fight so desperately in war as necessity.

5. Now when the next day an assault was made by the Romans, the Jews at
first staid out of the walls and opposed them, and met them, as having
formed themselves a camp before the city walls. But when Vespasian had
set against them the archers and slingers, and the whole multitude that
could throw to a great distance, he permitted them to go to work, while
he himself, with the footmen, got upon an acclivity, whence the city
might easily be taken. Josephus was then in fear for the city, and
leaped out, and all the Jewish multitude with him; these fell together
upon the Romans in great numbers, and drove them away from the wall, and
performed a great many glorious and bold actions. Yet did they suffer
as much as they made the enemy suffer; for as despair of deliverance
encouraged the Jews, so did a sense of shame equally encourage the
Romans. These last had skill as well as strength; the other had only
courage, which armed them, and made them fight furiously. And when the
fight had lasted all day, it was put an end to by the coming on of the
night. They had wounded a great many of the Romans, and killed of them
thirteen men; of the Jews' side seventeen were slain, and six hundred
wounded.

6. On the next day the Jews made another attack upon the Romans, and
went out of the walls and fought a much more desperate battle with them
titan before. For they were now become more courageous than formerly,
and that on account of the unexpected good opposition they had made the
day before, as they found the Romans also to fight more desperately;
for a sense of shame inflamed these into a passion, as esteeming their
failure of a sudden victory to be a kind of defeat. Thus did the Romans
try to make an impression upon the Jews till the fifth day continually,
while the people of Jotapata made sallies out, and fought at the walls
most desperately; nor were the Jews affrighted at the strength of the
enemy, nor were the Romans discouraged at the difficulties they met with
in taking the city.

7. Now Jotapata is almost all of it built on a precipice, having on
all the other sides of it every way valleys immensely deep and steep,
insomuch that those who would look down would have their sight fail them
before it reaches to the bottom. It is only to be come at on the north
side, where the utmost part of the city is built on the mountain, as it
ends obliquely at a plain. This mountain Josephus had en