the wars of the jews-第44节

按键盘上方向键 ← 或 → 可快速上下翻页，按键盘上的 Enter 键可回到本书目录页，按键盘上方向键 ↑ 可回到本页顶部！
————未阅读完？加入书签已便下次继续阅读！


in　things　of　the　greatest　turpitude　he　was　most　impudent。　Nor　could　any　one　outdo　him　in　disguising　the　truth；　nor　could　any　one　contrive　more　subtle　ways　of　deceit　than　he　did。　He　indeed　thought　it　but　a　petty　offense　to　get　money　out　of　single　persons；　so　he　spoiled　whole　cities；　and　ruined　entire　bodies　of　men　at　once；　and　did　almost　publicly　proclaim　it　all　the　country　over；　that　they　had　liberty　given　them　to　turn　robbers；　upon　this　condition；　that　he　might　go　shares　with　them　in　the　spoils　they　got。　Accordingly；　this　his　greediness　of　gain　was　the　occasion　that　entire　toparchies　were　brought　to　desolation；　and　a　great　many　of　the　people　left　their　own　country；　and　fled　into　foreign　provinces。　　3。　And　truly；　while　Cestius　Gallus　was　president　of　the　province　of　Syria；　nobody　durst　do　so　much　as　send　an　embassage　to　him　against　Florus；　but　when　he　was　come　to　Jerusalem；　upon　the　approach　of　the　feast　of　unleavened　bread；　the　people　came　about　him　not　fewer　in　number　than　three　millions　（19）　these　besought　him　to　commiserate　the　calamities　of　their　nation；　and　cried　out　upon　Florus　as　the　bane　of　their　country。　But　as　he　was　present；　and　stood　by　Cestius；　he　laughed　at　their　words。　However；　Cestius；　when　he　had　quieted　the　multitude；　and　had　assured　them　that　he　would　take　care　that　Florus　should　hereafter　treat　them　in　a　more　gentle　manner；　returned　to　Antioch。　Florus　also　conducted　him　as　far　as　Cesarea；　and　deluded　him；　though　he　had　at　that　very　time　the　purpose　of　showing　his　anger　at　the　nation；　and　procuring　a　war　upon　them；　by　which　means　alone　it　was　that　he　supposed　he　might　conceal　his　enormities；　for　he　expected　that　if　the　peace　continued；　he　should　have　the　Jews　for　his　accusers　before　Caesar；　but　that　if　he　could　procure　them　to　make　a　revolt；　he　should　divert　their　laying　lesser　crimes　to　his　charge；　by　a　misery　that　was　so　much　greater；　he　therefore　did　every　day　augment　their　calamities；　in　order　to　induce　them　to　a　rebellion。

4。　Now　at　this　time　it　happened　that　the　Grecians　at　Cesarea　had　been　too　hard　for　the　Jews；　and　had　obtained　of　Nero　the　government　of　the　city；　and　had　brought　the　judicial　determination：　at　the　same　time　began　the　war；　in　the　twelfth　year　of　the　reign　of　Nero；　and　the　seventeenth　of　the　reign　of　Agrippa；　in　the　month　of　Artemisins　＇Jyar。＇　Now　the　occasion　of　this　war　was　by　no　means　proportionable　to　those　heavy　calamities　which　it　brought　upon　us。　For　the　Jews　that　dwelt　at　Cesarea　had　a　synagogue　near　the　place；　whose　owner　was　a　certain　Cesarean　Greek：　the　Jews　had　endeavored　frequently　to　have　purchased　the　possession　of　the　place；　and　had　offered　many　times　its　value　for　its　price；　but　as　the　owner　overlooked　their　offers；　so　did　he　raise　other　buildings　upon　the　place；　in　way　of　affront　to　them；　and　made　working…shops　of　them；　and　left　them　but　a　narrow　passage；　and　such　as　was　very　troublesome　for　them　to　go　along　to　their　synagogue。　Whereupon　the　warmer　part　of　the　Jewish　youth　went　hastily　to　the　workmen；　and　forbade　them　to　build　there；　but　as　Florus　would　not　permit　them　to　use　force；　the　great　men　of　the　Jews；　with　John　the　publican；　being　in　the　utmost　distress　what　to　do；　persuaded　Florus；　with　the　offer　of　eight　talents；　to　hinder　the　work。　He　then；　being　intent　upon　nothing　but　getting　money；　promised　he　would　do　for　them　all　they　desired　of　him；　and　then　went　away　from　Cesarea　to　Sebaste；　and　left　the　sedition　to　take　its　full　course；　as　if　he　had　sold　a　license　to　the　Jews　to　fight　it　out。

5。　Now　on　the　next　day；　which　was　the　seventh　day　of　the　week；　when　the　Jews　were　crowding　apace　to　their　synagogue；　a　certain　man　of　Cesarea；　of　a　seditious　temper；　got　an　earthen　vessel；　and　set　it　with　the　bottom　upward；　at　the　entrance　of　that　synagogue；　and　sacrificed　birds。　This　thing　provoked　the　Jews　to　an　incurable　degree；　because　their　laws　were　affronted；　and　the　place　was　polluted。　Whereupon　the　sober　and　moderate　part　of　the　Jews　thought　it　proper　to　have　recourse　to　their　governors　again；　while　the　seditious　part；　and　such　as　were　in　the　fervor　of　their　youth；　were　vehemently　inflamed　to　fight。　The　seditions　also　among　the　Gentiles　of　Cesarea　stood　ready　for　the　same　purpose；　for　they　had；　by　agreement；　sent　the　man　to　sacrifice　beforehand　＇as　ready　to　support　him；＇　so　that　it　soon　came　to　blows。　Hereupon　Jucundus；　the　master　of　the　horse；　who　was　ordered　to　prevent　the　fight；　came　thither；　and　took　away　the　earthen　vessel；　and　endeavored　to　put　a　stop　to　the　sedition；　but　when　（20）　he　was　overcome　by　the　violence　of　the　people　of　Cesarea；　the　Jews　caught　up　their　books　of　the　law；　and　retired　to　Narbata；　which　was　a　place　to　them　belonging；　distant　from　Cesarea　sixty　furlongs。　But　John；　and　twelve　of　the　principal　men　with　him；　went　to　Florus；　to　Sebaste；　and　made　a　lamentable　complaint　of　their　case；　and　besought　him　to　help　them；　and　with　all　possible　decency；　put　him　in　mind　of　the　eight　talents　they　had　given　him；　but　he　had　the　men　seized　upon；　and　put　in　prison；　and　accused　them　for　carrying　the　books　of　the　law　out　of　Cesarea。

6。　Moreover；　as　to　the　citizens　of　Jerusalem；　although　they　took　this　matter　very　ill；　yet　did　they　restrain　their　passion；　but　Florus　acted　herein　as　if　he　had　been　hired；　and　blew　up　the　war　into　a　flame；　and　sent　some　to　take　seventeen　talents　out　of　the　sacred　treasure；　and　pretended　that　Caesar　wanted　them。　At　this　the　people　were　in　confusion　immediately；　and　ran　together　to　the　temple；　with　prodigious　clamors；　and　called　upon　Caesar　by　name；　and　besought　him　to　free　them　from　the　tyranny　of　Florus。　Some　also　of　the　seditious　cried　out　upon　Florus；　and　cast　the　greatest　reproaches　upon　him；　and　carried　a　basket　about；　and　begged　some　spills　of　money　for　him；　as　for　one　that　was　destitute　of　possessions；　and　in　a　miserable　condition。　Yet　was　not　he　made　ashamed　hereby　of　his　love　of　money；　but　was　more　enraged；　and　provoked　to　get　still　more；　and　instead　of　coming　to　Cesarea；　as　he　ought　to　have　done；　and　quenching　the　flame　of　war；　which　was　beginning　thence；　and　so　taking　away　the　occasion　of　any　disturbances；　on　which　account　it　was　that　he　had　received　a　reward　＇of　eight　talents＇；　he　marched　hastily　with　an　army　of　horsemen　and　footmen　against　Jerusalem；　that　he　might　gain　his　will　by　the　arms　of　the　Romans；　and　might；　by　his　terror；　and　by　his　threatenings；　bring　the　city　into　subjection。

7。　But　the　people　were　desirous　of　making　Florus　ashamed　of　his　attempt；　and　met　his　soldiers　with　acclamations；　and　put　themselves　in　order　to　receive　him　very　submissively。　But　he　sent　Capito；　a　centurion；　beforehand；　with　fifty　soldiers；　to　bid　them　go　back；　and　not　now　make　a　show　of　receiving　him　in　an　obliging　manner；　whom　they　had　so　foully　reproached　before；　and　said　that　it　was　incumbent　on　them；　in　case　they　had　generous　souls；　and　were　free　speakers；　to　jest　upon　him　to　his　face；　and　appear　to　be　lovers　of　liberty；　not　only　in　words；　but　with　their　weapons　also。　With　this　message　was　the　multitude　amazed；　and　upon　the　coming　of　Capito's　horsemen　into　the　midst　of　them；　they　were　dispersed　before　they　could　salute　Florus；　or　manifest　their　submissive　behavior　to　him。　Accordingly；　they　retired　to　their　own　houses；　and　spent　that　night　in　fear　and　confusion　of　face。　　8。　Now　at　this　time　Florus　took　up　his　quarters　at　the　palace；　and　on　the　next　day　he　had　his　tribunal　set　before　it；　and　sat　upon　it；　when　the　high　priests；　and　the　men　of　power；　and　those　of　the　greatest　eminence　in　the　city；　came　all　before　that　tribunal；　upon　which　Florus　commanded　them　to　deliver　up　to　him　those　that　had　reproached　him；　and　told　them　that　they　should　themselves　partake　of　the　vengeance　to　them　belonging；　if　they　did　not　produce　the　criminals；　but　these　demonstrated　that　the　people　were　peaceably　disposed；　and　they　begged　forgiveness　for　those　that　had　spoken　amiss；　for　that　it　was　no　wonder　at　all　that　in　so　great　a　multitude　there　should　be　some　more　daring　than　they　ought　to　be；　and；　by　reason　of　their　younger　age；　foolish　also；　and　that　it　was　impossible　to　distinguish　those　that　offended　from　the　rest；　while　every　one　was　sorry　for　what　he　had　done；　and　denied　it　out　of　fear　of　what　would　follow：　that　he　ought；　however；　to　provide　for　the　peace　of　the　nation；　and　to　take　such　counsels　as　might　preserve　the　city　for　the　Romans；　and　rather　for　the　sake　of　a　great　number　of　innocent　people　to　forgive　a　few　that　were　guilty；　than　for　the　sake　of　a　few　of　the　wicked　to　put　so　large　and　good　a　body　of　men　into　disorder。　　9。　Florus　was　more　provoked　at　this；　and　called　out　aloud　to　the　soldiers　to　plunder　that　which　was　called　the　Upper　Market…place；　and　to　slay　such　as　they　met　with。　So　the　soldiers；　taking　this　exhortation　of　their　commander　in　a　sense　agreeable　to　their　desire　of　gain；　did　not　only　plunder　the　place　they　were　sent　to；　but　forcing　themselves　into　every　house；　they　slew　its　inhabitants；　so　the　citizens　fled　along　the　narrow　lanes；　and　the　soldiers　slew　those　that　they　caught；　and　no　method　of　plunder　was　omitted；　they　also　caught　many　of　the　quiet　people；　and　brought　them　before　Florus；　whom　he　first　chastised　with　stripes；　and　then　crucified。　Accordingly；　the　whole　number　of　those　that　were　destroyed　that　day；　with　their　wives　and