to quench
the fire and to make a road for the more easy marching up of the
legions, while he himself gathered the commanders together. Titus
proposed to these that they should give him their advice what should be
done about the holy house. Now some of these thought it would be the
best way to act according to the rules of war [and demolish it], because
the Jews would never leave off rebelling while that house was standing;
at which house it was that they used to get all together. Others of them
were of opinion that in case the Jews would leave it, and none of them
would lay their arms up in it, he might save it; but that in case they
got upon it and fought any more, he might burn it; because it must then
be looked upon not as a holy house, but as a citadel; and that the
impiety of burning it would then belong to those that forced this to be
done, and not to them.

But Titus said that "although the Jews should get upon that holy house
and fight us thence, yet ought we not to revenge ourselves on things
that are inanimate, instead of the men themselves"? and that he was not
in any case for burning down so vast a work as that was, because this
would be a mischief to the Romans themselves, as it would be an
ornament to their government while it continued. So Fronto and
Alexander and Cerealis grew bold upon that declaration, and agreed to
the opinion of Titus. Then was this assembly dissolved, when Titus had
given orders to the commanders that the rest of their forces should lie
still; but that they should make use of such as were most courageous in
this attack. So he commanded that the chosen men that were taken out of
the cohorts should make their way through the ruins and quench the fire.

Now it is true that on this day the Jews were so weary and under such
consternation that they refrained from any attacks. But on the next day
they gathered their whole force together, and ran upon those that
guarded the outward court of the Temple very boldly, through the east
gate, and this about the second hour of the day. These guards received
their attack with great bravery, and by covering themselves with their
shields before, as if it were with a wall, drew their squadron close
together; yet was it evident that they could not abide there very long,
but would be overborne by the multitude of those that sallied out upon
them, and by the heat of their passion. However, Caesar seeing, from the
tower of Antonia, that this squadron wa