the Nico, for by that name did the Jews
themselves call the greatest of their engines, because it conquered all
things. And now they were for a long while grown weary of fighting,
and of keeping guards, and were retired to lodge in the night time at a
distance from the wall. It was on other accounts also thought by them
to be superfluous to guard the wall, there being besides that two other
fortifications still remaining, and they being slothful, and their
counsels having been ill concerted on all occasions; so a great many
grew lazy and retired. Then the Romans mounted the breach, where
Nico had made one, and all the Jews left the guarding that wall, and
retreated to the second wall; so those that had gotten over that wall
opened the gates, and received all the army within it. And thus did the
Romans get possession of this first wall, on the fifteenth day of the
siege, which was the seventh day of the month Artemisius, [Jyar,] when
they demolished a great part of it, as well as they did of the northern
parts of the city, which had been demolished also by Cestius formerly.

3. And now Titus pitched his camp within the city, at that place which
was called "the Camp of the Assyrians," having seized upon all that
lay as far as Cedron, but took care to be out of the reach of the Jews'
darts. He then presently began his attacks, upon which the Jews divided
themselves into several bodies, and courageously defended that wall;
while John and his faction did it from the tower of Antonia, and from
the northern cloister of the temple, and fought the Romans before the
monuments of king Alexander; and Sireoh's army also took for their share
the spot of ground that was near John's monument, and fortified it as
far as to that gate where water was brought in to the tower Hippicus.
However, the Jews made violent sallies, and that frequently also, and in
bodies together out of the gates, and there fought the Romans; and when
they were pursued all together to the wall, they were beaten in those
fights, as wanting the skill of the Romans. But when they fought them
from the walls, they were too hard for them; the Romans being encouraged
by their power, joined to their skill, as were the Jews by their
boldness, which was nourished by the fear they were in, and that
hardiness which is natural to our nation under calamities; they were
also encouraged still by the hope of deliverance, as were the Romans by
their hopes of subduing them in a litt