the wars of the jews-第124节

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upplication。　So　Titus　charged　his　soldiers　to　restrain　their　rage；　and　to　let　their　darts　alone；　and　appointed　an　interpreter　between　them；　which　was　a　sign　that　he　was　the　conqueror；　and　first　began　the　discourse；　and　said；　〃I　hope　you；　sirs；　are　now　satiated　with　the　miseries　of　your　country；　who　have　not　bad　any　just　notions；　either　of　our　great　power；　or　of　your　own　great　weakness；　but　have；　like　madmen；　after　a　violent　and　inconsiderate　manner；　made　such　attempts；　as　have　brought　your　people；　your　city；　and　your　holy　house　to　destruction。　You　have　been　the　men　that　have　never　left　off　rebelling　since　Pompey　first　conquered　you；　and　have；　since　that　time；　made　open　war　with　the　Romans。　Have　you　depended　on　your　multitude；　while　a　very　small　part　of　the　Roman　soldiery　have　been　strong　enough　for　you？　Have　you　relied　on　the　fidelity　of　your　confederates？　And　what　nations　are　there；　out　of　the　limits　of　our　dominion；　that　would　choose　to　assist　the　Jews　before　the　Romans？　Are　your　bodies　stronger　than　ours？　nay；　you　know　that　the　＇strong＇　Germans　themselves　are　our　servants。　Have　you　stronger　walls　than　we　have？　Pray；　what　greater　obstacle　is　there　than　the　wall　of　the　ocean；　with　which　the　Britons　are　encompassed；　and　yet　do　adore　the　arms　of　the　Romans。　Do　you　exceed　us　in　courage　of　soul；　and　in　the　sagacity　of　your　commanders？　Nay；　indeed；　you　cannot　but　know　that　　the　very　Carthaginians　have　been　conquered　by　us。　It　can　therefore　be　nothing　certainly　but　the　kindness　of　us　Romans　which　hath　excited　you　against　us；　who；　in　the　first　place；　have　given　you　this　land　to　possess；　and；　in　the　next　place；　have　set　over　you　kings　of　your　own　nation；　and；　in　the　third　place；　have　preserved　the　laws　of　your　forefathers　to　you；　and　have　withal　permitted　you　to　live；　either　by　yourselves；　or　among　others；　as　it　should　please　you：　and；　what　is　our　chief　favor　of　all　we　have　given　you　leave　to　gather　up　that　tribute　which　is　paid　to　God　（27）　with　such　other　gifts　that　are　dedicated　to　him；　nor　have　we　called　those　that　carried　these　donations　to　account；　nor　prohibited　them；　till　at　length　you　became　richer　than　we　ourselves；　even　when　you　were　our　enemies；　and　you　made　preparations　for　war　against　us　with　our　own　money；　nay；　after　all；　when　you　were　in　the　enjoyment　of　all　these　advantages；　you　turned　your　too　great　plenty　against　those　that　gave　it　you；　and；　like　merciless　serpents；　have　thrown　out　your　poison　against　those　that　treated　you　kindly。　I　suppose；　therefore；　that　you　might　despise　the　slothfulness　of　Nero；　and；　like　limbs　of　the　body　that　are　broken　or　dislocated；　you　did　then　lie　quiet；　waiting　for　some　other　time；　though　still　with　a　malicious　intention；　and　have　now　showed　your　distemper　to　be　greater　than　ever；　and　have　extended　your　desires　as　far　as　your　impudent　and　immense　hopes　would　enable　you　to　do　it。　At　this　time　my　father　came　into　this　country；　not　with　a　design　to　punish　you　for　what　you　had　done　under　Cestius；　but　to　admonish　you；　for　had　he　come　to　overthrow　your　nation；　he　had　run　directly　to　your　fountain…head；　and　had　immediately　laid　this　city　waste；　whereas　he　went　and　burnt　Galilee　and　the　neighboring　parts；　and　thereby　gave　you　time　for　repentance；　which　instance　of　humanity　you　took　for　an　argument　of　his　weakness；　and　nourished　up　your　impudence　by　our　mildness。　When　Nero　was　gone　out　of　the　world；　you　did　as　the　wickedest　wretches　would　have　done；　and　encouraged　yourselves　to　act　against　us　by　our　civil　dissensions；　and　abused　that　time；　when　both　I　and　my　father　were　gone　away　to　Egypt；　to　make　preparations　for　this　war。　Nor　were　you　ashamed　to　raise　disturbances　against　us　when　we　were　made　emperors；　and　this　while　you　had　experienced　how　mild　we　had　been；　when　we　were　no　more　than　generals　of　the　army。　But　when　the　government　was　devolved　upon　us；　and　all　other　people　did　thereupon　lie　quiet；　and　even　foreign　nations　sent　embassies；　and　congratulated　our　access　to　the　government；　then　did　you　Jews　show　yourselves　to　be　our　enemies。　You　sent　embassies　to　those　of　your　nation　that　are　beyond　Euphrates　to　assist　you　in　your　raising　disturbances；　new　walls　were　built　by　you　round　your　city；　seditions　arose；　and　one　tyrant　contended　against　another；　and　a　civil　war　broke　out　among　you；　such　indeed　as　became　none　but　so　wicked　a　people　as　you　are。　I　then　came　to　this　city；　as　unwillingly　sent　by　my　father；　and　received　melancholy　injunctions　from　him。　When　I　heard　that　the　people　were　disposed　to　peace；　I　rejoiced　at　it；　I　exhorted　you　to　leave　off　these　proceedings　before　I　began　this　war；　I　spared　you　even　when　you　had　fought　against　me　a　great　while；　I　gave　my　right　hand　as　security　to　the　deserters；　I　observed　what　I　had　promised　faithfully。　When　they　fled　to　me；　I　had　compassion　on　many　of　those　that　I　had　taken　captive；　I　tortured　those　that　were　eager　for　war；　in　order　to　restrain　them。　It　was　unwillingly　that　I　brought　my　engines　of　war　against　your　walls；　I　always　prohibited　my　soldiers；　when　they　were　set　upon　your　slaughter；　from　their　severity　against　you。　After　every　victory　I　persuaded　you　to　peace；　as　though　I　had　been　myself　conquered。　When　I　came　near　your　temple；　I　again　departed　from　the　laws　of　war；　and　exhorted　you　to　spare　your　own　sanctuary；　and　to　preserve　your　holy　house　to　yourselves。　I　allowed　you　a　quiet　exit　out　of　it；　and　security　for　your　preservation；　nay；　if　you　had　a　mind；　I　gave　you　leave　to　fight　in　another　place。　Yet　have　you　still　despised　every　one　of　my　proposals；　and　have　set　fire　to　your　holy　house　with　your　own　hands。　And　now；　vile　wretches；　do　you　desire　to　treat　with　me　by　word　of　mouth？　To　what　purpose　is　it　that　you　would　save　such　a　holy　house　as　this　was；　which　is　now　destroyed？　What　preservation　can　you　now　desire　after　the　destruction　of　your　temple？　Yet　do　you　stand　still　at　this　very　time　in　your　armor；　nor　can　you　bring　yourselves　so　much　as　to　pretend　to　be　supplicants　even　in　this　your　utmost　extremity。　O　miserable　creatures！　what　is　it　you　depend　on？　Are　not　your　people　dead？　is　not　your　holy　house　gone？　is　not　your　city　in　my　power？　and　are　not　your　own　very　lives　in　my　hands？　And　do　you　still　deem　it　a　part　of　valor　to　die？　However；　I　will　not　imitate　your　madness。　If　you　throw　down　your　arms；　and　deliver　up　your　bodies　to　me；　I　grant　you　your　lives；　and　I　will　act　like　a　mild　master　of　a　family；　what　cannot　be　healed　shall　be　punished；　and　the　rest　I　will　preserve　for　my　own　use。〃　　　　3。　To　that　offer　of　Titus　they　made　this　reply：　That　they　could　not　accept　of　it；　because　they　had　sworn　never　to　do　so；　but　they　desired　they　might　have　leave　to　go　through　the　wall　that　had　been　made　about　them；　with　their　wives　and　children；　for　that　they　would　go　into　the　desert；　and　leave　the　city　to　him。　At　this　Titus　had　great　indignation；　that　when　they　were　in　the　case　of　men　already　taken　captives；　they　should　pretend　to　make　their　own　terms　with　him；　as　if　they　had　been　conquerors。　So　he　ordered　this　proclamation　to　be　made　to　them；　That　they　should　no　more　come　out　to　him　as　deserters；　nor　hope　for　any　further　security；　for　that　he　would　henceforth　spare　nobody；　but　fight　them　with　his　whole　army；　and　that　they　must　save　themselves　as　well　as　they　could；　for　that　he　would　from　henceforth　treat　them　according　to　the　laws　of　war。　So　he　gave　orders　to　the　soldiers　both　to　burn　and　to　plunder　the　city；　who　did　nothing　indeed　that　day；　but　on　the　next　day　they　set　fire　to　the　repository　of　the　archives；　to　Acra；　to　the　council…house；　and　to　the　place　called　Ophlas；　at　which　time　the　fire　proceeded　as　far　as　the　palace　of　queen　Helena；　which　was　in　the　middle　of　Acra；　the　lanes　also　　were　burnt　down；　as　were　also　those　houses　that　were　full　of　the　dead　bodies　of　such　as　were　destroyed　by　famine。　　　　4。　On　the　same　day　it　was　that　the　sons　and　brethren　of　Izates　the　king；　together　with　many　others　of　the　eminent　men　of　the　populace；　got　together　there；　and　besought　Caesar　to　give　them　his　right　hand　for　their　security；　upon　which；　though　he　was　very　angry　at　all　that　were　now　remaining；　yet　did　he　not　lay　aside　his　old　moderation；　but　received　these　men。　At　that　time；　indeed；　he　kept　them　all　in　custody；　but　still　bound　the　king's　sons　and　kinsmen；　and　led　them　with　him　to　Rome；　in　order　to　make　them　　hostages　for　their　country's　fidelity　to　the　Romans。　　　　CHAPTER　7。　　　　　　　　　　What　Afterward　Befell　The　Seditious　When　They　Had　Done　A　Great　Deal　Of　Mischief；　And　Suffered　Many　Misfortunes；　As　Also　How　Caesar　Became　Master　Of　The　Upper　City；　　　　1。　And　now　the　seditious　rushed　into　the　royal　palace；　into　which　many　had　put　their　effects；　because　it　was　so　strong；　and　drove　the　Romans　away　from　it。　They　also　slew　all　the　people　that　had　crowded　into　it；　who　were　in　number　about　eight　thousand　four　hundred；　and　plundered　them　of　what　they　had。　They　also　took　two　of　the　Romans　alive；　the　one　was　a　horseman；　and　the　other　a　footman。　They　then　cut　the　throat　of　the　footman；　and　immediately　had　him　drawn　through　the　whole　city；　as　revenging　themselves　upon　the　whole　body　of　the　Romans　by　this　one　instance。　But　the　horseman　said　he　had　somewhat　to　suggest　to　them　in　order　to　their　preservation；　whereupon　he　was　brought　before　Simon；　but　he　having　nothing　to　say　when　he　was　there