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[419]
And now Vespasian sent Placidus against those that had fled from
Gadara, with five hundred horsemen, and three thousand footmen, while he
returned himself to Cesarea, with the rest of the army. But as soon as
these fugitives saw the horsemen that pursued them just upon their backs,
and before they came to a close fight, they ran together to a certain village,
which was called Bethennabris, where finding a great multitude of young
men, and arming them, partly by their own consent, partly by force, they
rashly and suddenly assaulted Placidus and the troops that were with him.
These horsemen at the first onset gave way a little, as contriving to entice
them further off the wall; and when they had drawn them into a place fit
for their purpose, they made their horse encompass them round, and threw
their darts at them. So the horsemen cut off the flight of the fugitives,
while the foot terribly destroyed those that fought against them; for those
Jews did no more than show their courage, and then were destroyed; for
as they fell upon the Romans when they were joined close together, and,
as it were, walled about with their entire armor, they were not able to
find any place where the darts could enter, nor were they any way able
to break their ranks, while they were themselves run through by the Roman
darts, and, like the wildest of wild beasts, rushed upon the point of others'
swords; so some of them were destroyed, as cut with their enemies' swords
upon their faces, and others were dispersed by the horsemen.
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