sian, After He Had Taken Gadara Made Preparation
For The Siege Of Jerusalem; But That, Upon His Hearing Of
The Death Of Nero, He Changed His Intentions. As Also
Concerning Simon Of Geras.

1. And now Vespasian had fortified all the places round about Jerusalem,
and erected citadels at Jericho and Adida, and placed garrisons in them
both, partly out of his own Romans, and partly out of the body of his
auxiliaries. He also sent Lucius Annius to Gerasa, and delivered to him
a body of horsemen, and a considerable number of footmen. So when he had
taken the city, which he did at the first onset, he slew a thousand of
those young men who had not prevented him by flying away; but he took
their families captive, and permitted his soldiers to plunder them of
their effects; after which he set fire to their houses, and went away to
the adjoining villages, while the men of power fled away, and the weaker
part were destroyed, and what was remaining was all burnt down. And now
the war having gone through all the mountainous country, and all the
plain country also, those that were at Jerusalem were deprived of
the liberty of going out of the city; for as to such as had a mind to
desert, they were watched by the zealots; and as to such as were not yet
on the side of the Romans, their army kept them in, by encompassing the
city round about on all sides.

2. Now as Vespasian was returned to Cesarea, and was getting ready with
all his army to march directly to Jerusalem, he was informed that Nero
was dead, after he had reigned thirteen years and eight days. But as to
any narration after what manner he abused his power in the government,
and committed the management of affairs to those vile wretches,
Nymphidius and Tigellinus, his unworthy freed-men; and how he had a plot
laid against him by them, and was deserted by all his guards, and ran
away with four of his most trusty freed-men, and slew himself in the
suburbs of Rome; and how those that occasioned his death were in no long
time brought themselves to punishment; how also the war in Gall ended;
and how Galba was made emperor [16] and returned out of Spain to Rome;
and how he was accused by the soldiers as a pusillanimous person, and
slain by treachery in the middle of the market-place at Rome, and
Otho was made emperor; with his expedition against the commanders of
Vitellius, and his destruction thereupon; and besides what troubles
there were under Vitellius, and the f