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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;
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.
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