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when　the　feeling　of　security　returned；　more　intent　on　pleasures　than



on　religious　matters；　and　he　began　by　degrees　to　neglect　the　affair；



and　to　turn　his　thoughts　to　other　concerns；　till　at　length　the　same



apparition；　but　now　more　terrible　and　peremptory；　denounced　ruin



against　the　king　and　his　realm；　unless　his　bidding　were　performed。



Ptolemy　then　gave　directions　that　an　embassy　should　be　despatched　with



presents　to　king　Scydrothemis；　who　at　that　time　ruled　the　people　of



Sinope；　and　instructed　them；　when　they　were　on　the　point　of　sailing；



to　consult　the　Pythian　Apollo。　Their　voyage　was　prosperous；　and　the



response　of　the　oracle　was　clear。　The　God　bade　them　go　and　carry



back　with　them　the　image　of　his　father；　but　leave　that　of　his　sister



behind。



　　On　their　arrival　at　Sinope；　they　delivered　to　Scydrothemis　the



presents　from　their　king；　with　his　request　and　message。　He　wavered



in　purpose；　dreading　at　one　moment　the　anger　of　the　God；　terrified



at　another　by　the　threats　and　opposition　of　the　people。　Often　he　was



wrought　upon　by　the　gifts　and　promises　of　the　ambassadors。　And　so



three　years　passed　away；　while　Ptolemy　did　not　cease　to　urge　his



zealous　solicitations。　He　continued　to　increase　the　dignity　of　his



embassies；　the　number　of　his　ships；　and　the　weight　of　his　gold。　A



terrible　vision　then　appeared　to　Scydrothemis；　warning　him　to　thwart



no　longer　the　purposes　of　the　God。　As　he　yet　hesitated；　various



disasters；　pestilence；　and　the　unmistakable　anger　of　heaven；　which



grew　heavier　from　day　to　day；　continued　to　harass　him。　He　summoned



an　assembly；　and　explained　to　them　the　bidding　of　the　God；　the　visions



of　Ptolemy　and　himself；　and　the　miseries　that　were　gathering　about



them。　The　people　turned　away　angrily　from　their　king；　were　jealous



of　Egypt；　and；　fearing　for　themselves；　thronged　around　the　temple。　The



story　becomes　at　this　point　more　marvellous；　and　relates　that　the



God　of　his　own　will　conveyed　himself　on　board　the　fleet；　which　had



been　brought　close　to　shore；　and；　wonderful　to　say；　vast　as　was　the



extent　of　sea　that　they　traversed；　they　arrived　at　Alexandria　on　the



third　day。　A　temple；　proportioned　to　the　grandeur　of　the　city；　was



erected　in　a　place　called　Rhacotis；　where　there　had　stood　a　chapel



consecrated　in　old　times　to　Serapis　and　Isis。　Such　is　the　most　popular



account　of　the　origin　and　introduction　of　the　God　Serapis。　I　am



aware　indeed　that　there　are　some　who　say　that　he　was　brought　from



Seleucia；　a　city　of　Syria；　in　the　reign　of　Ptolemy　III。；　while



others　assert　that　it　was　the　act　of　the　same　king；　but　that　the　place



from　which　he　was　brought　was　Memphis；　once　a　famous　city　and　the



strength　of　ancient　Egypt。　The　God　himself；　because　he　heals　the　sick；



many　identified　with　Aesculapius；　others　with　Osiris；　the　deity　of　the



highest　antiquity　among　these　nations；　not　a　few　with　Jupiter；　as



being　supreme　ruler　of　all　things；　but　most　people　with　Pluto；　arguing



from　the　emblems　which　may　be　seen　on　his　statues；　or　from　conjectures



of　their　own。



　　Domitian　and　Mucianus　received；　before　they　reached　the　Alps；



favourable　news　of　the　operations　among　the　Treveri。　The　best　proof　of



the　victory　was　seen　in　the　enemy's　general　Valentinus；　who　with



undaunted　courage　shewed　in　his　look　his　habitual　high　spirit。　He



was　heard；　but　only　that　they　might　judge　of　his　character；　and　he　was



condemned。　During　his　execution　he　replied　to　one　who　taunted　him　with



the　subjection　of　his　country；　〃That　I　take　as　my　consolation　in



death。〃　Mucianus　now　brought　forward　as　a　new　thought　a　plan　he　had



long　concealed。　〃Since；〃　he　said；　〃by　the　blessing　of　the　Gods　the



strength　of　the　enemy　has　been　broken；　it　would　little　become



Domitian；　now　that　the　war　is　all　but　finished；　to　interfere　with



the　glory　of　others。　If　the　stability　of　the　Empire　or　the　safety　of



Gaul　were　in　danger；　it　would　have　been　right　for　Caesar　to　take　his



place　in　the　field；　but　the　Canninefates　and　Batavi　should　be　handed



over　to　inferior　generals。　Let　the　Emperor　display　from　the　near



neighbourhood　of　Lugdunum　the　might　and　prestige　of　imperial　power；



not　meddling　with　trifling　risks；　though　he　would　not　be　wanting　on



greater　occasions。〃



　　His　artifices　were　understood；　but　it　was　a　part　of　their　respect



not　to　expose　them。　Thus　they　arrived　at　Lugdunum。　It　is　believed　that



from　this　place　Domitian　despatched　secret　emissaries　to　Cerialis；　and



tempted　his　loyalty　with　the　question　whether；　on　his　shewing　himself；



he　would　hand　over　to　him　the　command　of　the　army。　Whether　in　this



scheme　Domitian　was　thinking　of　war　with　his　father；　or　of



collecting　money；　and　men　to　be　used　against　his　brother；　was



uncertain；　for　Cerialis；　by　a　judicious　temporising；　eluded　the



request　as　prompted　by　an　idle　and　childish　ambition。　Domitian；　seeing



that　his　youth　was　despised　by　the　older　officers；　gave　up　even　the



less　important　functions　of　government　which　he　had　before



exercised。　Under　a　semblance　of　simple　and　modest　tastes；　he　wrapped



himself　in　a　profound　reserve；　and　affected　a　devotion　to　literature



and　a　love　of　poetry；　thus　seeking　to　throw　a　veil　over　his　character；



and　to　withdraw　himself　from　the　jealousy　of　his　brother；　of　whose



milder　temper；　so　unlike　his　own；　he　judged　most　falsely。



　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　BOOK　V；　A。D。　70







　　EARLY　in　this　year　Titus　Caesar；　who　had　been　selected　by　his　father



to　complete　the　subjugation　of　Judaea；　and　who　had　gained



distinction　as　a　soldier　while　both　were　still　subjects；　began　to　rise



in　power　and　reputation；　as　armies　and　provinces　emulated　each　other



in　their　attachment　to　him。　The　young　man　himself；　anxious　to　be



thought　superior　to　his　station；　was　ever　displaying　his



gracefulness　and　his　energy　in　war。　By　his　courtesy　and　affability



he　called　forth　a　willing　obedience；　and　he　often　mixed　with　the



common　soldiers；　while　working　or　marching；　without　impairing　his



dignity　as　general。　He　found　in　Judaea　three　legions；　the　5th；　the



10th；　and　the　15th；　all　old　troops　of　Vespasian's。　To　these　he　added



the　12th　from　Syria；　and　some　men　belonging　to　the　18th　and　3rd；



whom　he　had　withdrawn　from　Alexandria。　This　force　was　accompanied　by



twenty　cohorts　of　allied　troops　and　eight　squadrons　of　cavalry；　by　the



two　kings　Agrippa　and　Sohemus；　by　the　auxiliary　forces　of　king



Antiochus；　by　a　strong　contingent　of　Arabs；　who　hated　the　Jews　with



the　usual　hatred　of　neighbours；　and；　lastly；　by　many　persons　brought



from　the　capital　and　from　Italy　by　private　hopes　of　securing　the　yet



unengaged　affections　of　the　Prince。　With　this　force　Titus　entered



the　enemy's　territory；　preserving　strict　order　on　his　march；



reconnoitring　every　spot；　and　always　ready　to　give　battle。　At　last



he　encamped　near　Jerusalem。



　　As　I　am　about　to　relate　the　last　days　of　a　famous　city；　it　seems



appropriate　to　throw　some　light　on　its　origin。



　　Some　say　that　the　Jews　were　fugitives　from　the　island　of　Crete；



who　settled　on　the　nearest　coast　of　Africa　about　the　time　when



Saturn　was　driven　from　his　throne　by　the　power　of　Jupiter。　Evidence　of



this　is　sought　in　the　name。　There　is　a　famous　mountain　in　Crete　called



Ida；　the　neighbouring　tribe；　the　Idaei；　came　to　be　called　Judaei　by



a　barbarous　lengthening　of　the　national　name。　Others　assert　that　in



the　reign　of　Isis　the　overflowing　population　of　Egypt；　led　by



Hierosolymus　and　Judas；　discharged　itself　into　the　neighbouring



countries。　Many；　again；　say　that　they　were　a　race　of　Ethiopian　origin；



who　in　the　time　of　king　Cepheus　were　driven　by　fear　and　hatred　of



their　neighbours　to　seek　a　new　dwelling…place。　Others　describe　them　as



an　Assyrian　horde　who；　not　having　sufficient　territory；　took



possession　of　part　of　Egypt；　and　founded　cities　of　their　own　in　what



is　called　the　Hebrew　country；　lying　on　the　borders　of　Syria。　Others；



again；　assign　a　very　distinguished　origin　to　the　Jews；　alleging　that



they　were　the　Solymi；　a　nation　celebrated　in　the　poems　of　Homer；　who



called　the　city　which　they　founded　Hierosolyma　after　their　own　name。



　　Most　writers；　however；　agree　in　stating　that　once　a　disease；　which



horribly　disfigured　the　body；　broke　out　over　Egypt；　that　king



Bocchoris；　seeking　a　remedy；　consulted　the　oracle　of　Hammon；　and　was



bidden　to　cleanse　his　realm；　and　to　convey　into　some　foreign　land　this



race　detested　by　the　gods。　The　people；　who　had　been　collected　after



diligent　search；　finding　themselves　left　in　a　desert；　sat　for　the　most



part　in　a　stupor　of　grief；　till　one　of　the　exiles；　Moyses　by　name；



warned　them　not　to　look　for　any　relief　from　God　or　man；　forsaken　as



they　were　of　both；　but　to　trust　to　themselves；　taking　for　their



heaven…sent　leader　that　man　who　should　first　help　them　to　be　quit　of



their　present　miser