y was empty of people that could fight, and although there should a
few of them be therein, he supposed that they would be too timorous to
venture upon any opposition; so he reserved the taking of the city to
the general. Accordingly, he sent messengers to Vespasian, and desired
him to send his son Titus to finish the victory he had gained. Vespasian
hereupon imagining there might be some pains still necessary, sent his
son with an army of five hundred horsemen, and one thousand footmen. So
he came quickly to the city, and put his army in order, and set Trajan
over the left wing, while he had the right himself, and led them to the
siege: and when the soldiers brought ladders to be laid against the wall
on every side, the Galileans opposed them from above for a while; but
soon afterward they left the walls. Then did Titus's men leap into the
city, and seized upon it presently; but when those that were in it were
gotten together, there was a fierce battle between them; for the men of
power fell upon the Romans in the narrow streets, and the women threw
whatsoever came next to hand at them, and sustained a fight with them
for six hours' time; but when the fighting men were spent, the rest of
the multitude had their throats cut, partly in the open air, and partly
in their own houses, both young and old together. So there were no males
now remaining, besides infants, which, with the women, were carried as
slaves into captivity; so that the number of the slain, both now in the
city and at the former fight, was fifteen thousand, and the captives
were two thousand one hundred and thirty. This calamity befell the
Galileans on the twenty-fifth day of the month Desius [Sivan.] 32. Nor
did the Samaritans escape their share of misfortunes at this time; for
they assembled themselves together upon file mountain called Gerizzim,
which is with them a holy mountain, and there they remained; which
collection of theirs, as well as the courageous minds they showed, could
not but threaten somewhat of war; nor were they rendered wiser by
the miseries that had come upon their neighboring cities. They also,
notwithstanding the great success the Romans had, marched on in an
unreasonable manner, depending on their own weakness, and were disposed
for any tumult upon its first appearance. Vespasian therefore thought
it best to prevent their motions, and to cut off the foundation of their
attempts. For although all Samaria had ever garrisons settled am