t it was in vain to fight with those that would be
destroyed one by another; he also showed them how impracticable it was
to cast up any more banks, for want of materials, and to guard against
the Jews coming out still more impracticable; as also, that to encompass
the whole city round with his army was not very easy, by reason of its
magnitude, and the difficulty of the situation, and on other accounts
dangerous, upon the sallies the Jews might make out of the city. For
although they might guard the known passages out of the place, yet would
they, when they found themselves under the greatest distress, contrive
secret passages out, as being well acquainted with all such places; and
if any provisions were carried in by stealth, the siege would thereby be
longer delayed. He also owned that he was afraid that the length of time
thus to be spent would diminish the glory of his success; for though
it be true that length of time will perfect every thing, yet that to
do what we do in a little time is still necessary to the gaining
reputation. That therefore his opinion was, that if they aimed at
quickness joined with security, they must build a wall round about the
whole city; which was, he thought, the only way to prevent the Jews from
coming out any way, and that then they would either entirely despair of
saving the city, and so would surrender it up to him, or be still the
more easily conquered when the famine had further weakened them; for
that besides this wall, he would not lie entirely at rest afterward, but
would take care then to have banks raised again, when those that would
oppose them were become weaker. But that if any one should think such a
work to be too great, and not to be finished without much difficulty, he
ought to consider that it is not fit for Romans to undertake any small
work, and that none but God himself could with ease accomplish any great
thing whatsoever.

2. These arguments prevailed with the commanders. So Titus gave orders
that the army should be distributed to their several shares of this
work; and indeed there now came upon the soldiers a certain divine fury,
so that they did not only part the whole wall that was to be built
among them, nor did only one legion strive with another, but the lesser
divisions of the army did the same; insomuch that each soldier was
ambitious to please his decurion, each decurion his centurion, each
centurion his tribune, and the ambition of the tribunes was to p