the wars of the jews-第155章

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Which　The　Holy　House　Itself　Was　Burnt　Down；　Even　Against　His　Consent。　　　　1。　And　now　two　of　the　legions　had　completed　their　banks　on　the　eighth　day　of　the　month　Lous　＇Ab＇。　Whereupon　Titus　gave　orders　that　the　battering　rams　should　be　brought；　and　set　over　against　the　western　edifice　of　the　inner　temple；　for　before　these　were　brought；　the　firmest　of　all　the　other　engines　had　battered　the　wall　for　six　days　together　without　ceasing；　without　making　any　impression　upon　it；　but　the　vast　largeness　and　strong　connexion　of　the　stones　were　superior　to　that　engine；　and　to　the　other　battering　rams　also。　Other　Romans　did　indeed　undermine　the　foundations　of　the　northern　gate；　and　after　a　world　of　pains　removed　the　outermost　stones；　yet　was　the　gate　still　upheld　by　the　inner　stones；　and　stood　still　unhurt；　till　the　workmen；　despairing　of　all　such　attempts　by　engines　and　crows；　brought　their　ladders　to　the　cloisters。　Now　the　Jews　did　not　interrupt　them　in　so　doing；　but　when　they　were　gotten　up；　they　fell　upon　them；　and　fought　with　them；　some　of　them　they　thrust　down；　and　threw　them　backwards　headlong；　others　of　them　they　met　and　slew；　they　also　beat　many　of　those　that　went　down　the　ladders　again；　and　slew　them　with　their　swords　before　they　could　bring　their　shields　to　protect　them；　nay；　some　of　the　ladders　they　threw　down　from　above　when　they　were　full　of　armed　men；　a　great　slaughter　was　made　of　the　Jews　also　at　the　same　time；　while　those　that　bare　the　ensigns　fought　hard　for　them；　as　deeming　it　a　terrible　thing；　and　what　would　tend　to　their　great　shame；　if　they　permitted　them　to　be　stolen　away。　Yet　did　the　Jews　at　length　get　possession　of　these　engines；　and　destroyed　those　that　had　gone　up　the　ladders；　while　the　rest　were　so　intimidated　by　what　those　suffered　who　were　slain；　that　they　retired；　although　none　of　the　Romans　died　without　having　done　good　service　before　his　death。　Of　the　seditious；　those　that　had　fought　bravely　in　the　former　battles　did　the　like　now；　as　besides　them　did　Eleazar；　the　brother's　son　of　Simon　the　tyrant。　But　when　Titus　perceived　that　his　endeavors　to　spare　a　foreign　temple　turned　to　the　damage　of　his　soldiers；　and　then　be　killed；　he　gave　order　to　set　the　gates　on　fire。　

2。　In　the　mean　time；　there　deserted　to　him　Ananus；　who　came　from　Emmaus；　the　most　bloody　of　all　Simon's　guards；　and　Archelaus；　the　son　of　Magadatus；　they　hoping　to　be　still　forgiven；　because　they　left　the　Jews　at　a　time　when　they　were　the　conquerors。　Titus　objected　this　to　these　men；　as　a　cunning　trick　of　theirs；　and　as　he　had　been　informed　of　their　other　barbarities　towards　the　Jews；　he　was　going　in　all　haste　to　have　them　both　slain。　He　told　them　that　they　were　only　driven　to　this　desertion　because　of　the　utmost　distress　they　were　in；　and　did　not　come　away　of　their　own　good　disposition；　and　that　those　did　not　deserve　to　be　preserved；　by　whom　their　own　city　was　already　set　on　fire；　out　of　which　fire　they　now　hurried　themselves　away。　However；　the　security　he　had　promised　deserters　overcame　his　resentments；　and　he　dismissed　them　accordingly；　though　he　did　not　give　them　the　same　privileges　that　he　had　　afforded　to　others。　And　now　the　soldiers　had　already　put　fire　to　the　gates；　and　the　silver　that　was　over　them　quickly　carried　the　flames　to　the　wood　that　was　within　it；　whence　it　spread　itself　all　on　the　sudden；　and　caught　hold　on　the　cloisters。　Upon　the　Jews　seeing　this　fire　all　about　them；　their　spirits　sunk　together　with　their　bodies；　and　they　were　under　such　astonishment；　that　not　one　of　them　made　any　haste；　either　to　defend　himself　or　to　quench　the　fire；　but　they　stood　as　mute　spectators　of　it　only。　However；　they　did　not　so　grieve　at　the　loss　of　what　was　now　burning；　as　to　grow　wiser　thereby　for　the　time　to　come；　but　as　though　the　holy　house　itself　had　been　on　fire　already；　they　whetted　their　passions　against　the　Romans。　This　fire　prevailed　　during　that　day　and　the　next　also；　for　the　soldiers　were　not　able　to　burn　all　the　cloisters　that　were　round　about　together　at　one　time；　but　only　by　pieces。　　　　3。　But　then；　on　the　next　day；　Titus　commanded　part　of　his　army　to　quench　the　fire；　and　to　make　a　road　for　the　more　easy　marching　up　of　the　legions；　while　he　himself　gathered　the　commanders　together。　Of　those　there　were　assembled　the　six　principal　persons：　Tiberius　Alexander；　the　commander　＇under　the　general＇　of　the　whole　army；　with　Sextus　Cerealis；　the　commander　of　the　fifth　legion；　and　Larcius　Lepidus；　the　commander　of　the　tenth　legion；　and　Titus　Frigius；　the　commander　of　the　fifteenth　legion：　there　was　also　with　them　Eternius；　the　leader　of　the　two　legions　that　came　from　Alexandria；　and　Marcus　Antonius　Julianus；　procurator　of　Judea：　after　these　came　together　all　the　rest　of　the　procurators　and　tribunes。　Titus　proposed　to　these　that　they　should　give　him　their　advice　what　should　be　done　about　the　holy　house。　Now　some　of　these　thought　it　would　be　the　best　way　to　act　according　to　the　rules　of　war；　＇and　demolish　it；＇　because　the　Jews　would　never　leave　off　rebelling　while　that　house　was　standing；　at　which　house　it　was　that　they　used　to　get　all　together。　Others　of　them　were　of　opinion；　that　in　case　the　Jews　would　leave　it；　and　none　of　them　would　lay　their　arms　up　in　it；　he　might　save　it；　but　that　in　case　they　got　upon　it；　and　fought　any　more；　he　might　burn　it；　because　it　must　then　be　looked　upon　not　as　a　holy　house；　but　as　a　citadel；　and　that　the　impiety　of　burning　it　would　then　belong　to　those　that　forced　this　to　be　done；　and　not　to　them。　But　Titus　said；　that　〃although　the　Jews　should　get　upon　that　holy　house；　and　fight　us　thence；　yet　ought　we　not　to　revenge　ourselves　on　things　that　are　inanimate；　instead　of　the　men　themselves；〃　and　that　he　was　not　in　any　case　for　burning　down　so　vast　a　work　as　that　was；　because　this　would　be　a　mischief　to　the　Romans　themselves；　as　it　would　be　an　ornament　to　their　government　while　it　continued。　So　Fronto；　and　Alexander；　and　Cerealis　grew　bold　upon　that　declaration；　and　agreed　to　the　opinion　of　Titus。　Then　was　this　assembly　dissolved；　when　Titus　had　given　orders　to　the　commanders　that　the　rest　of　their　forces　should　lie　still；　but　that　they　should　make　use　of　such　as　were　most　courageous　in　this　attack。　So　he　commanded　that　the　chosen　men　that　were　taken　out　of　the　cohorts　should　make　their　way　through　the　ruins；　and　　quench　the　fire。　　　　4。　Now　it　is　true　that　on　this　day　the　Jews　were　so　weary；　and　under　such　consternation；　that　they　refrained　from　any　attacks。　But　on　the　next　day　they　gathered　their　whole　force　together；　and　ran　upon　those　that　guarded　the　outward　court　of　the　temple　very　boldly；　through　the　east　gate；　and　this　about　the　second　hour　of　the　day。　These　guards　received　that　their　attack　with　great　bravery；　and　by　covering　themselves　with　their　shields　before；　as　if　it　were　with　a　wall；　they　drew　their　squadron　close　together；　yet　was　it　evident　that　they　could　not　abide　there　very　long；　but　would　be　overborne　by　the　multitude　of　those　that　sallied　out　upon　them；　and　by　the　heat　of　their　passion。　However；　Caesar　seeing；　from　the　tower　of　Antonia；　that　this　squadron　was　likely　to　give　way；　he　sent　some　chosen　horsemen　to　support　them。　Hereupon　the　Jews　found　themselves　not　able　to　sustain　their　onset；　and　upon　the　sla