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