6. Thus did John hope to
be too hard for his enemies by these engines constructed by his impiety; but
God himself demonstrated that his pains would prove of no use to him, by
bringing the Romans upon him, before he had reared any of his towers; for
Titus, when he had gotten together part of his forces about him, and had
ordered the rest to meet him at Jerusalem, marched out of Cesarea.
He had
with him those three legions that had accompanied his father when he laid
Judea waste, together with that twelfth legion which had been formerly beaten
with Cestius; which legion, as it was otherwise remarkable for its valor, so
did it march on now with greater alacrity to avenge themselves on the Jews,
as remembering what they had formerly suffered from them. Of these legions he
ordered the fifth to meet him, by going through Emmaus, and the tenth to go
up by Jericho; he also moved himself, together with the rest; besides whom,
marched those auxiliaries that came from the kings, being now more in number
than before, together with a considerable number that came to his assistance
from Syria.
Those also that had been selected out of these four legions, and
sent with Mucianus to Italy, had their places filled up out of these soldiers
that came out of Egypt with Titus; who were two thousand men, chosen out of
the armies at Alexandria. There followed him also three thousand drawn from
those that guarded the river Euphrates ; as also there came Tiberius
Alexander, who was a friend of his, most valuable, both for his good-will to
him, and for his prudence. He had formerly been governor of Alexandria, but
was now thought worthy to be general of the army [under Titus].
The reason of
this was, that he had been the first who encouraged Vespasian very lately to
accept this his new dominion, and joined himself to him with great fidelity,
when things were uncertain, and fortune had not yet declared for him. He also
followed Titus as a counselor, very useful to him in this war, both by his
age and skill in such affairs. Book
V, Chapter I, Section 6 (Entire)
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