第 109 节
作者:不受约束      更新:2024-05-25 15:05      字数:9322
  or they could not hope to escape away; together with their wives and children; without the knowledge of the seditious; nor could they think of  leaving these relations to be slain by the robbers on their account; nay; the severity of the famine made them bold in thus going out; so nothing remained but that; when they were concealed from the robbers; they should be taken by the enemy; and when they were going to be taken; they were forced to defend themselves for fear of being punished; as after they had fought; they thought it too late to make any supplications for mercy; so they were first whipped; and then tormented with all sorts of tortures; before they died; and were then crucified before the wall of the city。 This miserable procedure made Titus greatly to pity them; while they caught every day five hundred Jews; nay; some days they caught more: yet it did not appear to be safe for him to let those that were taken by force go their way; and to set a guard over so many he saw would be to make such as great deal them useless to him。 The main  reason why he did not forbid that cruelty was this; that he hoped the Jews might perhaps yield at that sight; out of fear lest they might themselves afterwards be liable to the same cruel treatment。 So the soldiers; out of the wrath and hatred they bore the Jews; nailed those they caught; one after one way; and another after another; to the crosses; by way of jest; when their multitude was so great; that room was wanting for the crosses; and crosses wanting for the bodies。 (19)    2。 But so far were the seditious from repenting at this sad sight; that; on the contrary; they made the rest of the multitude believe otherwise; for they brought the relations of those that had deserted upon the wall; with such of the populace as were very eager to go over upon the security offered them; and showed them what miseries those underwent who fled to the Romans; and told them that those who were caught were supplicants to them; and not such as were taken prisoners。 This sight kept many of  those within the city who were so eager to desert; till the truth was known; yet did some of them run away immediately as unto certain punishment; esteeming death from their enemies to be a quiet departure; if compared with that by famine。 So Titus commanded that the hands of many of those that were caught should be cut off; that they might not be thought deserters; and might be credited on account of the calamity they were under; and sent them in to John and Simon; with this exhortation; that they would now at length leave off 'their madness'; and not force him to destroy the city; whereby they would have those advantages of repentance; even in their utmost distress; that they would preserve their own lives; and so find a city of their own; and that temple which was their peculiar。 He then went round about the banks that were cast up; and hastened them; in order to show that his words should in no long time be followed by his deeds。 In answer to which the seditious cast reproaches upon Caesar himself; and upon his father also; and cried out; with a loud voice; that they contemned death; and did well in preferring it before slavery; that they would do all the mischief to the Romans they could while they had breath in them; and that for their own city; since they were; as he said; to be destroyed; they had no concern about it; and that the world itself was a better temple to God than this。 That yet this temple would be preserved by him that inhabited therein; whom they still had for their assistant in this war; and did therefore laugh at all his threatenings; which would come to nothing; because the conclusion of the whole depended upon God only。 These words were mixed with reproaches; and with them they made a mighty clamor。    3。 In the mean time Antiochus Epiphanes came to the city; having with him a considerable number of other armed men; and a band called the Macedonian band about him; all of the same age; tall; and just past their childhood; armed; and instructed after the Macedonian manner; whence it was that they took that name。 Yet were many of them unworthy of so famous a nation; for it had so happened; that the king of Commagene had flourished more than any other kings that were under the power of the Romans; till a change happened in his condition; and when he was become an old man; he declared plainly that we ought not to call any man happy before he is dead。 But this son of his; who was then come thither before his father was decaying; said that he could not but wonder what made the Romans so tardy in making their attacks upon the wall。  Now he was a warlike man; and naturally bold in exposing himself to dangers; he was also so strong a man; that his boldness seldom failed of having success。 Upon this Titus smiled; and said he would share the pains of an attack with him。 However; Antiochus went as he then was; and with his Macedonians made a sudden assault upon the wall; and; indeed; for his own part; his strength and skill were so great; that he guarded himself from the Jewish darts; and yet shot his darts at them; while yet the young men with him were almost all sorely galled; for they had so great a regard to the promises that had been made of their courage; that they would needs persevere in their fighting; and at length many of them retired; but not till they were wounded; and then they perceived that true Macedonians; if they were to be conquerors; must have Alexander's good fortune also。    4。 Now as the Romans began to raise their banks on the twelfth day of the month Artemisius; 'Jyar;' so had they much ado to finish them by the twenty…ninth day of the same month; after they had labored hard for seventeen days continually。 For there were now four great banks raised; one of which was at the tower Antonia; this was raised by the fifth legion; over against the middle of that pool which was called Struthius。 Another was cast up by the twelfth legion; at the distance of about twenty cubits from the other。 But the labors of the tenth legion; which lay a great way off these; were on the north quarter; and at the pool called Amygdalon; as was that of the fifteenth legion about thirty cubits from it; and at the high priest's monument。 And now; when the engines were brought; John had from within undermined the space that was over against the tower of Antonia; as far as the banks themselves; and had supported the ground over the mine  with beams laid across one another; whereby the Roman works stood upon an uncertain foundation。 Then did he order such materials to be brought in as were daubed over with pitch and bitumen; and set them on fire; and as the cross beams that supported the banks were burning; the  ditch yielded on the sudden; and the banks were shaken down; and fell into the ditch with a prodigious noise。 Now at the first there arose a very thick smoke and dust; as the fire was choked with the fall of the bank; but as the suffocated materials were now gradually consumed; a plain flame brake out; on which sudden appearance of the flame a consternation fell upon the Romans; and the shrewdness of the contrivance discouraged them; and indeed this accident coming upon them at a time when they thought they had  already gained their point; cooled their hopes for the time to come。 They also thought it would be to no purpose to take the pains to extinguish the fire; since if it were extinguished; the banks were swallowed up already 'and become useless to them'。    5。 Two days after this; Simon and his party made an attempt to destroy the other banks; for the Romans had brought their engines to bear there; and began already to make the wall shake。 And here one Tephtheus; of Garsis; a city of Galilee; and Megassarus; one who was derived from some of queen Mariamne's servants; and with them one from Adiabene; he was the son of Nabateus; and called by the name of Chagiras; from the ill fortune he had; the word signifying 〃a lame man;〃 snatched some torches; and ran suddenly upon the engines。 Nor were there during this war any men that ever sallied out of the city who were their superiors; either in their boldness; or in the terror they struck into their enemies。 For they ran out upon the Romans; not as if they were enemies; but friends; without fear or delay; nor did they leave their enemies till they had rushed violently through the midst of them; and set their machines on fire。 And though they had darts thrown at them on every side; and were on every side assaulted with their enemies' swords; yet did they not withdraw themselves out of the dangers they were in; till the fire had caught hold of the instruments; but when the flame went up; the Romans came running from their camp to save their  engines。 Then did the Jews hinder their succors from the wall; and fought with those that endeavored to quench the fire; without any regard to the danger their bodies were in。 So the Romans pulled the engines out of the fire; while the hurdles that covered them were on fire; but the Jews caught hold of the battering rams through the flame itself; and held them fast; although the iron upon them was become red hot; and now the fire spread itself from the engines to the banks; and prevented those that came to defend them; and all