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and he commanded the foot soldiers to cut down the forest. But the Jews who had fled there, rushing together with a shout, fell upon those who had surrounded them. And since those men received them stoutly, no short time was spent in the battle, but the end turned out not to be similar for the opposing sides. For twelve of the Romans fell, and a few were wounded, but of the Jews from this battle, none escaped, and having been captured, all, not less than three thousand, died. Bassus, however, and Liberius Maximus, who was procurator, were commanded by Caesar to sell all the land of the Jews. And to eight hundred only, spared from the campaign, he gave a place for habitation, which is called Ammaus, and is thirty stades distant from Jerusalem. And he imposed a tax 2.81 on the Jews, wherever they were, for each to contribute two drachmas annually to the Capitol, just as previously they used to pay to the temple in Jerusalem. And when Bassus died, Flavius Silva succeeded to the governorship. who marched against the fortress of Masada, the only one still left of those who had revolted. And Sicarii held this, of whom a powerful man, Eleazar, was leader, a descendant of Judas who persuaded many of the Jews not to obey the census under Quirinius. And he immediately took control of the country, and surrounded the fortress with a wall, blocking off the exit for flight for those within. Then he turned to the siege, and having heaped up a ramp where it was possible, for the fortress was built on a high rock, crowned with ravines of immense depth, he brought up the siege-engine and broke through a part of the wall. But another was seen inside, built in opposition by the Sicarii, of such a kind that it was not likely to yield even to the battering rams of the siege-engines. For it was made of timbers having two parallel rows, between which they piled up the earth. The blows, at any rate, of the machines not only did not break this, but even made it stronger as it settled with the shaking; therefore Silva commanded his soldiers to hurl burning torches all together. And the part made of wood caught the fire and sent up a great flame. At first, then, a north wind blowing from above drove the flame against the Romans, and it almost would have touched the machines; then a strong south wind blowing back drove this 2.82 against the wall, and it was all now burning down. Upon 2.82 this, the Romans intended to attack the enemy on the following day, but Eleazar, having spoken with those in the fortress, persuaded everyone, after having killed their own wives and children, for each to follow them. And indeed, when this was decided, they at once both embraced their wives and took their children in their arms, clinging to them with kisses and weeping, and they slew their dearest ones with their hands, as if they were not their own kin. Then, having gathered all their possessions together, they threw fire into it. And having chosen ten by lot who would be the slayers of all, each was laid out by them over his dearest ones. Then again the one chosen by lot, having slain the nine, and having looked around in a circle lest anyone alive was left, when he knew all had been slain, he set fire to the palace, and having driven his entire sword through himself, he fell down beside his family. And so they had died, having supposed that no one living was left behind, but an old woman and another woman and five children had escaped notice, having been hidden in the aqueducts. And the number of the slain, with women and children, was two hundred and sixty. And the Romans at dawn were making an assault; but seeing none of the enemy, and a great stillness within and a fire blazing, they were at a loss. And finally they shouted, if they might call out any of those within. And the women became aware of the shout, and coming up from the aqueducts, they reported to the Romans the things that had been done; but they did not believe. But when they passed inside the palace and came upon the slain, they marveled at the nobility of the men and their contempt for death. 2.83 Such, then, was the capture of Masada; and in Alexandria in Egypt many

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τοὺς δὲ πεζοὺς δενδροτομεῖν τὴν υλην ἐκέλευσεν. οἱ δ' ἐκεῖ προσπεφευγότες ̓Ιουδαῖοι ἀθρόοι μετὰ βοῆς ᾳξαντες ἐνέπιπτον τοῖς κυκλωσαμένοις αὐτούς. ὡς δὲ καρτερῶς αὐτοὺς ἐκεῖνοι ἐδέχοντο, χρόνος μὲν οὐ βραχὺς τῇ μάχῃ ἐτρίβη, τέλος δὲ αὐτῇ οὐχ ομοιον τοῖς ἐναντίοις ἀπέβη μέρεσι. ̔Ρωμαίων μὲν γὰρ επεσον δώδεκα, ὀλίγοι δ' ἐτρώθησαν, τῶν δὲ ̓Ιουδαίων ἐκ τῆς μάχης ταύτης οὐδεὶς διέφυγεν, ἁλόντες δὲ καὶ τρισχιλίων οὐχ ηττους πάντες ἀπέθανον. Βάσσος μέντοι καὶ Λεβέριος Μάξιμος, ος ην ἐπίτροπος, πᾶσαν τὴν γῆν ἀποδόσθαι τῶν ̓Ιουδαίων παρὰ Καίσαρος ἐκελεύσθησαν. ὀκτακοσίοις δὲ μόνοις ἀπὸ τῆς στρατείας διαφειμένοις χωρίον εδωκεν εἰς κατοίκησιν, ο καλεῖται μὲν ̓Αμαοῦς, ἀπέχει δὲ τῶν ̔Ιεροσολύμων σταδίους τριάκοντα. φόρον δὲ τοῖς 2.81 ὁπουδήποτε ουσιν ̓Ιουδαίοις ἐπέταξε δύο δραχμὰς εκαστον ἐτησίως εἰσφέρειν εἰς τὸ Καπιτώλιον, ωσπερ πρότερον εἰς τὸν ἐν ̔Ιεροσολύμοις ναὸν συνετέλουν. Βάσσου δὲ τελευτήσαντος Φλάβιος Σίλβας διαδέχεται τὴν ἡγεμονίαν. ος ἐπὶ Μασάδαν τὸ φρούριον ἐστράτευσε, μόνον ετι τῶν ἀφεστηκότων περιλειφθέν. κατεῖχον δὲ τοῦτο σικάριοι, ων προειστήκει δυνατὸς ἀνὴρ ̓Ελεάζαρ, ἀπόγονος ̓Ιούδα τοῦ πείσαντος πολλοὺς ̓Ιουδαίων μὴ πείθεσθαι ταῖς ἀπογραφαῖς ἐπὶ Κυρηνίου. καὶ τῆς μὲν χώρας εὐθὺς ἐκράτει, τὸ δὲ φρούριον τείχει περιεκύκλωσε, τὴν εἰς φυγὴν εξοδον τοῖς ενδον ἀποφραγνύς. ειτα πρὸς πολιορκίαν ἐτράπετο, καὶ χῶμα χώσας ενθα δυνατὸν ην, ἐπὶ πέτρας γὰρ ὑψηλῆς τὸ φρούριον ᾠκοδόμητο, φάραγξι βάθος ἐχούσαις απειρον ἐστεφανωμένης, ἐπήγαγε τὴν ἑλέπολιν καὶ διέρρηξε μέρος τοῦ τείχους. ωφθη δ' ετερον ἐντὸς ὑπὸ τῶν σικαρίων ἀντοικοδομηθὲν τοιοῦτον οιον μηδὲ ταῖς ἐμβολαῖς ειξειν μέλλον τῶν ἑλεπόλεων. ἐκ ξύλων γὰρ ην δύο στίχους παραλλήλους ἐχόντων, ων μέσον συνεφόρουν τὸν χοῦν. αἱ γοῦν τῶν μηχανημάτων ἐμβολαὶ οὐ μόνον οὐ διερρήγνυον τοῦτο, ἀλλὰ καὶ στερρότερον τῷ σάλῳ συνιζάνον εἰργάζοντο· διὸ τοῖς στρατιώταις ὁ Σίλβας λαμπάδας καιομένας ἀκοντίζειν ἀθρόους παρεκελεύσατο. τὸ δὲ πεποιημένον ἐκ ξύλων τοῦ πυρὸς ἀντελάβετο καὶ φλόγα πολλὴν ἀνῆκε. τὸ μὲν ουν πρῶτον πνέων βορρᾶς ανωθεν εἰς τοὺς ̔Ρωμαίους τὴν φλόγα ἐπήλαυνε, καὶ μικροῦ τῶν μηχανημάτων ηψατο αν· επειτα νότος ἀντιπνεύσας πολὺς τῷ τείχει 2.82 ταύτην προσέβαλε, καὶ απαν ηδη κατέφλεκτο. ἐπὶ 2.82 τούτοις οἱ μὲν ̔Ρωμαῖοι κατὰ τὴν ἐπιοῦσαν τοῖς πολεμίοις ἐπιχειρεῖν εμελλον, ̓Ελεάζαρ δὲ τοῖς ἐν τῷ φρουρίῳ διαλεχθεὶς επεισε πάντας τάς τε γυναῖκας ἑαυτῶν καὶ τὰ τέκνα ἀνῃρηκότας ἐκείνοις ἐπαπελθεῖν εκαστον. καὶ δὴ τούτου δόξαντος, ὁμοῦ τε τὰς γυναῖκας ἠσπάζοντο καὶ τὰ τέκνα προσηγκαλίζοντο, τοῖς φιλήμασιν ἐμφυόμενοι καὶ δακρύοντες, καὶ διεχειρίζοντο τὰ φίλτατα ταῖς χερσίν, ὡς μή τι σφίσι προσήκοντα. ειτα τὴν κτῆσιν απασαν συναθροίσαντες πῦρ ἐνέβαλλον εἰς αὐτήν. κλήρῳ δ' ἑλόμενοι δέκα τοὺς ἐσομένους σφαγεῖς ἁπάντων, ὑπ' αὐτῶν εκαστος ἐπὶ τοῖς φιλτάτοις ἐκτίννυτο. ειτ' αυθις ὁ κλήρῳ λαχὼν τοὺς ἐννέα διαχειρισάμενος, καὶ κύκλῳ περιαθρήσας μήπου τις ζωὸς περιλέλειπται, ὡς εγνω πάντας ἀνῃρημένους, πῦρ μὲν τοῖς βασιλείοις ἐνίησιν, ολον δὲ τὸ ξίφος ἐλάσας δι' ἑαυτοῦ πλησίον τῶν οἰκείων κατέπεσε. καὶ οἱ μὲν ἐτεθνήκεσαν ὑπειληφότες μή τινα ζῶντα καταλειφθῆναι, ελαθεν δὲ γυνὴ πρεσβῦτις καί τις ἑτέρα καὶ πέντε παιδία τοῖς ὑπονόμοις κατακρυφθέντα. ην δὲ τὸ τῶν σφαγέντων πλῆθος σὺν γυναιξὶ καὶ παισὶ διακόσιοι πρὸς ἑξήκοντα. Οἱ δὲ ̔Ρωμαῖοι προσβολὴν εωθεν ἐποιοῦντο· βλέποντες δ' οὐδένα τῶν πολεμίων, πολλὴν δ' ενδον ἠρεμίαν καὶ πῦρ ἀναπτόμενον, διηπόρουν. καὶ τέλος ἠλάλαξαν, ει τινα τῶν ἐντὸς προσκαλέσαιντο. τῆς δὲ βοῆς αισθησις τοῖς γυναίοις ἐγένετο, κἀκ τῶν ὑπονόμων ἀναδῦσαι τὰ πραχθέντα τοῖς ̔Ρωμαίοις ἐμήνυον· οἱ δ' ἠπίστουν. ὡς δὲ τῶν βασιλείων παρῆλθον ενδον καὶ τοῖς ἀνῃρημένοις ἐνέτυχον, ἐθαύμαζον τὴν γενναιότητα τῶν ἀνδρῶν καὶ τοῦ θανάτου τὴν καταφρόνησιν. 2.83 Τοιαύτη μὲν ουν ἡ τῆς Μασάδας ἐγένετο αλωσις· καὶ κατὰ τὴν ἐν Αἰγύπτῳ ̓Αλεξάνδρειαν πολλοὺς