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[13]
These Jews, therefore, out of their anger, marched faster than ordinary,
and, as if they had come but a little way, approached very near the city,
and were come even to it; but Antonius, who was not unapprized of the attack
they were going to make upon the city, drew out his horsemen beforehand,
and being neither daunted at the multitude, nor at the courage of the enemy,
received their first attacks with great bravery; and when they crowded
to the very walls, he beat them off. Now the Jews were unskillful in war,
but were to fight with those who were skillful therein; they were footmen
to fight with horsemen; they were in disorder, to fight those that were
united together; they were poorly armed, to fight those that were completely
so; they were to fight more by their rage than by sober counsel, and were
exposed to soldiers that were exactly obedient; and did every thing they
were bidden upon the least intimation. So they were easily beaten; for
as soon as ever their first ranks were once in disorder, they were put
to flight by the enemy's cavalry, and those of them that came behind such
as crowded to the wall fell upon their own party's weapons, and became
one another's enemies; and this so long till they were all forced to give
way to the attacks of the horsemen, and were dispersed all the plain over,
which plain was wide, and all fit for the horsemen; which circumstance
was very commodious for the Romans, and occasioned the slaughter of the
greatest number of the Jews; for such as ran away, they could overrun them,
and make them turn back; and when they had brought them back after their
flight, and driven them together, they ran them through, and slew a vast
number of them, insomuch that others encompassed others of them, and drove
them before them whithersoever they turned themselves, and slew them easily
with their arrows; and the great number there were of the Jews seemed a
solitude to themselves, by reason of the distress they were in, while the
Romans had such good success with their small number, that they seemed
to themselves to be the greater multitude. And as the former strove zealously
under their misfortunes, out of the shame of a sudden flight, and hopes
of the change in their success, so did the latter feel no weariness by
reason of their good fortune; insomuch that the fight lasted till the evening,
till ten thousand men of the Jews' side lay dead, with two of their generals,
John and Silas, and the greater part of the remainder were wounded, with
Niger, their remaining general, who fled away together to a small city
of Idumea, called Sallis. Some few also of the Romans were wounded in this
battle.
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