rsing themselves at distances from each other, went
down into the subterranean caverns. So the Romans being now become
masters of the walls, they both placed their ensigns upon the towers,
and made joyful acclamations for the victory they had gained, as having
found the end of this war much lighter than its beginning; for when they
had gotten upon the last wall, without any bloodshed, they could hardly
believe what they found to be true; but seeing nobody to oppose them,
they stood in doubt what such an unusual solitude could mean. But when
they went in numbers into the lanes of the city with their swords drawn,
they slew those whom they overtook without and set fire to the houses
whither the Jews were fled, and burnt every soul in them, and laid
waste a great many of the rest; and when they were come to the houses
to plunder them, they found in them entire families of dead men, and
the upper rooms full of dead corpses, that is, of such as died by the
famine; they then stood in a horror at this sight, and went out without
touching any thing. But although they had this commiseration for such as
were destroyed in that manner, yet had they not the same for those that
were still alive, but they ran every one through whom they met with,
and obstructed the very lanes with their dead bodies, and made the whole
city run down with blood, to such a degree indeed that the fire of
many of the houses was quenched with these men's blood. And truly so it
happened, that though the slayers left off at the evening, yet did the
fire greatly prevail in the night; and as all was burning, came that
eighth day of the month Gorpieus [Elul] upon Jerusalem, a city that had
been liable to so many miseries during this siege, that, had it always
enjoyed as much happiness from its first foundation, it would certainly
have been the envy of the world. Nor did it on any other account so much
deserve these sore misfortunes, as by producing such a generation of men
as were the occasions of this its overthrow.

CHAPTER 9.

What Injunctions Caesar Gave When He Was Come Within The
City. The Number Of The Captives And Of Those That Perished
In The Siege; As Also Concerning Those That Had Escaped Into
The Subterranean Caverns, Among Whom Were The Tyrants Simon
And John Themselves.

1. Now when Titus was come into this [upper] city, he admired not only
some other places of strength in it, but particularly those strong
towers whi