Effects Of The Roman Siege On Masada
The Roman siege on Masada ended with a tragic decision by the leader of the Sicarii. Before we can cover the Siege itself, we need to first understand the parties involved and what brought the two groups to this tragic end. On one hand, we have the great Roman Empire and the 10th Legion known as the Legio X Fretensis. On the other hand, we have the Sicarii, a splinter group of the Hebrew Zealots. The Siege happens toward the end of the first Jewish revolt against Rome. The 10th Legion is charged with mopping up the remaining rebel fortresses, Masada being the final one. Faced by overwhelming odds and the inevitable defeat against a far more superior force, the leader of the Sicarii, Eleazor Ben Yari, made a tragic decision and asked his followers
to perform a final act of defiance that will echo through history.
Masada was a Palace Fortress built by Herod a century before the first Jewish Roman war. Herod had built Masada as a safe haven in the unlikely event that his people would revolt against his rule. It was believed at that time that the Fortress was impenetrable and Siege proof. The palace was built on a plateau with cliffs ranging from 300 to 1,300 feet high. The Palace had a garden and buildings for supplies as well as a natural Aqueduct system for continuous supply of water. These made it impossible to starve out the occupants, which was a tactic often used during a Siege . The features built in to the fortress made it one of the most difficult structures to breach.
The Sicarii was a splinter group of the Zealots, a Hebrew group who openly opposed the Roman occupation of Judea. The Sicarii got there name for the daggers they would hide in there robes which were used to assassinate Roman officials and Jewish officials who were sympathetic to Rome. It can be said that they were one of the first Assassins pre dating even the Ninja from Japan. The group left Jerusalem before the Romans lay Siege to the city destroying it in the process. The Sicarii that occupied Masada numbered around 960 men, women, and children. The
to perform a final act of defiance that will echo through history.
Masada was a Palace Fortress built by Herod a century before the first Jewish Roman war. Herod had built Masada as a safe haven in the unlikely event that his people would revolt against his rule. It was believed at that time that the Fortress was impenetrable and Siege proof. The palace was built on a plateau with cliffs ranging from 300 to 1,300 feet high. The Palace had a garden and buildings for supplies as well as a natural Aqueduct system for continuous supply of water. These made it impossible to starve out the occupants, which was a tactic often used during a Siege . The features built in to the fortress made it one of the most difficult structures to breach.
The Sicarii was a splinter group of the Zealots, a Hebrew group who openly opposed the Roman occupation of Judea. The Sicarii got there name for the daggers they would hide in there robes which were used to assassinate Roman officials and Jewish officials who were sympathetic to Rome. It can be said that they were one of the first Assassins pre dating even the Ninja from Japan. The group left Jerusalem before the Romans lay Siege to the city destroying it in the process. The Sicarii that occupied Masada numbered around 960 men, women, and children. The