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[30]
Those therefore that were able to find the ways out of the city retired.
But now Vespasian always staid among those that were hard set; for he was
deeply affected with seeing the ruins of the city falling upon his army,
and forgot to take care of his own preservation. He went up gradually towards
the highest parts of the city before he was aware, and was left in the
midst of dangers, having only a very few with him; for even his son Titus
was not with him at that time, having been then sent into Syria to Mucianus.
However, he thought it not safe to fly, nor did he esteem it a fit thing
for him to do; but calling to mind the actions he had done from his youth,
and recollecting his courage, as if he had been excited by a divine fury,
he covered himself and those that were with him with their shields, and
formed a testudo over both their bodies and their armor, and bore up against
the enemy's attacks, who came running down from the top of the city; and
without showing any dread at the multitude of the men or of their darts,
he endured all, until the enemy took notice of that divine courage that
was within him, and remitted of their attacks; and when they pressed less
zealously upon him, he retired, though without showing his back to them
till he was gotten out of the walls of the city. Now a great number of
the Romans fell in this battle, among whom was Ebutius, the decurion, a
man who appeared not only in this engagement, wherein he fell, but every
where, and in former engagements, to be of the truest courage, and one
that had done very great mischief to the Jews. But there was a centurion
whose name was Gallus, who, during this disorder, being encompassed about,
he and ten other soldiers privately crept into the house of a certain person,
where he heard them talking at supper, what the people intended to do against
the Romans, or about themselves (for both the man himself and those with
him were Syrians). So he got up in the night time, and cut all their throats,
and escaped, together with his soldiers, to the Romans.
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