the wars of the jews-第124章

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ngry　were　they　at　them；　had　these　not　prevented　the　upshot　of　the　battle；　and　retired　into　the　city。　However；　seeing　the　banks　of　the　Romans　were　demolished；　these　Romans　were　very　much　east　down　upon　the　loss　of　what　had　cost　them　so　long　pains；　and　this　in　one　hour's　time。　And　many　indeed　despaired　of　taking　the　city　with　their　usual　engines　of　war　only。　　　　CHAPTER　12。　　　　　　　Titus　Thought　Fit　To　Encompass　The　City　Round　With　A　Wall；　After　Which　The　Famine　Consumed　The　People　By　Whole　Houses　And　Families　Together。　　　　1。　And　now　did　Titus　consult　with　his　commanders　what　was　to　be　done。　Those　that　were　of　the　warmest　tempers　thought　he　should　bring　the　whole　army　against　the　city　and　storm　the　wall；　for　that　hitherto　no　more　than　a　part　of　their　army　had　fought　with　the　Jews；　but　that　in　case　the　entire　army　was　to　come　at　once；　they　would　not　be　able　to　sustain　their　attacks；　but　would　be　overwhelmed　by　their　darts。　But　of　those　that　were　for　a　more　cautious　management；　some　were　for　raising　their　banks　again；　and　others　advised　to　let　the　banks　alone；　but　to　lie　still　before　the　city；　to　guard　against　the　coming　out　of　the　Jews；　and　against　their　carrying　provisions　into　the　city；　and　so　to　leave　the　enemy　to　the　famine；　and　this　without　direct　fighting　with　them；　for　that　despair　was　not　to　be　conquered；　especially　as　to　those　who　are　desirous　to　die　by　the　sword；　while　a　more　terrible　misery　than　that　is　reserved　for　them。　However；　Titus　did　not　think　it　fit　for　so　great　an　army　to　lie　entirely　idle；　and　that　yet　it　was　in　vain　to　fight　with　those　that　would　be　destroyed　one　by　another；　he　also　showed　them　how　impracticable　it　was　to　cast　up　any　more　banks；　for　want　of　materials；　and　to　guard　against　the　Jews　coming　out　still　more　impracticable；　as　also；　that　to　encompass　the　whole　city　round　with　his　army　was　not　very　easy；　by　reason　of　its　magnitude；　and　the　difficulty　of　the　situation；　and　on　other　accounts　dangerous；　upon　the　sallies　the　Jews　might　make　out　of　the　city。　For　although　they　might　guard　the　known　passages　out　of　the　place；　yet　would　they；　when　they　found　themselves　under　the　greatest　distress；　contrive　secret　passages　out；　as　being　well　acquainted　with　all　such　places；　and　if　any　provisions　were　carried　in　by　stealth；　the　siege　would　thereby　be　longer　delayed。　He　also　owned　that　he　was　afraid　that　the　length　of　time　thus　to　be　spent　would　diminish　the　glory　of　his　success；　for　though　it　be　true　that　length　of　time　will　perfect　every　thing；　yet　that　to　do　what　we　do　in　a　little　time　is　still　necessary　to　the　gaining　reputation。　That　therefore　his　opinion　was；　that　if　they　aimed　at　quickness　joined　with　security；　they　must　build　a　wall　round　about　the　whole　city；　which　was；　he　thought；　the　only　way　to　prevent　the　Jews　from　coming　out　any　way；　and　that　then　they　would　either　entirely　despair　of　saving　the　city；　and　so　would　surrender　it　up　to　him；　or　be　still　the　more　easily　conquered　when　the　famine　had　further　weakened　them；　for　that　besides　this　　wall；　he　would　not　lie　entirely　at　rest　afterward；　but　would　take　care　then　to　have　banks　raised　again；　when　those　that　would　oppose　them　were　become　weaker。　But　that　if　any　one　should　think　such　a　work　to　be　too　great；　and　not　to　be　finished　without　much　difficulty；　he　ought　to　consider　that　it　is　not　fit　for　Romans　to　undertake　any　small　work；　and　that　none　but　God　himself　could　with　ease　accomplish　any　great　thing　whatsoever。　　　　2。　These　arguments　prevailed　with　the　commanders。　So　Titus　gave　orders　that　the　army　should　be　distributed　to　their　several　shares　of　this　work；　and　indeed　there　now　came　upon　the　soldiers　a　certain　divine　fury；　so　that　they　did　not　only　part　the　whole　wall　that　was　to　be　built　among　them；　nor　did　only　one　legion　strive　with　another；　but　the　lesser　divisions　of　the　army　did　the　same；　insomuch　that　each　soldier　was　ambitious　to　please　his　decurion；　each　decurion　his　centurion；　each　centurion　his　tribune；　and　the　ambition　of　the　tribunes　was　to　please　their　superior　commanders；　while　Caesar　himself　took　notice　of　and　　rewarded　the　like　contention　in　those　commanders；　for　he　went　round　about　the　works　many　times　every　day；　and　took　a　view　of　what　was　done。　Titus　began　the　wall　from　the　camp　of　the　Assyrians；　where　his　own　camp　was　pitched；　and　drew　it　down　to　the　lower　parts　of　Cenopolis；　thence　it　went　along　the　valley　of　Cedron；　to　the　Mount　of　Olives；　it　then　bent　towards　the　south；　and　encompassed　the　mountain　as　far　as　the　rock　called　Peristereon；　and　that　other　hill　which　lies　next　it；　and　is　over　the　valley　which　reaches　to　Siloam；　whence　it　bended　again　to　the　west；　and　went　down　to　the　valley　of　the　Fountain；　beyond　which　it　went　up　again　at　the　monument　of　Ananus　the　high　　priest；　and　encompassing　that　mountain　where　Pompey　had　formerly　pitched　his　camp；　it　returned　back　to　the　north　side　of　the　city；　and　was　carried　on　as　far　as　a　certain　village　called　〃The　House　of　the　Erebinthi；〃　after　which　it　encompassed　Herod's　monument；　and　there；　on　the　east；　was　joined　to　Titus's　own　camp；　where　it　began。　Now　the　length　of　this　wall　was　forty　furlongs；　one　only　abated。　Now　at　this　wall　without　were　erected　thirteen　places　to　keep　garrison　in；　whose　circumferences；　put　together；　amounted　to　ten　furlongs；　the　whole　was　completed　in　three　days；　so　that　what　would　naturally　have　required　some　months　was　done　in　so　short　an　interval　as　is　incredible。　When　Titus　had　therefore　encompassed　the　city　with　this　wall；　and　put　garrisons　into　proper　places；　be　went　round　the　wall；　at　the　first　watch　of　the　night；　and　observed　how　the　guard　was　kept；　the　second　watch　he　allotted　to　Alexander；　the　commanders　of　legions　took　the　third　watch。　They　also　cast　lots　among　themselves　who　should　be　upon　the　watch　in　the　night　time；　and　who　should　go　all　night　long　round　the　spaces　that　were　interposed　between　the　garrisons。　　　　3。　So　all　hope　of　escaping　was　now　cut　off　from　the　Jews；　together　with　their　liberty　of　going　out　of　the　city。　Then　did　the　famine　widen　its　progress；　and　devoured　the　people　by　whole　houses　and　families；　the　upper　rooms　were　full　of　women　and　children　that　were　dying　by　famine；　and　the　lanes　of　the　city　were　full　of　the　dead　bodies　of　the　aged；　the　children　also　and　the　young　men　wandered　about　the　market…places　like　shadows；　all　swelled　with　the　famine；　and　fell　down　dead；　wheresoever　their　misery　seized　them。　As　for　burying　them；　those　that　were　sick　themselves　were　not　able　to　do　it；　and　those　that　were　hearty　and　well　were　deterred　from　doing　it　by　the　great　multitude　of　those　dead　bodies；　and　by　the　uncertainty　there　was　how　soon　they　　should　die　themselves；　for　many　died　as　they　were　burying　others；　and　many　went　to　their　coffins　before　that　fatal　hour　was　come。　Nor　was　there　any　lamentations　made　under　these　calamities；　nor　were　heard　any　mournful　complaints；　but　the　famine　confounded　all　natural　passions；　for　those　who　were　just　going　to　die　looked　upon　those　that　were　gone　to　rest　before　them　with　dry　eyes　and　open　mouths。　A　deep　silence　also；　and　a　kind　of　deadly　night；　had　seized　upon　the　city；　while　yet　the　robbers　were　still　more　terrible　than　these　miseries　were　themselves；　for　they　brake　open　those　houses　which　were　no　other　than　graves　of　dead　bodies；　and　plundered　them　of　what　they　had；　and　carrying　off　the　coverings　of　their　bodies；　went　out　laughing；　and　tried　the　points　of　their　swords　in　their　dead　bodies；　and；　in　order　to　prove　what　metal　they　were　made　of　they　thrust　some　of　those　through　that　still　lay　alive　upon　the　ground；　but　for　those　that　entreated　them　to　lend　them　their　right　hand　and　their　sword　to　despatch　them；　they　were　too　　proud　to　grant　their　requests；　and　left　them　to　be　consumed　by　the　famine。　Now　every　one　of　these　died　with　their　eyes　fixed　upon　the　temple；　and　left　the　seditious　alive　behind　them。　Now　the　seditious　at　first　gave　orders　that　the　dead　should　be　buried　out　of　the　public　treasury；　as　not　enduring　the　stench　of　their　dead　bodies。　But　afterwards；　when　they　could　not　do　that；　they　had　them　cast　down　from　the　walls　into　the　valleys　beneath。　　　　4。　However；　when　Titus；　in　going　his　rounds　along　those　valleys；　saw　them　full　of　dead　bodies；　and　the　thick　putrefaction　running　about　them；　he　gave　a