the wars of the jews-第43节

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d　mother；　from　whom　his　barbarity　spread　itself　to　others　that　were　most　nearly　related　to　him；　and　how；　at　last；　he　was　so　distracted　that　he　became　an　actor　in　the　scenes；　and　upon　the　theater；　…　I　omit　to　say　any　more　about　them；　because　there　are　writers　enough　upon　those　subjects　every　where；　but　I　shall　turn　myself　to　those　actions　of　his　time　in　which　the　Jews　were　concerned。

2。　Nero　therefore　bestowed　the　kingdom　of　the　Lesser　Armenia　upon　Aristobulus；　Herod's　son；　（17）　and　he　added　to　Agrippa's　kingdom　four　cities；　with　the　toparchies　to　them　belonging；　I　mean　Abila；　and　that　Julias　which　is　in　Perea；　Tarichea　also；　and　Tiberias　of　Galilee；　but　over　the　rest　of　Judea　he　made　Felix　procurator。　This　Felix　took　Eleazar　the　arch…robber；　and　many　that　were　with　him；　alive；　when　they　had　ravaged　the　country　for　twenty　years　together；　and　sent　them　to　Rome；　but　as　to　the　number　of　the　robbers　whom　he　caused　to　be　crucified；　and　of　those　who　were　caught　among　them；　and　whom　he　brought　to　punishment；　they　were　a　multitude　not　to　be　enumerated。

3。　When　the　country　was　purged　of　these；　there　sprang　up　another　sort　of　robbers　in　Jerusalem；　which　were　called　Sicarii；　who　slew　men　in　the　day　time；　and　in　the　midst　of　the　city；　this　they　did　chiefly　at　the　festivals；　when　they　mingled　themselves　among　the　multitude；　and　concealed　daggers　under　their　garments；　with　which　they　stabbed　those　that　were　their　enemies；　and　when　any　fell　down　dead；　the　murderers　became　a　part　of　those　that　had　indignation　against　them；　by　which　means　they　appeared　persons　of　such　reputation；　that　they　could　by　no　means　be　discovered。　The　first　man　who　was　slain　by　them　was　Jonathan　the　high　priest；　after　whose　death　many　were　slain　every　day；　while　the　fear　men　were　in　of　being　so　served　was　more　afflicting　than　the　calamity　itself；　and　while　every　body　expected　death　every　hour；　as　men　do　in　war；　so　men　were　obliged　to　look　before　them；　and　to　take　notice　of　their　enemies　at　a　great　distance；　nor；　if　their　friends　were　coming　to　them；　durst　they　trust　them　any　longer；　but；　in　the　midst　of　their　suspicions　and　guarding　of　themselves；　they　were　slain。　Such　was　the　celerity　of　the　plotters　against　them；　and　so　cunning　was　their　contrivance。

4。　There　was　also　another　body　of　wicked　men　gotten　together；　not　so　impure　in　their　actions；　but　more　wicked　in　their　intentions；　which　laid　waste　the　happy　state　of　the　city　no　less　than　did　these　murderers。　These　were　such　men　as　deceived　and　deluded　the　people　under　pretense　of　Divine　inspiration；　but　were　for　procuring　innovations　and　　changes　of　the　government；　and　these　prevailed　with　the　multitude　to　act　like　madmen；　and　went　before　them　into　the　wilderness；　as　pretending　that　God　would　there　show　them　the　signals　of　liberty。　But　Felix　thought　this　procedure　was　to　be　the　beginning　of　a　revolt；　so　he　sent　some　horsemen　and　footmen　both　armed；　who　destroyed　a　great　number　of　them。

5。　But　there　was　an　Egyptian　false　prophet　that　did　the　Jews　more　mischief　than　the　former；　for　he　was　a　cheat；　and　pretended　to　be　a　prophet　also；　and　got　together　thirty　thousand　men　that　were　deluded　by　him；　these　he　led　round　about　from　the　wilderness　to　the　mount　which　was　called　the　Mount　of　Olives；　and　was　ready　to　break　into　Jerusalem　by　force　from　that　place；　and　if　he　could　but　once　conquer　the　Roman　garrison　and　the　people；　he　intended　to　domineer　over　them　by　the　assistance　of　those　guards　of　his　that　were　to　break　into　the　city　with　him。　But　Felix　prevented　his　attempt；　and　met　him　with　his　Roman　soldiers；　while　all　the　people　assisted　him　in　his　attack　upon　them；　insomuch　that　when　it　came　to　a　battle；　the　Egyptian　ran　away；　with　a　few　others；　while　the　greatest　part　of　those　that　were　with　him　were　either　destroyed　or　taken　alive；　but　the　rest　of　the　multitude　were　dispersed　every　one　to　their　own　homes；　and　there　concealed　themselves。

6。　Now　when　these　were　quieted；　it　happened；　as　it　does　in　a　diseased　body；　that　another　part　was　subject　to　an　inflammation；　for　a　company　of　deceivers　and　robbers　got　together；　and　persuaded　the　Jews　to　revolt；　and　exhorted　them　to　assert　their　liberty；　inflicting　death　on　those　that　continued　in　obedience　to　the　Roman　government；　and　saying；　that　such　as　willingly　chose　slavery　ought　to　be　forced　from　such　their　desired　inclinations；　for　they　parted　themselves　into　different　bodies；　and　lay　in　wait　up　and　down　the　country；　and　plundered　the　houses　of　the　great　men；　and　slew　the　men　themselves；　and　set　the　villages　on　fire；　and　this　till　all　Judea　was　filled　with　the　effects　of　their　madness。　And　thus　the　flame　was　every　day　more　and　more　blown　up；　till　it　came　to　a　direct　war。

7。　There　was　also　another　disturbance　at　Cesarea；　…　those　Jews　who　were　mixed　with　the　Syrians　that　lived　there　rising　a　tumult　against　them。　The　Jews　pretended　that　the　city　was　theirs；　and　said　that　he　who　built　it　was　a　Jew；　meaning　king　Herod。　The　Syrians　confessed　also　that　its　builder　was　a　Jew；　but　they　still　said；　however；　that　the　city　was　a　Grecian　city；　for　that　he　who　set　up　statues　and　temples　in　it　could　not　design　it　for　Jews。　On　which　account　both　parties　had　a　contest　with　one　another；　and　this　contest　increased　so　much；　that　it　came　at　last　to　arms；　and　the　bolder　sort　of　them　marched　out　to　fight；　for　the　elders　of　the　Jews　were　not　able　to　put　a　stop　to　their　own　people　that　were　disposed　to　be　tumultuous；　and　the　Greeks　thought　it　a　shame　for　them　to　be　overcome　by　the　Jews。　Now　these　Jews　exceeded　the　others　in　riches　and　strength　of　body；　but　the　Grecian　part　had　the　advantage　of　assistance　from　the　soldiery；　for　the　greatest　part　of　the　Roman　garrison　was　raised　out　of　Syria；　and　being　thus　related　to　the　Syrian　part；　they　were　ready　to　assist　it。　However；　the　governors　of　the　city　were　concerned　to　keep　all　quiet；　and　whenever　they　caught　those　that　were　most　for　fighting　on　either　side；　they　punished　them　with　stripes　and　bands。　Yet　did　not　the　sufferings　of　those　that　were　caught　affright　the　remainder；　or　make　them　desist；　but　they　were　still　more　and　more　exasperated；　and　deeper　engaged　in　the　sedition。　And　as　Felix　came　once　into　the　market…place；　and　commanded　the　Jews；　when　they　had　beaten　the　Syrians；　to　go　their　ways；　and　threatened　them　if　they　would　not；　and　they　would　not　obey　him；　he　sent　his　soldiers　out　upon　them；　and　slew　a　great　many　of　them；　upon　which　it　fell　out　that　what　they　had　was　plundered。　And　as　the　sedition　still　continued；　he　chose　out　the　most　eminent　men　on　both　sides　as　ambassadors　to　Nero；　to　argue　about　their　several　privileges。　　CHAPTER　14。

Festus　Succeeds　Felix　Who　Is　Succeeded　By　Albinus　As　He　Is　By　Florus；　Who　By　The　Barbarity　Of　His　Government　Forces　The　Jews　Into　The　War。

1。　Now　it　was　that　Festus　succeeded　Felix　as　procurator；　and　made　it　his　business　to　correct　those　that　made　disturbances　in　the　country。　So　he　caught　the　greatest　part　of　the　robbers；　and　destroyed　a　great　many　of　them。　But　then　Albinus；　who　succeeded　Festus；　did　not　execute　his　office　as　the　other　had　done；　nor　was　there　any　sort　of　wickedness　that　could　be　named　but　he　had　a　hand　in　it。　Accordingly；　he　did　not　only；　in　his　political　capacity；　steal　and　plunder　every　one's　substance；　nor　did　he　only　burden　the　whole　nation　with　taxes；　but　he　permitted　the　relations　of　such　as　were　in　prison　for　robbery；　and　had　been　laid　there；　either　by　the　senate　of　every　city；　or　by　the　former　procurators；　to　redeem　them　for　money；　and　no　body　remained　in　the　prisons　as　a　malefactor　but　he　who　gave　him　nothing。　At　this　time　it　was　that　the　enterprises　of　the　seditious　at　Jerusalem　were　very　formidable；　the　principal　men　among　them　purchasing　leave　of　Albinus　to　go　on　with　their　seditious　practices；　while　that　part　of　the　people　who　delighted　in　disturbances　joined　themselves　to　such　as　had　fellowship　with　Albinus；　and　every　one　of　these　wicked　wretches　were　encompassed　with　his　own　band　of　robbers；　while　he　himself；　like　an　arch…robber；　or　a　tyrant；　made　a　figure　among　his　company；　and　abused　his　authority　over　those　about　him；　in　order　to　plunder　those　that　lived　quietly。　The　effect　of　which　was　this；　that　those　who　lost　their　goods　were　forced　to　hold　their　peace；　when　they　had　reason　to　show　great　indignation　at　what　they　had　suffered；　but　those　who　had　escaped　were　forced　to　flatter　him　that　deserved　to　be　punished；　out　of　the　fear　they　were　in　of　suffering　equally　with　the　others。　Upon　the　Whole；　nobody　durst　speak　their　minds；　but　tyranny　was　generally　tolerated；　and　at　this　time　were　those　seeds　sown　which　brought　the　city　to　destruction。

2。　And　although　such　was　the　character　of　Albinus；　yet　did　Gessius　Florus　（18）　who　succeeded　him；　demonstrate　him　to　have　been　a　most　excellent　person；　upon　the　comparison；　for　the　former　did　the　greatest　part　of　his　rogueries　in　private；　and　with　a　sort　of　dissimulation；　but　Gessius　did　his　unjust　actions　to　the　harm　of　the　nation　after　a　pompons　manner；　and　as　though　he　had　been　sent　as　an　executioner　to　punish　condemned　malefactors；　he　omitted　no　sort　of　rapine；　or　of　vexation；　where　the　case　was　really　pitiable；　he　was　most　barbarous；　and　in　things　of　the　greatest　turpitude　he　was　most　impudent。　Nor　could　any　one　outdo　him　in　disguising