faction, headed by Jesus the son
of Shaphat, charged out upon him. The officer, having had no orders
to fight the Jews, fled on foot; with five of his men, who had also
dismounted. Their assailants seized the horses, and carried them in
triumph into the city.

The senate of Tiberias at once issued out from the city, and
hurried to the camp of Vespasian; and implored him not to visit the
crime of a small body of desperate men upon the whole city, whose
inhabitants had always been favorably disposed towards Rome.
Agrippa added his entreaties to theirs; and Vespasian, who had just
given orders for the troops to advance to storm and sack the city,
recalled them. The insurgents under Jesus fled to Tarichea and, the
gates being opened, the Romans entered Tiberias; Vespasian issuing
strict orders against plundering, and the ill treatment of the
inhabitants.

At Tarichea were assembled not only the insurgents from Tiberias,
but fighting men from all the towns on the lake, and from the
country on the east. The city had been carefully fortified by
Josephus and, as the inhabitants had a very large number of vessels
in the port, they relied upon these for escape, in case the town
should be reduced to extremities. No sooner did the Romans appear
before their walls, and begin to lay out their siege works, than
the Tiberians and others, under the command of Jesus, sallied out
and dispersed the workmen.

When the Roman troops advanced, in regular order, some of the Jews
retired into the city. Others made for their boats, which were
ranged along on the shore; and in these, putting out a little
distance, they cast anchor, and opened fire with their missiles
upon the Romans.

In the meantime, a large number of Jews had just arrived from the
farther side of Jordan. Vespasian sent Titus, with six hundred
chosen horse, to disperse them. The number of the Jews was so large
that Titus sent for further succor, and was reinforced by Trajan,
with four hundred horse; while Antonius Silo, with two thousand
archers, was sent by Vespasian to the side of a hill opposite the
city, to open fire thence upon the defenders of the walls, and thus
prevent them from harassing the Roman horsemen as they advanced.

The Jews resisted the first charge of the cavalry; but they could not
long withstand the long spears, and the weight and impetus of the
horses, and fled in disorder towards the town. The cavalry pursued
and tried to cut them off from it but,