the wars of the jews-第75章

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those　that　managed　the　engines；　and　bid　them　to　take　up　other　ladders；　and　have　them　ready　to　lay　upon　those　parts　of　the　wall　which　were　yet　untouched；　that　the　besieged　might　be　engaged　in　trying　to　hinder　their　ascent　by　them；　and　leave　the　guard　of　the　parts　that　were　thrown　down；　while　the　rest　of　them　should　be　overborne　by　the　darts　cast　at　them；　and　might　afford　his　men　an　entrance　into　the　city。

25。　But　Josephus；　understanding　the　meaning　of　Vespasian's　contrivance；　set　the　old　men；　together　with　those　that　were　tired　out；　at　the　sound　parts　of　the　wall；　as　expecting　no　harm　from　those　quarters；　but　set　the　strongest　of　his　men　at　the　place　where　the　wall　was　broken　down；　and　before　them　all　six　men　by　themselves；　among　whom　he　took　his　share　of　the　first　and　greatest　danger。　He　also　gave　orders；　that　when　the　legions　made　a　shout；　they　should　stop　their　ears；　that　they　might　not　be　affrighted　at　it；　and　that；　to　avoid　the　multitude　of　the　enemy's　darts；　they　should　bend　down　on　their　knees；　and　cover　themselves　with　their　shields；　and　that　they　should　retreat　a　little　backward　for　a　while；　till　the　archers　should　have　emptied　their　quivers；　but　that　When　the　Romans　should　lay　their　instruments　for　ascending　the　walls；　they　should　leap　out　on　the　sudden；　and　with　their　own　instruments　should　meet　the　enemy；　and　that　every　one　should　strive　to　do　his　best；　in　order　not　to　defend　his　own　city；　as　if　it　were　possible　to　be　preserved；　but　in　order　to　revenge　it；　when　it　was　already　destroyed；　and　that　they　should　set　before　their　eyes　how　their　old　men　were　to　be　slain；　and　their　children　and　wives　were　to　be　killed　immediately　by　the　enemy；　and　that　they　would　beforehand　spend　all　their　fury；　on　account　of　the　calamities　just　coming　upon　them；　and　pour　it　out　on　the　actors。

26。　And　thus　did　Josephus　dispose　of　both　his　bodies　of　men；　but　then　for　the　useless　part　of　the　citizens；　the　women　and　children；　when　they　saw　their　city　encompassed　by　a　threefold　army；　（for　none　of　the　usual　guards　that　had　been　fighting　before　were　removed；）　when　they　also　saw；　not　only　the　walls　thrown　down；　but　their　enemies　with　swords　in　their　hands；　as　also　the　hilly　country　above　them　shining　with　their　weapons；　d　the　darts　in　the　hands　of　the　Arabian　archers；　they　made　a　final　and　lamentable　outcry　of　the　destruction；　as　if　the　misery　were　not　only　threatened；　but　actually　come　upon　them　already。　But　Josephus　ordered　the　women　to　be　shut　up　in　their　houses；　lest　they　should　render　the　warlike　actions　of　the　men　too　effeminate；　by　making　them　commiserate　their　condition；　and　commanded　them　to　hold　their　peace；　and　threatened　them　if　they　did　not；　while　he　came　himself　before　the　breach；　where　his　allotment　was；　for　all　those　who　brought　ladders　to　the　other　places；　he　took　no　notice　of　them；　but　earnestly　waited　for　the　shower　of　arrows　that　was　coming。

27。　And　now　the　trumpeters　of　the　several　Roman　legions　sounded　together；　and　the　army　made　a　terrible　shout；　and　the　darts；　as　by　order；　flew　so　last；　that　they　intercepted　the　light。　However；　Josephus's　men　remembered　the　charges　he　had　given　them；　they　stopped　their　ears　at　the　sounds；　and　covered　their　bodies　against　the　darts；　and　as　to　the　engines　that　were　set　ready　to　go　to　work；　the　Jews　ran　out　upon　them；　before　those　that　should　have　used　them　were　gotten　upon　them。　And　now；　on　the　ascending　of　the　soldiers；　there　was　a　great　conflict；　and　many　actions　of　the　hands　and　of　the　soul　were　exhibited；　while　the　Jews　did　earnestly　endeavor；　in　the　extreme　danger　they　were　in；　not　to　show　less　courage　than　those　who；　without　being　in　danger；　fought　so　stoutly　against　them；　nor　did　they　leave　struggling　with　the　Romans　till　they　either　fell　down　dead　themselves；　or　killed　their　antagonists。　But　the　Jews　grew　weary　with　defending　themselves　continually；　and　had　not　enough　to　come　in　their　places；　and　succor　them；　while；　on　the　side　of　the　Romans；　fresh　men　still　succeeded　those　that　were　tired；　and　still　new　men　soon　got　upon　the　machines　for　ascent；　in　the　room　of　those　that　were　thrust　down；　those　encouraging　one　another；　and　joining　side　to　side　with　their　shields；　which　were　a　protection　to　them；　they　became　a　body　of　men　not　to　be　broken；　and　as　this　band　thrust　away　the　Jews；　as　though　they　were　themselves　but　one　body；　they　began　already　to　get　upon　the　wall。

28。　Then　did　Josephus　take　necessity　for　his　counselor　in　this　utmost　distress；　（which　necessity　is　very　sagacious　in　invention　when　it　is　irritated　by　despair；）　and　gave　orders　to　pour　scalding　oil　upon　those　whose　shields　protected　them。　Whereupon　they　soon　got　it　ready；　being　many　that　brought　it；　and　what　they　brought　being　a　great　quantity　also；　and　poured　it　on　all　sides　upon　the　Romans；　and　threw　down　upon　them　their　vessels　as　they　were　still　hissing　from　the　heat　of　the　fire：　this　so　burnt　the　Romans；　that　it　dispersed　that　united　band；　who　now　tumbled　clown　from　the　wall　with　horrid　pains；　for　the　oil　did　easily　run　down　the　whole　body　from　head　to　foot；　under　their　entire　armor；　and　fed　upon　their　flesh　like　flame　itself；　its　fat　and　unctuous　nature　rendering　it　soon　heated　and　slowly　cooled；　and　as　the　men　were　cooped　up　in　their　head…pieces　and　breastplates；　they　could　no　way　get　free　from　this　burning　oil；　they　could　only　leap　and　roll　about　in　their　pains；　as　they　fell　down　from　the　bridges　they　had　laid。　And　as　they　thus　were　beaten　back；　and　retired　to　their　own　party；　who　still　pressed　them　forward；　they　were　easily　wounded　by　those　that　were　behind　them。

29。　However；　in　this　ill　success　of　the　Romans；　their　courage　did　not　fail　them；　nor　did　the　Jews　want　prudence　to　oppose　them；　for　the　Romans；　although　they　saw　their　own　men　thrown　down；　and　in　a　miserable　condition；　yet　were　they　vehemently　bent　against　those　that　poured　the　oil　upon　them；　while　every　one　reproached　the　man　before　him　as　a　coward；　and　one　that　hindered　him　from　exerting　himself；　and　while　the　Jews　made　use　of　another　stratagem　to　prevent　their　ascent；　and　poured　boiling　fenugreek　upon　the　boards；　in　order　to　make　them　slip　and　fall　down；　by　which　means　neither　could　those　that　were　coming　up；　nor　those　that　were　going　down；　stand　on　their　feet；　but　some　of　them　fell　backward　upon　the　machines　on　which　they　ascended；　and　were　trodden　upon；　many　of　them　fell　down　upon　the　bank　they　had　raised；　and　when　they　were　fallen　upon　it　were　slain　by　the　Jews；　for　when　the　Romans　could　not　keep　their　feet；　the　Jews　being　freed　from　fighting　hand　to　hand；　had　leisure　to　throw　their　darts　at　them。　So　the　general　called　off　those　soldiers　in　the　evening　that　had　suffered　so　sorely；　of　whom　the　number　of　the　slain　was　not　a　few；　while　that　of　the　wounded　was　still　greater；　but　of　the　people　of　Jotapata　no　more　than　six　men　were　killed；　although　more　than　three　hundred　were　carried　off　wounded。　This　fight　happened　on　the　twentieth　day　of　the　month　Desius　＇Sivan＇。　　30。　Hereupon　Vespasian　comforted　his　army　on　occasion　of　what　happened；　and　as　he　found　them　angry　indeed；　but　rather　wanting　somewhat　to　do　than　any　further　exhortations；　he　gave　orders　to　raise　the　banks　still　higher；　and　to　erect　three　towers；　each　fifty　feet　high；　and　that　they　should　cover　them　with　plates　of　iron　on　every　side；　that　they　might　be　both　firm　by　their　weight；　and　not　easily　liable　to　be　set　on　fire。　These　towers　he　set　upon　the　banks；　and　placed　upon　them　such　as　could　shoot　darts　and　arrows；　with　the　lighter　engines　for　throwing　stones　and　darts　also；　and　besides　these；　he　set　upon　them　the　stoutest　men　among　the　slingers；　who　not　being　to　be　seen　by　reason　of　the　height　they　stood　upon；　and　the　battlements　that　protected　them；　might　throw　their　weapons　at　those　that　were　upon　the　wall；　and　were　easily　seen　by　them。　Hereupon　the　Jews；　not　being　easily　able　to　escape　those　darts　that　were　thrown　down　upon　their　heads；　nor　to　avenge　themselves　on　those　whom　they　could　not　see；　and　perceiving　that　the　height　of　the　towers　was　so　great；　that　a　dart　which　they　threw　with　their　hand　could　hardly　reach　it；　and　that　the　iron　plates　about　them　made　it　very　hard　to　come　at　them　by　fire；　they　ran　away　from　the　walls；　and　fled　hastily　out　of　the　city；　and　fell　upon　those　that　sho