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was taking place, and a certain ambush against the Romans had been contrived by the Jews. For the more daring of the rebels, having come forth from the city, as if driven out by those who favored peace, were gathered around the wall; and others standing upon the wall, pretending to be from the populace, were shouting for peace and asking for a pledge of friendship, calling to the Romans as if they were about to open the gates. The soldiers, therefore, suspected nothing, and were proceeding to the task, but to Titus the unexpected nature of the summons aroused suspicion. For one day before, having summoned them to terms through Josephus, he found them entertaining no moderate thoughts. Therefore, he ordered the soldiers to remain in place. But when some managed to run towards the gates, at first those who seemed to have been cast out fled back, but when they were between the city towers, they rushed out and surrounded them. And those on the wall shot arrows at them and hurled stones, and they killed many and wounded more. And the Jews leaped about, brandishing their shields, while Titus and the tribunes threatened the soldiers. But now that the area in front of the walls was leveled, wishing to move the camp there, he drew up the strongest part of his force opposite the wall, and thus, with the sallies of the Jews being blocked, the Romans encamped there. The city was encompassed by three walls; but where the nature of the terrain fortified it, it was girt by a single enclosure. The city being thus situated, the assault seemed impracticable to Titus. For the time being, therefore, it seemed best to attack at the monument of John the 2.55 high priest. And he commands the legions to ravage the areas before the city, and to bring in timber, so that they might raise up earthworks. And they carried out the command, and when the earthworks were raised, Titus ordered them to bring forward the rams and to batter the wall. When the rams were now at work from three sides, and an extraordinary noise echoed around the city, a cry was raised from those within, and the rebels, becoming afraid, were of one mind, agreeing to make a common defense against the enemy. But though the rams were striking, the wall did not give way as it was being struck, but only a certain corner of one of the towers was shaken, while the wall was intact. But the Jews, observing the Romans scattered throughout the camp, all rushed out, bringing fire to the engines. And a terrible battle ensued around the siege-engines, with some trying to set them on fire, and others forcibly trying to prevent it; but the Jews prevailed out of desperation. And the fire caught hold of the siege-engines, and if Titus had not come to their aid with the cavalry, they would have been burned down. But now, when about twelve of the Jewish champions had fallen, the rest gave way and were driven into the city. And one of the Jews who was taken alive was crucified before the wall, in case the rest, terrified at the sight, might surrender. And when Titus had constructed towers, each fifty cubits high, out of wood and set them upon the earthworks, the Jews no longer hindered the blows of the rams, being shot at from the towers and suffering. And now, as the wall was giving way to the "Victor" — for so the Jews themselves called the largest of the Roman siege-engines — most of them lost heart and retreated. And 2.56 when the Romans had mounted it, all fled back to the second wall. And thus the Romans took possession of the first wall in fifteen days. From there they made assaults against the second wall. And the siege-engine is brought forward; and as the tower against which it was directing its blows was being shaken, the others fled, but a certain impostor named Castor, with ten others, stretching out his hands as if in supplication, called to Titus. And he, trusting them, halted the blow of the ram. And Castor said he wished to come down on friendly terms, and of the ten with him, some joined in the pretense of supplication, but others shouted that they would never be slaves to the Romans. While time was being wasted in these things, Castor signaled to Simon to deliberate about urgent matters, as he was mocking the Romans and checking their own assault. But finally, being recognized for wasting time by deceit

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ἐγίνετο, ̓Ιουδαίοις δὲ κατὰ ̔Ρωμαίων ἐνέδρα τις μεμηχάνητο. οἱ γὰρ τολμηρότεροι τῶν στασιαστῶν προελθόντες τῆς πόλεως, ὡς ἐκβεβλημένοι δῆθεν ὑπὸ τῶν τὰ εἰρηνικὰ φρονούντων, περὶ τὸ τεῖχος ησαν εἰλούμενοι· αλλοι δὲ στάντες ἐπὶ τοῦ τείχους, ὡς ἐκ τοῦ δήμου τυγχάνοντες, εἰρήνην ἐβόων καὶ δεξιὰν ᾐτοῦντο, καλοῦντες τοὺς ̔Ρωμαίους ὡς τὰς πύλας ἀνοίξοντες. τοῖς μὲν ουν στρατιώταις οὐδὲν ὑπωπτεύετο, καὶ ἐχώρουν ἐπὶ τὸ εργον, Τίτῳ δὲ δι' ὑποψίας ην τῆς ἐπικλήσεως τὸ παράλογον. πρὸ μιᾶς γὰρ ἡμέρας διὰ τοῦ ̓Ιωσήπου ἐπὶ συμβάσεις αὐτοὺς προκαλούμενος, οὐδὲν φρονοῦντας ευρισκε μέτριον. μένειν ουν κατὰ χώραν τοὺς στρατιώτας ἐκέλευε. φθασάντων δέ τινων πρὸς τὰς πύλας δραμεῖν, τὸ μὲν πρῶτον οἱ ἐκβεβλῆσθαι δοκοῦντες ὑπέφευγον, ὡς δὲ μεταξὺ τῶν τῆς πόλεως ἐγένοντο πύργων, ἐξέθεον καὶ ἐκύκλουν αὐτούς. καὶ οἱ ἐπὶ τοῦ τείχους βέλη κατ' αὐτῶν ἠφίεσαν καὶ λίθους ἠκόντιζον καὶ ἀνεῖλον συχνοὺς καὶ πλείους κατέτρωσαν. καὶ οἱ μὲν ̓Ιουδαῖοι ἐσκίρτων τοὺς θυρεοὺς ἀνασείοντες, τοῖς δὲ στρατιώταις ὁ Τίτος ἠπείλει καὶ οἱ ταξίαρχοι. Ηδη δὲ τοῦ πρὸ τῶν τειχῶν χώρου ἐξισωθέντος, ἐκεῖ μεταθεῖναι βουλόμενος τὸ στρατόπεδον, τὸ καρτερώτατον τῆς δυνάμεως ἀντιπαρεξέτεινε τῷ τείχει, καὶ ουτω πεφραγμένων ̓Ιουδαίοις τῶν ἐκδρομῶν, ἐστρατοπεδεύσαντο οἱ ̔Ρωμαῖοι ἐκεῖ. τρισὶ δὲ τείχεσιν ἡ πόλις περιεβέβλητο· οπου δ' ἡ φύσις τοῦ τόπου ταύτην ὠχύρου, ἑνὶ περιβόλῳ διέζωστο. ουτω δ' ἐχούσης τῆς πόλεως απορος ἐδόκει τῷ Τίτῳ ἡ προσβολή. τέως δ' ουν εδοξε κατὰ τὸ ̓Ιωάννου τοῦ 2.55 ἀρχιερέως μνημεῖον προσβάλλειν. καὶ τοῖς τάγμασι δῃοῦν τὰ πρὸ τῆς πόλεως ἐγκελεύεται, συμφορεῖν τε τὴν υλην, ιν' ἐγείροιεν χώματα. καὶ οἱ μὲν εἰς εργον ηγον τὸ κέλευσμα, τῶν δὲ χωμάτων ἐγηγερμένων προσάγειν τοὺς κριοὺς ὁ Τίτος προσέταττε καὶ τύπτειν τὸ τεῖχος. Ηδη τῶν κριῶν ἠργμένων τριχόθεν, ἐξαισίου τε κτύπου τὴν πόλιν περιηχήσαντος, κραυγὴ παρὰ τῶν ενδον ηρθη, καὶ οἱ στασιασταὶ δείσαντες ὡμονόησαν, κοινὴν τὴν αμυναν πρὸς τοὺς πολεμίους ποιεῖσθαι συνθέμενοι. τῶν γε μὴν κριῶν τυπτόντων οὐχ ὑπεδίδου τὸ τεῖχος πληττόμενον, γωνία δέ τις μόνον ἑνὸς τῶν πύργων παρακεκίνητο, τὸ δὲ τεῖχος ἀκέραιον ην. ̓Ιουδαῖοι δὲ τοὺς ̔Ρωμαίους ἐσκεδασμένους παρατηρήσαντες κατὰ τὸ στρατόπεδον, ἐκθέουσι πάντες, πῦρ ταῖς μηχαναῖς ἐπιφέροντες. δεινὴ δὲ περὶ τὰς ἑλεπόλεις μάχη συνέπεσε, τῶν μὲν ὑποπιμπρᾶν, τῶν δὲ κωλύειν βιαζομένων· ̓Ιουδαῖοι δὲ ὑπερεῖχον ἐξ ἀπονοίας. καὶ τὸ πῦρ τῶν ἑλεπόλεων ηπτετο, καὶ εἰ μὴ ὁ Τίτος σὺν τοῖς ἱππεῦσιν ἐπεβοήθησε, καὶ κατεφλέγησαν αν. νῦν δὲ τῶν προμάχων τῶν ̓Ιουδαίων πεσόντων ὡς δώδεκα, οἱ λοιποὶ ἐνέκλιναν καὶ συνηλάθησαν εἰς τὴν πόλιν. ζωγρηθεὶς δὲ τῶν ̓Ιουδαίων εις πρὸ τοῦ τείχους ἀνεσταυρώθη, εἰ πρὸς τὴν οψιν οἱ λοιποὶ καταπλαγέντες ἐνδοῖεν. πύργους δὲ πεντήκοντα πήχεων εκαστον ἐκ ξύλων τοῦ Τίτου κατασκευάσαντος καὶ τοῖς χώμασιν αὐτοὺς ἐπιστήσαντος οὐκέτι ἐκώλυον ̓Ιουδαῖοι τὰς ἐμβολὰς τῶν κριῶν, ἐκ τῶν πύργων βαλλόμενοι καὶ κακούμενοι. ηδη δὲ τῷ Νίκωνι τοῦ τείχους ἐνδιδόντος, αὐτοὶ γὰρ ̓Ιουδαῖοι τὴν μεγίστην ἑλέπολιν τῶν ̔Ρωμαίων ουτως ἐκάλεσαν, μαλακισθέντες ἀνεχώρουν οἱ πολλοί. καὶ 2.56 τῶν ̔Ρωμαίων ἐπιβάντων αὐτοῦ, πάντες εἰς τὸ δεύτερον ἀναφεύγουσι τεῖχος. Καὶ ουτως οἱ ̔Ρωμαῖοι τοῦ πρώτου τείχους ἐν πεντεκαίδεκα ἡμέραις ἐκράτησαν. ἐντεῦθεν αὐτοῖς κατὰ τοῦ δευτέρου τείχους ἐγένοντο προσβολαί. καὶ προσάγεται ἡ ἑλέπολις· σαλευομένου δὲ τοῦ πύργου καθ' ου τὰς ἐμβολὰς ἐποιεῖτο, οἱ μὲν αλλοι πεφεύγασι, Κάστωρ δέ τις ἀνὴρ γόης μεθ' ἑτέρων δέκα προτείνων τὰς χεῖρας ὡς ἱκετεύων ἐκάλει τὸν Τίτον. ὁ δὲ πιστεύσας ἐπέχει τὴν ἐμβολὴν τοῦ κριοῦ. καὶ ὁ Κάστωρ καταβῆναι βούλεσθαι ἐπὶ δεξιᾷ ελεγε, καὶ τῶν σὺν αὐτῷ δέκα οἱ μὲν τὴν ἱκεσίαν συνυπεκρίνοντο, οἱ δ' οὐκ αν ποτε δουλεύσειν ̔Ρωμαίοις ἐβόων. τριβομένης δ' ἐν τούτοις τῆς ωρας, ὁ Κάστωρ ἐδήλου τῷ Σίμωνι περὶ τῶν ἐπειγόντων βουλεύεσθαι, ὡς ἐμπαίζοντος ̔Ρωμαίοις αὐτοῦ καὶ τὸ σφῶν ἐπέχοντος ορμημα. τέλος δὲ γνωσθεὶς ἀπάτῃ τὸν καιρὸν