THE WARS OF THE JEWS
OR
THE HISTORY OF THE DESTRUCTION OF JERUSALEM
Book III: Chapter 6
PLACIDUS ATTEMPTS TO TAKE JOTAPATA AND IS BEATEN
OFF. VESPASIAN MARCHES INTO GALILEE.
1. AND now
Vespasian, with his son Titus, had tarried some time
at Ptolemais, and had put his army in order. But when
Placidus, who had overrun Galilee, and had besides
slain a number of those whom he had caught, (which
were only the weaker part of the Galileans, and such
as were of timorous souls,) saw that the warriors ran
always to those cities whose walls had been built by
Josephus, he marched furiously against Jotapata, which
was of them all the strongest, as supposing he should
easily take it by a sudden surprise, and that he
should thereby obtain great honor to himself among the
commanders, and bring a great advantage to them in
their future campaign; because if this strongest place
of them all were once taken, the rest would be so
aftrighted as to surrender themselves. But he was
mightily mistaken in his undertaking; for the men of
Jotapata were apprized of his coming to attack them,
and came out of the city, and expected him there. So
they fought the Romans briskly when they least
expected it, being both many in number, and prepared
for fighting, and of great alacrity, as esteeming
their country, their wives, and their children to be
in danger, and easily put the Romans to flight,
and wounded many of them, and slew seven of them; 4
because their retreat was not made in a disorderly
manner, be-cause the strokes only touched the surface
of their bodies, which were covered with their armor
in all parts, and because the Jews did rather throw
their weapons upon them from a great distance, than
venture to come hand to hand with them, and had only
light armor on, while the others were completely
armed. However, three men of the Jews’ side were
slain, and a few wounded; so Placidus, finding himself
unable to assault the city, ran away.
2. But as Vespasian had a great mind to fall upon
Galilee, he marched out of Ptolemais, having put his
army into that order wherein the Romans used to march.
He ordered those auxiliaries which were lightly armed,
and the archers, to march first, that they might
prevent any sudden insults
from the enemy, and might search out the woods that
looked suspiciously, and were capable of ambuscades.
Next to these followed that part of the Romans which
was completely armed, both footmen, and horsemen. Next
to these followed ten out of every hundred, carrying
along with them their arms, and what was necessary to
measure out a camp withal; and after them, such as
were to make the road even and straight, and if it
were any where rough and hard to be passed over, to
plane it, and to cut down the woods that hindered
their march, that the army might not be in distress,
or tired with their march. Behind these he set such
carriages of the army as belonged both to himself and
to the other commanders, with a considerable number of
their horsemen for their security. After these he
marched himself, having with him a select body of
footmen, and horsemen, and pikemen. After these came
the peculiar cavalry of his own legion, for there were
a hundred and twenty horsemen that peculiarly belonged
to every legion. Next to these came the mules that
carried the engines for sieges, and the other warlike
machines of that nature. After these came the
commanders of the cohorts and tribunes, having about
them soldiers chosen out of the rest. Then came the
ensigns encompassing the eagle, which is at the head
of every Roman legion, the king, and the strongest of
all birds, which seems to them a signal of dominion,
and an omen that they shall conquer all against whom
they march; these sacred ensigns are followed by the
trumpeters. Then came the main army in their squadrons
and battalions, with six men in depth, which were
followed at last by a centurion, who, according to
custom, observed the rest. As for the servants of
every legion, they all followed the footmen, and led
the baggage of the soldiers, which was borne by the
mules and other beasts of burden. But behind all the
legions carne the whole multitude of the mercenaries;
and those that brought up the rear came last of all
for the security of the whole army, being both
footmen, and those in their armor also, with a great
number of horsemen.
3. And thus did Vespasian march with his army, and
came to the bounds of Galileo, where he pitched his
camp and restrained his soldiers, who were eager for
war; he also showed his army to the enemy, in order to
affright them, and to afford them a season for
repentance, to see whether they would change their
minds before it came to a battle, and at the same time
he got things ready for besieging their strong minds.
And indeed this
sight of the general brought many to repent of
their revolt, and put them all into a consternation;
for those that were in Josephus’s camp, which was at
the city called Garis, not far from Sepphoris, when
they heard that the war was come near them, and that
the Romans would suddenly fight them hand to hand,
dispersed themselves and fled, not only before they
came to a battle, but before the enemy ever came in
sight, while Josephus and a few others were left
behind; and as he saw that he had not an army
sufficient to engage the enemy, that the spirits of
the Jews were sunk, and that the greater part would
willingly come to terms, if they might be credited, he
already despaired of the success of the whole war, and
determined to get as far as he possibly could out of
danger; so he took those that staid along with him,
and fled to Tiberias.
|
