all of the same age, tall, and just past
their childhood, armed, and instructed after the Macedonian manner,
whence it was that they took that name. Yet were many of them unworthy
of so famous a nation; for it had so happened, that the king of
Commagene had flourished more than any other kings that were under the
power of the Romans, till a change happened in his condition; and when
he was become an old man, he declared plainly that we ought not to call
any man happy before he is dead. But this son of his, who was then
come thither before his father was decaying, said that he could not but
wonder what made the Romans so tardy in making their attacks upon the
wall. Now he was a warlike man, and naturally bold in exposing himself
to dangers; he was also so strong a man, that his boldness seldom failed
of having success. Upon this Titus smiled, and said he would share the
pains of an attack with him. However, Antiochus went as he then was, and
with his Macedonians made a sudden assault upon the wall; and, indeed,
for his own part, his strength and skill were so great, that he guarded
himself from the Jewish darts, and yet shot his darts at them, while yet
the young men with him were almost all sorely galled; for they had so
great a regard to the promises that had been made of their courage, that
they would needs persevere in their fighting, and at length many of them
retired, but not till they were wounded; and then they perceived that
true Macedonians, if they were to be conquerors, must have Alexander's
good fortune also.

4. Now as the Romans began to raise their banks on the twelfth day of
the month Artemisius, [Jyar,] so had they much ado to finish them by
the twenty-ninth day of the same month, after they had labored hard for
seventeen days continually. For there were now four great banks raised,
one of which was at the tower Antonia; this was raised by the fifth
legion, over against the middle of that pool which was called Struthius.
Another was cast up by the twelfth legion, at the distance of about
twenty cubits from the other. But the labors of the tenth legion, which
lay a great way off these, were on the north quarter, and at the pool
called Amygdalon; as was that of the fifteenth legion about thirty
cubits from it, and at the high priest's monument. And now, when the
engines were brought, John had from within undermined the space that was
over against the tower of Antonia, as far as the banks themselves,
and