id
waste what was left, his victory would not, I suppose, have been mixed
with any loss to himself. But now, out of the hope he had that he should
make the Jews ashamed of their obstinacy, by not being willing, when he
was able, to afflict them more than he needed to do, he did not widen
the breach of the wall, in order to make a safer retreat upon occasion;
for he did not think they would lay snares for him that did them such a
kindness. When therefore he came in, he did not permit his soldiers to
kill any of those they caught, nor to set fire to their houses neither;
nay, he gave leave to the seditious, if they had a mind, to fight
without any harm to the people, and promised to restore the people's
effects to them; for he was very desirous to preserve the city for his
own sake, and the temple for the sake of the city. As to the people, he
had them of a long time ready to comply with his proposals; but as to
the fighting men, this humanity of his seemed a mark of his weakness,
and they imagined that he made these proposals because he was not able
to take the rest of the city. They also threatened death to the people,
if they should any one of them say a word about a surrender. They
moreover cut the throats of such as talked of a peace, and then attacked
those Romans that were come within the wall. Some of them they met in
the narrow streets, and some they fought against from their houses,
while they made a sudden sally out at the upper gates, and assaulted
such Romans as were beyond the wall, till those that guarded the wall
were so aftrighted, that they leaped down from their towers, and retired
to their several camps: upon which a great noise was made by the Romans
that were within, because they were encompassed round on every side by
their enemies; as also by them that were without, because they were in
fear for those that were left in the city. Thus did the Jews grow more
numerous perpetually, and had great advantages over the Romans, by their
full knowledge of those narrow lanes; and they wounded a great many
of them, and fell upon them, and drove them out of the city. Now these
Romans were at present forced to make the best resistance they could;
for they were not able, in great numbers, to get out at the breach in
the wall, it was so narrow. It is also probable that all those that
were gotten within had been cut to pieces, if Titus had not sent them
succors; for he ordered the archers to stand at the upper ends o