soon as he knew that the people were of the same mind with the petitioners, he took his army, and went to the city. Upon which the citizens opened to him their gates, and met him with acclamations of joy; and called him their saviour and benefactor. But as the army was a great while in getting in at the gates, they were so narrow, Vespasian commanded the south wall to be broken down, and so made a broad passage for their entrance. However he charged them to abstain from rapine and injustice in order to gratify the king. And on his account spared the rest of the wall; while the king undertook for them that they should continue faithful to the Romans for the me to come. And thus did he restore this city to a quiet state, fter it had been grievously afflicted by the sedition.

CHAP. X.

THE REDUCTION OF TARICHEÆ.-A DESCRIPTION OF THE RIVER JORDAN, AND OF THE COUNTRY OF GENNESARETH.

NOW Vespasian pitched his camp between this city and Taricheæ but fortified his camp more strongly, as suspecting that he should be forced to stay there, and have a long war. For all the innovators had assembled together at Taricheæ: as relying upon the strength of the city, and on the lake that lay by it; which is called by the people of the country the lake of Gennesareth. The city itself is situate like Tiberias, at the bottom of a mountain : and on those sides which are not washed by the sea had been strongly fortified by Josephus, though not so strongly as Tiberias. For the wall of Tiberias had been built at the beginning of the Jews' revolt, when he had great plenty of money, and great power. But Taricheæ partook only of the remains of that liberality. Yet had they a great number of ships gotten ready upon the lake; that in case they were beaten at land, they might retire to them; and they were so fitted up that they might undertake a sea fight also. But as the Romans were building a wall about their camp, Jesus and his party were neither affrighted at their number, nor at the good order they were in, but made a sally upon them; and at the very first onset the builders of the wall were dispersed, and these pulled what little they had built to pieces. But as soon as they

saw the armed men getting together, and before they had suffered any thing themselves, they retired to their own men. But then the Romans pursued them, and drove them into their ships, where they launched out as far as might give them the opportunity of reaching the Romans, with what they threw at them, and then cast anchor, and brought their ships close, as in a line of battle, and thence fought the enemy from the sea, who were themselves at land. But Vespasian hearing that a great multitude of them were gotten together in the plain that was before the city, he thereupon sent his son, with six hundred chosen horsemen, to disperse them.

But when Titus perceived that the enemy was very numerous, he sent to his father, and informed him, that he should want more forces. But as he saw a great many of the horsemen eager to fight before any succours could come to them; and that yet some of them were privately under a sort of consternation at the multitude of the Jews; he stood in a place whence he might be heard, and said to them, "My brave Romans! it is right for me to put you in mind of what nation you are, in the beginning of my speech; that so you may not be ignorant who you are, and who they are against whom we are going to fight. For as to us Romans, no part of the habitable earth hath been able to escape our hands hitherto. But as for the Jews, that I may speak of them too, though they have been already beaten, yet do they not give up the cause. And a sad thing it would be for us to grow weary under our good success, when they bear up under their misfortunes. As to the alacrity which you show publicly, I see it, and rejoice at it. Yet am I afraid lest the multitude of the enemy should bring a concealed terror upon some of you. Let such a one consider again, who we are that are to fight.-And who those are against whom we are to fight. Now these Jews, though they be very bold, and great despisers of death, are but a disorderly body, and unskilful in war, and may rather be called a rabble than an army while I need say nothing of our skill, and our good order. For this is the reason why we Romans alone are exercised for war in time of peace, that we may not think of number for number, when we come to fight with our enemies. For what advantage should we reap by our continual sort of warfare, if we must still be equal in number to such as have not been used

when they suceeed;

success.

to war? Consider farther, that you are to have a conflict with men in effect unarmed, while you are well armed; with footmen, while you are horsemen; with those that have no good general, while you have one. And as these advantages make you in effect manifold more than you are, so do their disadvantages mightily diminish their number. Now it is not the multitude of men, though they be soldiers, that manage wars with success: but it is their bravery that does it, though they be but a few. For a few are easily set in battle array, and can easily assist one another; while over numerous armies are more hurt by themselves, than by their enemies. Boldness and rashness, the effects of madness, conduct the Jews. Those passions indeed make a great figure but are quite extinguished upon the least ill But we are led on by courage, obedience, and fortitude: which show themselves indeed in our good fortune, but still do not for ever desert us in our ill fortune. Nay, indeed, your fighting is to be on greater motives than those of the Jews. For although they run the hazard of war for liberty, and for their country; yet what can be a greater motive to us than glory? and that it may never be said, that after we have got dominion of the habitable earth, the Jews are able to confront us. We must also reflect upon this, that there is no fear of our suffering any incurable disaster in the present case: for those that are ready to assist us are many, and at hand also. Yet is it in our power to seize upon this victory ourselves: and I think we ought to prevent the coming of those my father is sending to us for our assistance; that our success may be peculiar to ourselves, and of greater reputation to And I cannot but think this an opportunity wherein my father, myself, and each of you, shall be all put to the trial: whether he be worthy of his former glorious performances: whether I be his son in reality and whether you be really my soldiers : for it is usual for my father to conquer. And for myself I should not bear the thoughts of returning to him if I were once taken by the enemy. And how will you be able to avoid being ashamed, if you do not show equal courage with your commander, when he goes before you into danger? For you know very well, that I shall go into the danger first, and make the first attack upon the enemy. Do not you therefore desert ine; but persuade your

us.

:

than we

selves that God will be assisting to my onset. Know this also before we begin, that we shall now have better success, should have, if we were to fight at a distance."

men.

As Titus was saying this, an extraordinary fury fell upon the And as Trajan was already come before the fight began, with four hundred horsemen, they were uneasy at it; because the reputation of the victory would be diminished by being common to so many. Vespasian had also sent both Antonius and Silo, with two thousand archers; and had given it them in charge, to seize upon the mountain that was over against the city, and repel those that were upon the wall. Which archers did as they were commanded, and prevented those that attempted to assist them that way. And now Titus made his own horse march first against the enemy; as did the others march with a great noise after him; and extended themselves upon the plain as wide as the enemy which confronted them: by which means they appeared much more numerous than they really were. Now the Jews, although they were surprised at their onset and good order, made resistance against their attacks for a little while; but when they were pricked with their long poles, and overborne by the violent noise of the horsemen, they came to be trampled under their feet. Many also of them were slain on every side; which made them disperse themselves, and run to the city, as fast as every one of them were able. So Titus pressed upon the hindmost, and slew them: and of the rest some he fell upon as they stood on heaps; and some he prevented, and met them in the mouth, and run them through.Many also he leaped upon as they fell upon one another, and trod them down, and cut off all the retreat they had to the wall, and turned them back into the plain, till at last they forced a passage by their multitude, and got away, and ran into the city.

But now there fell out a terrible sedition among them within the city. For the inhabitants themselves, who had possessions there, and to whom the city belonged, were not disposed to fight from the very beginning. And now the less so because they had been beaten. But the foreigners, who were very numerous, would force them to fight so much the more. Insomuch that there was a clamour and a tumult among them: as all mutually angry one at another. And when Titus heard this tumult, for he was not far 12

VOL. IV.

from the wall, he cried out, "Fellow-soldiers, now is the time. And why do we make any delay? when God is giving up the Jews to us. Those that have escaped our hands are in an uproar against one another. We have the city if we make haste. But besides haste, we must undergo some labour, and use some courage. For no great things are to be accomplished without danger. Accordingly, we must not only prevent their uniting again, which necessity will soon compel them to do; but we must also prevent the coming of our own men to our assistance: that as few as we are we may conquer so great a multitude, and may ourselves alone take the city."

As soon as Titus had said this, he leaped upon his horse, and rode apace down to the lake: by which he marched, and entered into the city the first of them all as did the others soon after him. Hereupon those that were upon the walls were seized with a terror, at the boldness of the attempt. Nor durst any one venture to fight with him, or to hinder him. So they left guarding the city; and some of those that were about *Jesus fled over the country: while others of them ran down to the lake, and met the enemy in the teeth. And some were slain as they were getting up into the ships; but others of them as they attempted to overtake those that were already gone abroad. There was also a great slaughter made in the city, while those foreigners, that had not fled away already, made opposition: but the natural inhabitants were killed without fighting. For in hopes of Titus's giving them his right hand for their security,† and out of a consciousness that they had not given any consent to the war, they avoided fighting, till Titus had slain the authors of this revolt; and then put a stop to any farther slaughters, out of commiseration of these inhabitants of the place. But for those that had fled to the lake, upon seeing the city taken, they sailed as far as they possibly could from the enemy.

Hereupon Titus sent one of his horsemen to his father, and let him know the good news of what he had done. At which, as

* See Chap. 9.

+ This was designed as a pledge of his good will and lenity towards them. Giving of the hand was a common method among the Easterns, to signify their intention of favour. B.