enemy　were　gotten　up。　But　as　soon　as　Caesar　heard　the　signal；　he　ordered　the　army　　to　put　on　their　armor　immediately；　and　came　thither　with　his　commanders；　and　first　of　all　ascended；　as　did　the　chosen　men　that　were　with　him。　And　as　the　Jews　were　flying　away　to　the　temple；　they　fell　into　that　mine　which　John　had　dug　under　the　Roman　banks。　Then　did　the　seditious　of　both　the　bodies　of　the　Jewish　army；　as　well　that　belonging　to　John　as　that　belonging　to　Simon；　drive　them　away；　and　indeed　　were　no　way　wanting　as　to　the　highest　degree　of　force　and　alacrity；　for　they　esteemed　themselves　entirely　ruined　if　once　the　Romans　got　into　the　temple；　as　did　the　Romans　look　upon　the　same　thing　as　the　beginning　of　their　entire　conquest。　So　a　terrible　battle　was　fought　at　the　entrance　of　the　temple；　while　the　Romans　were　forcing　their　way；　in　order　to　get　possession　of　that　temple；　and　the　Jews　were　driving　them　back　to　the　tower　of　Antonia；　in　which　battle　the　darts　were　on　both　sides　useless；　as　well　as　the　spears；　and　both　sides　drew　their　swords；　and　fought　it　out　hand　to　hand。　Now　during　this　struggle　the　positions　of　the　men　were　undistinguished　on　both　sides；　and　they　fought　at　random；　the　men　being　intermixed　one　with　another；　and　confounded；　by　reason　of　the　narrowness　of　the　place；　while　the　noise　that　was　made　fell　on　the　ear　after　an　indistinct　manner；　because　it　was　so　very　loud。　Great　slaughter　was　now　made　on　both　sides；　and　the　combatants　trod　upon　the　bodies　and　the　armor　of　those　that　were　dead；　and　dashed　them　to　pieces。　Accordingly；　to　which　side　soever　the　battle　inclined；　those　that　had　the　advantage　exhorted　one　another　to　go　on；　as　did　those　that　were　beaten　make　great　lamentation。　But　still　there　was　no　room　for　flight；　nor　for　pursuit；　but　disorderly　revolutions　and　retreats；　while　the　armies　were　intermixed　one　with　another；　but　those　that　were　in　the　first　ranks　were　under　the　necessity　of　killing　or　being　killed；　without　any　way　for　escaping；　for　those　on　both　sides　that　came　behind　forced　those　before　them　to　go　on；　without　leaving　any　space　between　the　armies。　At　length　the　Jews'　violent　zeal　was　too　hard　for　the　Romans'　skill；　and　the　battle　already　　inclined　entirely　that　way；　for　the　fight　had　lasted　from　the　ninth　hour　of　the　night　till　the　seventh　hour　of　the　day；　While　the　Jews　came　on　in　crowds；　and　had　the　danger　the　temple　was　in　for　their　motive；　the　Romans　having　no　more　here　than　a　part　of　their　army；　for　those　legions；　on　which　the　soldiers　on　that　side　depended；　were　not　come　up　to　them。　So　it　was　at　present　thought　sufficient　by　the　Romans　to　take　possession　of　the　tower　of　Antonia。　　　　8。　But　there　was　one　Julian；　a　centurion；　that　came　from　Eithynia；　a　man　he　was　of　great　reputation；　whom　I　had　formerly　seen　in　that　war；　and　one　of　the　highest　fame；　both　for　his　skill　in　war；　his　strength　of　body；　and　the　courage　of　his　soul。　This　man；　seeing　the　Romans　giving　ground；　and　ill　a　sad　condition；　（for　he　stood　by　Titus　at　the　tower　of　Antonia；）　leaped　out；　and　of　himself　alone　put　the　Jews　to　flight；　when　they　were　already　conquerors；　and　made　them　retire　as　far　as　the　corner　of　the　inner　court　of　the　temple；　from　him　the　multitude　fled　away　in　crowds；　as　supposing　that　neither　his　strength　nor　his　violent　attacks　could　be　those　of　a　mere　man。　Accordingly；　he　rushed　through　the　midst　of　the　Jews；　as　they　were　dispersed　all　abroad；　and　killed　those　that　he　caught。　Nor；　indeed；　was　there　any　sight　that　appeared　more　wonderful　in　the　eyes　of　Caesar；　or　more　terrible　to　others；　than　this。　However；　he　was　himself　pursued　by　fate；　which　it　all　not　possible　that　he；　who　was　but　a　mortal　man；　should　escape；　for　as　he　had　shoes　all　full　of　thick　and　sharp　nails　（4）　as　had　every　one　of　the　other　soldiers；　so　when　he　ran　on　the　pavement　of　the　temple；　he　slipped；　and　fell　down　upon　his　back　with　a　very　great　noise；　which　was　made　by　his　armor。　This　made　those　that　were　running　away　to　turn　back；　whereupon　those　Romans　that　were　in　the　tower　of　Antonia　set　up　a　great　shout；　as　they　were　in　fear　for　the　man。　But　the　Jews　got　about　him　in　crowds；　and　struck　at　him　with　their　spears　and　with　their　swords　on　all　sides。　Now　he　　received　a　great　many　of　the　strokes　of　these　iron　weapons　upon　his　shield；　and　often　attempted　to　get　up　again；　but　was　thrown　down　by　those　that　struck　at　him；　yet　did　he；　as　he　lay　along；　stab　many　of　them　with　his　sword。　Nor　was　he　soon　killed；　as　being　covered　with　his　helmet　and　his　breastplate　in　all　those　parts　of　his　body　where　he　might　be　mortally　wounded；　he　also　pulled　his　neck　close　to　his　body；　till　all　his　other　limbs　were　shattered；　and　nobody　durst　come　to　defend　him；　and　then　he　yielded　to　his　fate。　Now　Caesar　was　deeply　affected　on　account　of　this　man　of　so　great　fortitude；　and　especially　as　he　was　killed　in　the　sight　of　so　many　people；　he　was　desirous　himself　to　come　to　his　assistance；　but　the　place　would　not　give　him　leave；　while　such　as　could　have　done　it　were　too　much　terrified　to　attempt　it。　Thus　when　Julian　had　struggled　with　death　a　great　while；　and　had　let　but　few　of　those　that　had　given　him　his　mortal　wound　go　off　u