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though the rams were striking, the battered wall did not give way, and only a corner of one of the towers had been shaken, but the wall was intact. But the Jews, observing the Romans scattered throughout the camp, all ran out, bringing fire to the engines. And a terrible battle occurred around the siege engines, with some trying to set them on fire and others forcibly preventing them; but the Jews prevailed out of desperation. And the fire took hold of the siege engines, and if Titus with the cavalry had not come to help, they would have been burned down. But now, as about twelve of the Jewish champions had fallen, the rest gave way and were driven together into the city. And one of the Jews who had been taken alive was crucified before the wall, in case the rest, terrified at the sight, might surrender. And when Titus had constructed wooden towers, each fifty cubits high, and set them up on the earthworks, the Jews no longer hindered the blows of the rams, being shot at and harassed from the towers. And as the wall was already giving way to "Nicon" (for the Jews themselves so called the greatest of the Roman siege engines), most of them, losing heart, were retreating. And 2.56 when the Romans had mounted it, they all fled up to the second wall. And so 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 up; and as the tower against which it was making its assaults was being shaken, the others had fled, but a certain man, Castor, a sorcerer, with ten others, stretching out his hands as if in supplication, called to Titus. And he, believing him, stayed the blow of the ram. And Castor said he wished to come down on terms, and of the ten with him some joined in the feigned supplication, while others shouted that they would never be slaves to the Romans. And while time was being wasted in these things, Castor indicated to Simon that he should take counsel about urgent matters, since he was mocking the Romans and checking their assault. But at last, being recognized as prolonging the time by deceit, he provoked the Romans to make the blows of the ram more powerful. Therefore the second wall was also taken on the fifth day after the first. But when Titus came inside, he both forbade killing those who were caught and commanded the soldiers not to set fire to the houses, nor did he wish a large part of the wall to be torn down; for he considered it of greater importance to preserve the city for himself, and the temple for the city. Therefore the rebels attacked the Romans who had come into the city, and some shot at them from the narrow streets, others from the houses, and others from the wall. And the Roman guards of it, leaping down from the towers, 2.57 retreated to the camp. But the Jews, through their experience of the narrow streets, both wounded many and, falling upon them, pushed them out. The Romans therefore, having taken even the second wall, were pushed out again, and the spirits of the rebels were lifted. And now the famine, creeping through the city, destroyed many of the good men from lack of provisions. And this was pleasing to the rebels, who thought that only those who did not want peace were worthy to be saved, and believed the destruction of the others was a relief to themselves. But the Romans again attempted to take the second wall, and they prevented them; and for three days they held out, but on the fourth, not being able to bear the assault, they withdrew to the inner part. And again Titus, taking possession of the wall, immediately demolished the northern part of it; and having placed a garrison in the remainder, he prepared to attack the third. And dividing the legions in two, he began to raise earthworks. And of those within, the rebels were unyielding and inflexible, but the people were moved to desertion, and many were secretly deserting. But those whom the rebels found wishing to do this, or against whom they had even a mere shadow of suspicion, they immediately slaughtered; and upon the wealthy, even attaching the false accusation of desertion, they immediately destroyed them and plundered their property. And the raging famine increased the cruelty of the rebels. because of

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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 Ἰουδαῖοι 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 παρέλκων, παρώξυνε τοὺς ̔Ρωμαίους τὰς ἐμβολὰς τοῦ κριοῦ ποιεῖσθαι δυνατωτέρας. ἑάλω τοίνυν καὶ τὸ δεύτερον τεῖχος ἡμέρᾳ πέμπτῃ μετὰ τὸ πρῶτον. παρελθὼν δ' ἐντὸς ὁ Τίτος κτείνειν τε τοὺς καταλαμβανομένους ἐκώλυσε, καὶ μηδὲ τὰς οἰκίας ὑποπιμπρᾶν τοῖς στρατιώταις ἐκέλευσεν, ἀλλ' οὐδὲ τοῦ τείχους πολὺ μέρος καθαιρεθῆναι ἠθέλησε· περὶ πλείονος γὰρ ἐποιεῖτο τὴν μὲν πόλιν ἑαυτῷ περισῶσαι, τῇ πόλει δὲ τὸν ναόν. ἐπιτίθενται τοίνυν οἱ στασιασταὶ τοῖς ἐπελθοῦσιν εἰς τὴν πόλιν ̔Ρωμαίοις, καὶ οἱ μὲν κατὰ τοὺς στενωπούς, οἱ δ' ἐκ τῶν οἰκιῶν, οἱ δ' ἐκ τοῦ τείχους αὐτοὺς εβαλλον. καὶ οἱ τούτου φρουροὶ ̔Ρωμαῖοι καθαλλόμενοι τῶν πύργων 2.57 ἀνεχώρουν εἰς τὸ στρατόπεδον. ̓Ιουδαῖοι δὲ κατ' ἐμπειρίαν τῶν στενωπῶν ἐτίτρωσκόν τε πολλοὺς καὶ προσπίπτοντες ἐξώθουν. ̔Ρωμαῖοι μὲν ουν κρατήσαντες καὶ τοῦ δευτέρου τείχους, αυθις ἐξώσθησαν, ἐπῆρτο δὲ τοῖς στασιασταῖς τὰ φρονήματα. ηδη δὲ καὶ ὁ λιμὸς ὑφέρπων τὴν πόλιν πολλοὺς τῶν ἀγαθῶν ἀνδρῶν ἐνδείᾳ τῶν ἐπιτηδείων διέφθειρε. τοῦτο δὲ τοῖς στασιασταῖς καταθύμιον ην, μόνους ἀξιοῦσι σώζεσθαι τοὺς τὴν εἰρήνην μὴ θέλοντας, τὴν δὲ τῶν αλλων φθορὰν οἰομένοις κουφισμὸν ἑαυτῶν. ̔Ρωμαῖοι δὲ αυθις ἀπεπειρῶντο κατασχεῖν τὸ τεῖχος τὸ δεύτερον, οἱ δὲ διεκώλυον· καὶ ἐπὶ τρισὶ μὲν ἡμέραις ἀντέσχον, τῇ δὲ τετάρτῃ μὴ ἐνεγκόντες τὴν προσβολὴν εἰς τὸ ἐνδότερον μετεχώρησαν. Καὶ πάλιν ὁ Τίτος τοῦ τείχους κρατήσας αὐτίκα τούτου καθῄρησε τὸ προσάρκτιον· τῷ λοιπῷ δ' ἐγκαταστήσας φρουράν, τῷ τρίτῳ προσβαλεῖν ἡτοιμάζετο. καὶ διχῇ τὰ τάγματα διελὼν ἐγείρειν ηρχετο χώματα. τῶν δ' ἐντὸς οἱ μὲν στασιασταὶ ησαν ατεγκτοι καὶ ἀνένδοτοι, ὁ δὲ δῆμος πρὸς αὐτομολίαν κεκίνητο, καὶ πολλοὶ λανθάνοντες ηὐτομόλουν. ους δὲ τοῦτο βουλομένους οἱ στασιάζοντες ευρισκον, η καὶ μόνην εσχον ὑπονοίας σκιάν, εὐθέως ἀπέσφαττον· τοῖς δ' εὐπόροις καὶ ψευδῆ τὴν τῆς αὐτομολίας κατηγορίαν προσάπτοντες τοὺς μὲν αὐτίκα διέφθειρον, τὰς δὲ ἐκείνων οὐσίας διήρπαζον. ὁ λιμὸς δ' ἀκμάζων τὴν τῶν στασιαστῶν ὠμότητα ηυξανε. δι'