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[236]
But then, on the next day, Titus commanded part of his army to quench
the fire, and to make a road for the more easy marching up of the legions,
while he himself gathered the commanders together. Of those there were
assembled the six principal persons: Tiberius Alexander, the commander
[under the general] of the whole army; with Sextus Cerealis, the commander
of the fifth legion; and Larcius Lepidus, the commander of the tenth legion;
and Titus Frigius, the commander of the fifteenth legion: there was also
with them Eternius, the leader of the two legions that came from Alexandria;
and Marcus Antonius Julianus, procurator of Judea: after these came together
all the rest of the procurators and tribunes. Titus proposed to these that
they should give him their advice what should be done about the holy house.
Now some of these thought it would be the best way to act according to
the rules of war, [and demolish it,] because the Jews would never leave
off rebelling while that house was standing; at which house it was that
they used to get all together. Others of them were of opinion, that in
case the Jews would leave it, and none of them would lay their arms up
in it, he might save it; but that in case they got upon it, and fought
any more, he might burn it; because it must then be looked upon not as
a holy house, but as a citadel; and that the impiety of burning it would
then belong to those that forced this to be done, and not to them. But
Titus said, that "although the Jews should get upon that holy house,
and fight us thence, yet ought we not to revenge ourselves on things that
are inanimate, instead of the men themselves;" and that he was not
in any case for burning down so vast a work as that was, because this would
be a mischief to the Romans themselves, as it would be an ornament to their
government while it continued. So Fronto, and Alexander, and Cerealis grew
bold upon that declaration, and agreed to the opinion of Titus. Then was
this assembly dissolved, when Titus had given orders to the commanders
that the rest of their forces should lie still; but that they should make
use of such as were most courageous in this attack. So he commanded that
the chosen men that were taken out of the cohorts should make their way
through the ruins, and quench the fire.
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