onobazus, who was king of the Adiabeni, beyond
Euphrates; he also held that fountain and the Acra, which was no other
than the lower city; he also held all that reached to the palace of
Queen Helena, the mother of Monobazus. But John held the Temple and the
parts thereto adjoining, for a great way, as also Ophla, and the valley
called "the Valley of Cedron"; and when the parts that were interposed
between their possessions were burned by them, they left a space wherein
they might fight with each other, for this internal sedition did not
cease even when the Romans were encamped near their very walls. But
although they had grown wiser at the first onset the Romans made upon
them, this lasted but awhile, for they returned to their former madness,
and separated one from another, and fought it out and did everything
that the besiegers could desire them to do, for they never suffered
anything that was worse from the Romans than they made each other
suffer; nor was there any misery endured by the city, after these men's
actions, that could be esteemed new. But it was most of all unhappy
before it was overthrown, while those that took it did it a greater
kindness; for I venture to affirm that the sedition destroyed the city,
and the Romans destroyed the sedition, which it was a much harder thing
to do than to destroy the walls; so that we may justly ascribe our
misfortunes to our own people, and the just vengeance taken on them to
the Romans; as to which matter let everyone determine by the actions on
both sides.

Now when affairs within the city were in this posture, Titus went round
the city on the outside with some chosen horsemen and looked about for
a proper place where he might make an impression upon the walls; but as
he was in doubt where he could possibly make an attack on any side--for
the place was no way accessible where the valleys were, and on the other
side the first wall appeared too strong to be shaken by the engines--he
thereupon thought it best to make his assault upon the monument of John,
the high-priest, for there it was that the first fortification was
lower, and the second was not joined to it, the builders neglecting to
build strong where the new city was not much inhabited. Here also was an
easy passage to the third wall, through which he thought to take the
upper city and, through the tower of Antonia, the Temple itself. But at
this time, as he was going round about the city, one of his friends,
whose