o the impression of
the battering rams, those that opposed themselves fled away, and such
a terror fell upon the tyrants, as was much greater than the occasion
required; for before the enemy got over the breach they were quite
stunned, and were immediately for flying away. And now one might see
these men, who had hitherto been so insolent and arrogant in their
wicked practices, to be cast down and to tremble, insomuch that it
would pity one's heart to observe the change that was made in those vile
persons. Accordingly, they ran with great violence upon the Roman wall
that encompassed them, in order to force away those that guarded it, and
to break through it, and get away. But when they saw that those who had
formerly been faithful to them had gone away, [as indeed they were fled
whithersoever the great distress they were in persuaded them to flee,]
as also when those that came running before the rest told them that the
western wall was entirely overthrown, while others said the Romans were
gotten in, and others that they were near, and looking out for them,
which were only the dictates of their fear, which imposed upon their
sight, they fell upon their face, and greatly lamented their own mad
conduct; and their nerves were so terribly loosed, that they could
not flee away. And here one may chiefly reflect on the power of God
exercised upon these wicked wretches, and on the good fortune of the
Romans; for these tyrants did now wholly deprive themselves of the
security they had in their own power, and came down from those very
towers of their own accord, wherein they could have never been taken
by force, nor indeed by any other way than by famine. And thus did the
Romans, when they had taken such great pains about weaker walls, get
by good fortune what they could never have gotten by their engines;
for three of these towers were too strong for all mechanical engines
whatsoever, concerning which we have treated above.

5. So they now left these towers of themselves, or rather they were
ejected out of them by God himself, and fled immediately to that valley
which was under Siloam, where they again recovered themselves out of the
dread they were in for a while, and ran violently against that part of
the Roman wall which lay on that side; but as their courage was too much
depressed to make their attacks with sufficient force, and their power
was now broken with fear and affliction, they were repulsed by the
guards, and dispe