histories-第65节

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and　to　introduce　Greek　civilization；　but　was　prevented　by　his　war　with



the　Parthians　from　at　all　improving　this　vilest　of　nations；　for　at



this　time　the　revolt　of　Arsaces　had　taken　place。　The　Macedonian



power　was　now　weak；　while　the　Parthian　had　not　yet　reached　its　full



strength；　and；　as　the　Romans　were　still　far　off；　the　Jews　chose



kings　for　themselves。　Expelled　by　the　fickle　populace；　and　regaining



their　throne　by　force　of　arms；　these　princes；　while　they　ventured　on



the　wholesale　banishment　of　their　subjects；　on　the　destruction　of



cities；　on　the　murder　of　brothers；　wives；　and　parents；　and　the　other



usual　atrocities　of　despots；　fostered　the　national　superstition　by



appropriating　the　dignity　of　the　priesthood　as　the　support　of　their



political　power。



　　Cneius　Pompeius　was　the　first　of　our　countrymen　to　subdue　the



Jews。　Availing　himself　of　the　right　of　conquest；　he　entered　the



temple。　Thus　it　became　commonly　known　that　the　place　stood　empty



with　no　similitude　of　gods　within；　and　that　the　shrine　had　nothing



to　reveal。　The　walls　of　Jerusalem　were　destroyed；　the　temple　was



left　standing。　After　these　provinces　had　fallen；　in　the　course　of



our　civil　wars；　into　the　hands　of　Marcus　Antonius；　Pacorus；　king　of



the　Parthians；　seized　Judaea。　He　was　slain　by　Publius　Ventidius；　and



the　Parthians　were　driven　back　over　the　Euphrates。　Caius　Sosius



reduced　the　Jews　to　subjection。　The　royal　power；　which　had　been



bestowed　by　Antony　on　Herod；　was　augmented　by　the　victorious　Augustus。



On　Herod's　death；　one　Simon；　without　waiting　for　the　approbation　of



the　Emperor；　usurped　the　title　of　king。　He　was　punished　by



Quintilius　Varus　then　governor　of　Syria；　and　the　nation；　with　its



liberties　curtailed；　was　divided　into　three　provinces　under　the　sons



of　Herod。　Under　Tiberius　all　was　quiet。　But　when　the　Jews　were　ordered



by　Caligula　to　set　up　his　statue　in　the　temple；　they　preferred　the



alternative　of　war。　The　death　of　the　Emperor　put　an　end　to　the



disturbance。　The　kings　were　either　dead；　or　reduced　to　insignificance；



when　Claudius　entrusted　the　province　of　Judaea　to　the　Roman　Knights　or



to　his　own　freedmen；　one　of　whom；　Antonius　Felix；　indulging　in　every



kind　of　barbarity　and　lust；　exercised　the　power　of　a　king　in　the



spirit　of　a　slave。　He　had　married　Drusilla；　the　granddaughter　of



Antony　and　Cleopatra；　and　so　was　the　grandson…in…law；　as　Claudius



was　the　grandson；　of　Antony。



　　Yet　the　endurance　of　the　Jews　lasted　till　Gessius　Florus　was



procurator。　In　his　time　the　war　broke　out。　Cestius　Gallus；　legate　of



Syria；　who　attempted　to　crush　it；　had　to　fight　several　battles；



generally　with　ill…success。　Cestius　dying；　either　in　the　course　of



nature；　or　from　vexation；　Vespasian　was　sent　by　Nero；　and　by　help　of



his　good　fortune；　his　high　reputation；　and　his　excellent　subordinates；



succeeded　within　the　space　of　two　summers　in　occupying　with　his



victorious　army　the　whole　of　the　level　country　and　all　the　cities；



except　Jerusalem。　The　following　year　had　been　wholly　taken　up　with



civil　strife；　and　had　passed；　as　far　as　the　Jews　were　concerned；　in



inaction。　Peace　having　been　established　in　Italy；　foreign　affairs　were



once　more　remembered。　Our　indignation　was　heightened　by　the



circumstance　that　the　Jews　alone　had　not　submitted。　At　the　same　time



it　was　held　to　be　more　expedient；　in　reference　to　the　possible　results



and　contingencies　of　the　new　reign；　that　Titus　should　remain　with



the　army。



　　Accordingly　he　pitched　his　camp；　as　I　have　related；　before　the　walls



of　Jerusalem；　and　displayed　his　legions　in　order　of　battle。



　　The　Jews　formed　their　line　close　under　their　walls；　whence；　if



successful；　they　might　venture　to　advance；　and　where；　if　repulsed；



they　had　a　refuge　at　hand。　The　cavalry　with　some　light　infantry　was



sent　to　attack　them；　and　fought　without　any　decisive　result。　Shortly



afterwards　the　enemy　retreated。　During　the　following　days　they



fought　a　series　of　engagements　in　front　of　the　gates；　till　they　were



driven　within　the　walls　by　continual　defeats。　The　Romans　then　began　to



prepare　for　an　assault。　It　seemed　beneath　them　to　await　the　result



of　famine。　The　army　demanded　the　more　perilous　alternative；　some



prompted　by　courage；　many　by　sheer　ferocity　and　greed　of　gain。　Titus



himself　had　Rome　with　all　its　wealth　and　pleasures　before　his　eyes。



Jerusalem　must　fall　at　once；　or　it　would　delay　his　enjoyment　of



them。　But　the　commanding　situation　of　the　city　had　been　strengthened



by　enormous　works　which　would　have　been　a　thorough　defence　even　for



level　ground。　Two　hills　of　great　height　were　fenced　in　by　walls



which　had　been　skilfully　obliqued　or　bent　inwards；　in　such　a　manner



that　the　flank　of　an　assailant　was　exposed　to　missiles。　The　rock



terminated　in　a　precipice；　the　towers　were　raised　to　a　height　of　sixty



feet；　where　the　hill　lent　its　aid　to　the　fortifications；　where　the



ground　fell；　to　a　height　of　one　hundred　and　twenty。　They　had　a



marvellous　appearance；　and　to　a　distant　spectator　seemed　to　be　of



uniform　elevation。　Within　were　other　walls　surrounding　the　palace；



and；　rising　to　a　conspicuous　height；　the　tower　Antonia；　so　called　by



Herod；　in　honour　of　Marcus　Antonius。



　　The　temple　resembled　a　citadel；　and　had　its　own　walls；　which　were



more　laboriously　constructed　than　the　others。　Even　the　colonnades　with



which　it　was　surrounded　formed　an　admirable　outwork。　It　contained　an



inexhaustible　spring；　there　were　subterranean　excavations　in　the　hill；



and　tanks　and　cisterns　for　holding　rain　water。　The　founders　of　the



state　had　foreseen　that　frequent　wars　would　result　from　the



singularity　of　its　customs；　and　so　had　made　every　provision　against



the　most　protracted　siege。　After　the　capture　of　their　city　by



Pompey；　experience　and　apprehension　taught　them　much。　Availing



themselves　of　the　sordid　policy　of　the　Claudian　era　to　purchase　the



right　of　fortification；　they　raised　in　time　of　peace　such　walls　as



were　suited　for　war。　Their　numbers　were　increased　by　a　vast　rabble



collected　from　the　overthrow　of　the　other　cities。　All　the　most



obstinate　rebels　had　escaped　into　the　place；　and　perpetual　seditions



were　the　consequence。　There　were　three　generals；　and　as　many　armies。



Simon　held　the　outer　and　larger　circuit　of　walls。　John；　also　called



Bargioras；　occupied　the　middle　city。　Eleazar　had　fortified　the　temple。



John　and　Simon　were　strong　in　numbers　and　equipment；　Eleazar　in



position。　There　were　continual　skirmishes；　surprises；　and　incendiary



fires；　and　a　vast　quantity　of　corn　was　burnt。　Before　long　John　sent



some　emissaries；　who；　under　pretence　of　sacrificing；　slaughtered



Eleazar　and　his　partisans；　and　gained　possession　of　the　temple。　The



city　was　thus　divided　between　two　factions；　till；　as　the　Romans



approached；　war　with　the　foreigner　brought　about　a　reconciliation。



　　Prodigies　had　occurred；　which　this　nation；　prone　to　superstition；



but　hating　all　religious　rites；　did　not　deem　it　lawful　to　expiate　by



offering　and　sacrifice。　There　had　been　seen　hosts　joining　battle　in



the　skies；　the　fiery　gleam　of　arms；　the　temple　illuminated　by　a　sudden



radiance　from　the　clouds。　The　doors　of　the　inner　shrine　were



suddenly　thrown　open；　and　a　voice　of　more　than　mortal　tone　was　heard



to　cry　that　the　Gods　were　departing。　At　the　same　instant　there　was　a



mighty　stir　as　of　departure。　Some　few　put　a　fearful　meaning　on　these



events；　but　in　most　there　was　a　firm　persuasion；　that　in　the　ancient



records　of　their　priests　was　contained　a　prediction　of　how　at　this



very　time　the　East　was　to　grow　powerful；　and　rulers；　coming　from



Judaea；　were　to　acquire　universal　empire。　These　mysterious



prophecies　had　pointed　to　Vespasian　and　Titus；　but　the　common



people；　with　the　usual　blindness　of　ambition；　had　interpreted　these



mighty　destinies　of　themselves；　and　could　not　be　brought　even　by



disasters　to　believe　the　truth。　I　have　heard　that　the　total　number



of　the　besieged；　of　every　age　and　both　sexes；　amounted　to　six



hundred　thousand。　All　who　were　able　bore　arms；　and　a　number；　more　than



proportionate　to　the　population；　had　the　courage　to　do　so。　Men　and



women　showed　equal　resolution；　and　life　seemed　more　terrible　than



death；　if　they　were　to　be　forced　to　leave　their　country。　Such　was　this



city　and　nation；　and　Titus　Caesar；　seeing　that　the　position　forbad



an　assault　or　any　of　the　more　rapid　operations　of　war；　determined　to



proceed　by　earthworks　and　covered　approaches。　The　legions　had　their



respective　duties　assigned　to　them；　and　there　was　a　cessation　from



fighting；　till　all　the　inventions；　used　in　ancient　warfare；　or　devised



by　modern　ingenuity　for　the　reduction　of　cities；　were　constructed。



　　Meanwhile　Civilis；　having　recruited　his　army　from　Germany　after



his　defeat　among　the　Treveri；　took　up　his　position　at　the　Old　C