第 66 节
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不受约束 更新:2024-05-25 15:05 字数:9322
dry; and made a sally three ways; and set fire to the machines; and the hurdles; and the banks of the Romans themselves; nor did the Romans well know how to come to their assistance; being at once under a consternation at the Jews' boldness; and being prevented by the flames from coming to their assistance; for the materials being dry with the bitumen and pitch that were among them; as was brimstone also; the fire caught hold of every thing immediately; and what cost the Romans a great deal of pains was in one hour consumed。
21。 And here a certain Jew appeared worthy of our relation and commendation; he was the son of Sameas; and was called Eleazar; and was born at Saab; in Galilee。 This man took up a stone of a vast bigness; and threw it down from the wall upon the ram; and this with so great a force; that it broke off the head of the engine。 He also leaped down; and took up the head of the ram from the midst of them; and without any concern carried it to the top of the wall; and this while he stood as a fit mark to he pelted by all his enemies。 Accordingly; he received the strokes upon his naked body; and was wounded with five darts; nor did he mind any of them while he went up to the top of the wall; where he stood in the sight of them all; as an instance of the greatest boldness; after which he drew himself on a heap with his wounds upon him; and fell down together with the head of the ram。 Next to him; two brothers showed their courage; their names were Netir and Philip; both of them of the village Ruma; and both of them Galileans also; these men leaped upon the soldiers of the tenth legion; and fell upon the Romans with such a noise and force as to disorder their ranks; and to put to flight all upon whomsoever they made their assaults。
22。 After these men's performances; Josephus; and the rest of the multitude with him; took a great deal of fire; and burnt both the machines and their coverings; with the works belonging to the fifth and to the tenth legion; which they put to flight; when others followed them immediately; and buried those instruments and all their materials under ground。 However; about the evening; the Romans erected the battering ram again; against that part of the wall which had suffered before; where a certain Jew that defended the city from the Romans hit Vespasian with a dart in his foot; and wounded him a little; the distance being so great; that no mighty impression could be made by the dart thrown so far off。 However; this caused the greatest disorder among the Romans; for when those who stood near him saw his blood; they were disturbed at it; and a report went abroad; through the whole army; that the general was wounded; while the greatest part left the siege; and came running together with surprise and fear to the general; and before them all came Titus; out of the concern he had for his father; insomuch that the multitude were in great confusion; and this out of the regard they had for their general; and by reason of the agony that the son was in。 Yet did the father soon put an end to the son's fear; and to the disorder the army was under; for being superior to his pains; and endeavoring soon to be seen by all that had been in a fright about him; he excited them to fight the Jews more briskly; for now every body was willing to expose himself to danger immediately; in order to avenge their general; and then they encouraged one another with loud voices; and ran hastily to the walls。
23。 But still Josephus and those with him; although they fell down dead one upon another by the darts and stones which the engines threw upon them; yet did not they desert the wall; but fell upon those who managed the ram; under the protection of the hurdles; with fire; and iron weapons; and stones; and these could do little or nothing; but fell themselves perpetually; while they were seen by those whom they could not see; for the light of their own flame shone about them; and made them a most visible mark to the enemy; as they were in the day time; while the engines could not be seen at a great distance; and so what was thrown at them was hard to be avoided; for the force with which these engines threw stones and darts made them hurt several at a time; and the violent noise of the stones that were cast by the engines was so great; that they carried away the pinnacles of the wall; and broke off the corners of the towers; for no body of men could be so strong as not to be overthrown to the last rank by the largeness of the stones。 And any one may learn the force of the engines by what happened this very night; for as one of those that stood round about Josephus was near the wall; his head was carried away by such a stone; and his skull was flung as far as three furlongs。 In the day time also; a woman with child had her belly so violently struck; as she was just come out of her house; that the infant was carried to the distance of half a furlong; so great was the force of that engine。 The noise of the instruments themselves was very terrible; the sound of the darts and stones that were thrown by them was so also; of the same sort was that noise the dead bodies made; when they were dashed against the wall; and indeed dreadful was the clamor which these things raised in the women within the city; which was echoed back at the same time by the cries of such as were slain; while the whole space of ground whereon they fought ran with blood; and the wall might have been ascended over by the bodies of the dead carcasses; the mountains also contributed to increase the noise by their echoes; nor was there on that night any thing of terror wanting that could either affect the hearing or the sight: yet did a great part of those that fought so hard for Jotapata fall manfully; as were a great part of them wounded。 However; the morning watch was come ere the wall yielded to the machines employed against it; though it had been battered without intermission。 However; those within covered their bodies with their armor; and raised works over against that part which was thrown down; before those machines were laid by which the Romans were to ascend into the city。
24。 In the morning Vespasian got his army together; in order to take the city 'by storm'; after a little recreation upon the hard pains they had been at the night before; and as he was desirous to draw off those that opposed him from the places where the wall had been thrown down; he made the most courageous of the horsemen get off their horses; and placed them in three ranks over against those ruins of the wall; but covered with their armor on every side; and with poles in their hands; that so these might begin their ascent as soon as the instruments for such ascent were laid; behind them he placed the flower of the footmen; but for the rest of the horse; he ordered them to extend themselves over against the wall; upon the whole hilly country; in order to prevent any from escaping out of the city when it should be taken; and behind these he placed the archers round about; and commanded them to have their darts ready to shoot。 The same command he gave to the slingers; and to 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 enem