the life of flavius josephus-第13节

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so　it　is　written　in　the　Commentaries　of　Vespasian；　the　emperor；
as　also　how　the　inhabitants　of　Decapolis　came　clamoring　to
Vespasian　at　Ptolemais；　and　desired　that　thou；　who　wast　the
author　＇of　that　war＇；　mightest　be　brought　to　punishment。　And　thou
hadst　certainly　been　punished　at　the　command　of　Vespasian；　had
not　king　Agrippa；　who　had　power　given　him　to　have　thee　put　to
death；　at　the　earnest　entreaty　of　his　sister　Bernice；　changed　the
punishment　from　death　into　a　long　imprisonment。　Thy　political
administration　of　affairs　afterward　doth　also　clearly　discover
both　thy　other　behavior　in　life；　and　that　thou　wast　the　occasion
of　thy　country's　revolt　from　the　Romans；　plain　signs　of　which　I
shall　produce　presently。　I　have　also　a　mind　to　say　a　few　things
to　the　rest　of　the　people　of　Tiberias　on　thy　account；　and　to
demonstrate　to　those　that　light　upon　this　history；　that　you　bare
no　good…will；　neither　to　the　Romans；　nor　to　the　king。　To　be　sure；
the　greatest　cities　of　Galilee；　O　Justus！　were　Sepphoris；　and　thy
country　Tiberias。　But　Sepphoris；　situated　in　the　very　midst　of
Galilee；　and　having　many　villages　about　it；　and　able　with　ease　to
have　been　bold　and　troublesome　to　the　Romans；　if　they　had　so
pleased；　yet　did　it　resolve　to　continue　faithful　to　those　their
masters；　and　at　the　same　time　excluded　me　out　of　their　city；　and
prohibited　all　their　citizens　from　joining　with　the　Jews　in　the
war；　and；　that　they　might　be　out　of　danger　from　me；　they；　by　a
wile；　got　leave　of　me　to　fortify　their　city　with　walls：　they
also；　of　their　own　accord；　admitted　of　a　garrison　of　Roman
legions；　sent　them　by　Cestlus　Gallus；　who　was　then　president　of
Syria；　and　so　had　me　in　contempt；　though　I　was　then　very
powerful；　and　all　were　greatly　afraid　of　me；　and　at　the　same　time
that　the　greatest　of　our　cities；　Jerusalem；　was　besieged；　and
that　temple　of　ours；　which　belonged　to　us　all；　was　in　danger　of
falling　under　the　enemy's　power；　they　sent　no　assistance　thither；
as　not　willing　to　have　it　thought　they　would　bear　arms　against
the　Romans。　But　as　for　thy　country；　O　Justus：　situated　upon　the
lake　of　Gennesareth；　and　distance　from　Hippos　thirty　furlongs；
from　Gadara　sixty；　and　from　Scythopolis；　which　was　under　the
king's　jurisdiction；　a　hundred　and　twenty；　when　there　was　no
Jewish　city　near；　it　might　easily　have　preserved　its　fidelity　＇to
the　Romans；＇　if　it　had　so　pleased　them　to　do；　for　the　city　and
its　people　had　plenty　of　weapons。　But；　as　thou　sayest；　I　was　then
the　author　＇of　their　revolts＇。　And　pray；　O　Justus！　who　was　that
author　afterwards？　For　thou　knowest　that　I　was　in　the　power　of
the　Romans　before　Jerusalem　was　besieged；　and　before　the　same
time　Jotapata　was　taker　by　force；　as　well　as　many　other
fortresses；　and　a　great　many　of　the　Galileans　fell　in　the　war。　It
was　therefore　then　a　proper　time；　when　you　were　certainly　freed
from　any　fear　on　my　account；　to　throw　away　your　weapons；　and　to
demonstrate　to　the　king　and　to　the　Romans；　that　it　was　not　of
choice；　but　as　forced　by　necessity；　that　you　fell　into　the　war
against　them；　but　you　staid　till　Vespasian　came　himself　as　far　as
your　walls；　with　his　whole　army；　and　then　you　did　indeed　lay
aside　your　weapons　out　of　fear；　and　your　city　had　for　certain
been　taken　by　force；　unless　Vespasian　had　complied　with　the
king's　supplication　for　you；　and　had　excused　your　madness。　It　was
not　I；　therefore；　who　was　the　author　of　this；　but　your　own
inclinations　to　war。　Do　not　you　remember　how　often　I　got　you
under　my　power；　and　yet　put　none　of　you　to　death？　Nay；　you　once
fell　into　a　tumult　one　against　another；　and　slew　one　hundred　and
eighty…five　of　your　citizens；　not　on　account　of　your　good…will　to
the　king　and　to　the　Romans；　but　on　account　of　your　own
wickedness；　and　this　while　I　was　besieged　by　the　Romans　in
Jotapata。　Nay；　indeed；　were　there　not　reckoned　up　two　thousand　of
the　people　of　Tiberias　during　the　siege　of　Jerusalem；　some　of
whom　were　slain；　and　the　rest　caught　and　carried　captives？　But
thou　wilt　pretend　that　thou　didst　not　engage　in　the　war；　since
thou　didst　flee　to　the　king。　Yes；　indeed；　thou　didst　flee　to　him；
but　I　say　it　was　out　of　fear　of　me。　Thou　sayest；　indeed；　that　it
is　I　who　am　a　wicked　man。　But　then；　for　what　reason　was　it　that
king　Agrippa；　who　procured　thee　thy　life　when　thou　wast　condemned
to　die　by　Vespian；　and　who　bestowed　so　much　riches　upon　thee；　did
twice　afterward　put　thee　in　bonds；　and　as　often　obliged　thee　to
run　away　from　thy　country；　and；　when　he　had　once　ordered　thee　to
be　put　to　death；　he　granted　thee　a　pardon　at　the　earnest　desire
of　Bernice？　And　when　（after　so　many　of　thy　wicked　pranks）　he　made
thee　his　secretary；　he　caught　thee　falsifying　his　epistles；　and
drove　thee　away　from　his　sight。　But　I　shall　not　inquire
accurately　into　these　matters　of　scandal　against　thee。　Yet　cannot
I　but　wonder　at　thy　impudence；　when　thou　hast　the　assurance　to
say；　that　thou　hast　better　related　these　affairs　＇of　the　war＇
than　have　all　the　others　that　have　written　about　them；　whilst
thou　didst　not　know　what　was　done　in　Galilee；　for　thou　wast　then
at　Berytus　with　the　king；　nor　didst　thou　know　how　much　the　Romans
suffered　at　the　siege　of　Jotapata；　or　what　miseries　they　brought
upon　us；　nor　couldst　thou　learn　by　inquiry　what　I　did　during　that
siege　myself；　for　all　those　that　might　afford　such　information
were　quite　destroyed　in　that　siege。　But　perhaps　thou　wilt　say；
thou　hast　written　of　what　was　done　against　the　people　of
Jerusalem　exactly。　But　how　should　that　be？　for　neither　wast　thou
concerned　in　that　war；　nor　hast　thou　read　the　commentaries　of
Caesar；　of　which　we　have　evident　proof；　because　thou　hast
contradicted　those　commentaries　of　Caesar　in　thy　history。　But　if
thou　art　so　hardy　as　to　affirm；　that　thou　hast　written　that
history　better　than　all　the　rest；　why　didst　thou　not　publish　thy
history　while　the　emperors　Vespasian　and　Titus；　the　generals　in
that　war；　as　well　as　king　Agrippa　and　his　family；　who　were　men
very　well　skilled　in　the　learning　of　the　Greeks；　were　all　alive？
for　thou　hast　had　it　written　these　twenty　years；　and　then
mightest　thou　have　had　the　testimony　of　thy　accuracy。　But　now
when　these　men　are　no　longer　with　us；　and　thou　thinkest　thou
canst　not　be　contradicted；　thou　venturest　to　publish　it。　But　then
I　was　not　in　like　manner　afraid　of　my　own　writing；　but　I　offered
my　books　to　the　emperors　themselves；　when　the　facts　were　almost
under　men's　eyes；　for　I　was　conscious　to　myself；　that　I　had
observed　the　truth　of　the　facts；　and　as　I　expected　to　have　their
attestation　to　them；　so　I　was　not　deceived　in　such　expectation。
Moreover；　I　immediately　presented　my　history　to　many　other
persons；　some　of　whom　were　concerned　in　the　war；　as　was　king
Agrippa　and　some　of　his　kindred。　Now　the　emperor　Titus　was　so
desirous　that　the　knowledge　of　these　affairs　should　be　taken　from
these　books　alone；　that　he　subscribed　his　own　hand　to　them；　and
ordered　that　they　should　be　published；　and　for　king　Agrippa；　he
wrote　me　sixty…two　letters；　and　attested　to　the　truth　of　what　I
had　therein　delivered；　two　of　which　letters　I　have　here
subjoined；　and　thou　mayst　thereby　know　their　contents：　…　〃King
Agrippa　to　Josephus；　however；　when　thou　comest　to　me；　I　will
inform　thee　of　a　great　many　things　which　thou　dost　not　know。〃　So
when　this　history　was　perfected；　Agrippa；　neither　by　way　of
flattery；　which　was　not　agreeable　to　him；　nor　by　way　of　irony；　as
thou　wilt　say；　（for　he　was　entirely　a　stranger　to　such　an　evil
disposition　of　mind；）　but　he　wrote　this　by　way　of　attestation　to
what　was　true；　as　all　that　read　histories　may　do。　And　so　much
shall　be　said　concerning　Justus　（24）　which　I　am　obliged　to　add　by
way　of　digression。

66。　Now；　when　I　had　settled　the　affairs　of　Tiberias；　and　had
assembled　my　friends　as　a　sanhedrim；　I　consulted　what　I　should　do
as　to　John。　Whereupon　it　appeared　to　be　the　opinion　of　all　the
Galileans；　that　I　should　arm　them　all；　and　march　against　John；
and　punish　him　as　the　author　of　all　the　disorders　that　had
happened。　Yet　was　not　I　pleased　with　their　determination；　as
purposing　to　compose　these　troubles　without　bloodshed。　Upon　this
I　exhorted　them　to　use　the　utmost　care　to　learn　the　names　of　all
that　were　under　John；　which　when　they　had　done；　and　I　thereby　was
apprized　who　the　men　were；　I　published　an　edict；　wherein　I
offered　security　and　my　right　hand　to　such　of　John's　party　as　had
a　mind　to　repent；　and　I　allowed　twenty　days'　time　to　such　as
would　take　this　most　advantageous　course　for　themselves。　I　also
threatened；　that　unless　they　threw　down　their　arms；　I　would　burn
their　houses；　and　expose　their　goods　to　public　sale。　When　the　men
heard　of　this；　they　were　in　no　small　disorder；　and　deserted　John；
and　to　the　number　of　four　thousand　threw　down　their　arms；　and
came　to　me。　So　that　no　others　staid　with　John　but　his　own
citizens；　and　about　fifteen　hundred　strangers　that　came　from　the
metropolis　of　Tyre；　and　when　John　saw　that　he　had　been　outwitted
by　my　stratagem；　he　continued　afterward　in　his　own　country；　and
was　in　great　fear　of　me。

67。　But　about　this　time　it　was　that　the　people　of　Sepphoris　grew
insolent；　and　took　up　arms；　out　of　a　confidence　they　had　in　the
strength　of　their　walls；　and　b