the wars of the jews-第51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！


imony　of　my　courage　to　my　commendation；　that　so　no　one　of　our　enemies　may　have　it　to　brag　of；　that　he　it　was　that　slew　me；　and　no　one　may　insult　upon　me　as　I　fall。〃　Now　when　he　had　said　this；　he　looked　round　about　him　upon　his　family　with　eyes　of　commiseration　and　of　rage　（that　family　consisted　of　a　wife　and　children；　and　his　aged　parents）；　so；　in　the　first　place；　he　caught　his　father　by　his　grey　hairs；　and　ran　his　sword　through　him；　and　after　him　he　did　the　same　to　his　mother；　who　willingly　received　it；　and　after　them　he　did　the　like　to　his　wife　and　children；　every　one　almost　offering　themselves　to　his　sword；　as　desirous　to　prevent　being　slain　by　their　enemies；　so　when　he　had　gone　over　all　his　family；　he　stood　upon　their　bodies　to　be　seen　by　all；　and　stretching　out　his　right　hand；　that　his　action　might　be　observed　by　all；　he　sheathed　his　entire　sword　into　his　own　bowels。　This　young　man　was　to　be　pitied；　on　account　of　the　strength　of　his　body　and　the　courage　of　his　soul；　but　since　he　had　assured　foreigners　of　his　fidelity　＇against　his　own　countrymen＇；　he　suffered　deservedly。

5。　Besides　this　murder　at　Scythopolis；　the　other　cities　rose　up　against　the　Jews　that　were　among　them；　those　of　Askelon　slew　two　thousand　five　hundred；　and　those　of　Ptolemais　two　thousand；　and　put　not　a　few　into　bonds；　those　of　Tyre　also　put　a　great　number　to　death；　but　kept　a　greater　number　in　prison；　moreover；　those　of　Hippos；　and　those　of　Gadara；　did　the　like　while　they　put　to　death　the　boldest　of　the　Jews；　but　kept　those　of　whom　they　were　afraid　in　custody；　as　did　the　rest　of　the　cities　of　Syria；　according　as　they　every　one　either　hated　them　or　were　afraid　of　them；　only　the　Antiochtans　the　Sidontans；　and　Apamians　spared　those　that　dwelt　with　them；　and　would　not　endure　either　to　kill　any　of　the　Jews；　or　to　put　them　in　bonds。　And　perhaps　they　spared　them；　because　their　own　number　was　so　great　that　they　despised　their　attempts。　But　I　think　the　greatest　part　of　this　favor　was　owing　to　their　commiseration　of　those　whom　they　saw　to　make　no　innovations。　As　for　the　Gerasans；　they　did　no　harm　to　those　that　abode　with　them；　and　for　those　who　had　a　mind　to　go　away；　they　conducted　them　as　far　as　their　borders　reached。

6。　There　was　also　a　plot　laid　against　the　Jews　in　Agrippa's　kingdom；　for　he　was　himself　gone　to　Cestius　Gallus；　to　Antioch；　but　had　left　one　of　his　companions；　whose　name　was　Noarus；　to　take　care　of　the　public　affairs；　which　Noarus　was　of　kin　to　king　Sohemus。　（26）　Now　there　came　certain　men　seventy　in　number；　out　of　Batanea；　who　were　the　most　considerable　for　their　families　and　prudence　of　the　rest　of　the　people；　these　desired　to　have　an　army　put　into　their　hands；　that　if　any　tumult　should　happen；　they　might　have　about　them　a　guard　sufficient　to　restrain　such　as　might　rise　up　against　them。　This　Noarus　sent　out　some　of　the　king's　armed　men　by　night；　and　slew　all　those　＇seventy＇　men；　which　bold　action　he　ventured　upon　without　the　consent　of　Agrippa；　and　was　such　a　lover　of　money；　that　he　chose　to　be　so　wicked　to　his　own　countrymen；　though　he　brought　ruin　on　the　kingdom　thereby；　and　thus　cruelly　did　he　treat　that　nation；　and　this　contrary　to　the　laws　also；　until　Agrippa　was　informed　of　it；　who　did　not　indeed　dare　to　put　him　to　death；　out　of　regard　to　Sohemus；　but　still　he　put　an　end　to　his　procuratorship　immediately。　But　as　to　the　seditious；　they　took　the　citadel　which　was　called　Cypros；　and　was　above　Jericho；　and　cut　the　throats　of　the　garrison；　and　utterly　demolished　the　fortifications。　This　was　about　the　same　time　that　the　multitude　of　the　Jews　that　were　at　Machorus　persuaded　the　Romans　who　were　in　garrison　to　leave　the　place；　and　deliver　it　up　to　them。　These　Romans　being　in　great　fear；　lest　the　place　should　be　taken　by　force；　made　an　agreement　with　them　to　depart　upon　certain　conditions；　and　when　they　had　obtained　the　security　they　desired；　they　delivered　up　the　citadel；　into　which　the　people　of　Macherus　put　a　garrison　for　their　own　security；　and　held　it　in　their　own　power。

7。　But　for　Alexandria；　the　sedition　of　the　people　of　the　place　against　the　Jews　was　perpetual；　and　this　from　that　very　time　when　Alexander　＇the　Great＇；　upon　finding　the　readiness　of　the　Jews　in　assisting　him　against　the　Egyptians；　and　as　a　reward　for　such　their　assistance；　gave　them　equal　privileges　in　this　city　with　the　Grecians　themselves；　which　honorary　reward　Continued　among　them　under　his　successors；　who　also　set　apart　for　them　a　particular　place；　that　they　might　live　without　being　polluted　＇by　the　Gentiles＇；　and　were　thereby　not　so　much　intermixed　with　foreigners　as　before；　they　also　gave　them　this　further　privilege；　that　they　should　be　called　Macedonians。　Nay；　when　the　Romans　got　possession　of　Egypt；　neither　the　first　Caesar；　nor　any　one　that　came　after　him；　thought　of　diminishing　the　honors　which　Alexander　had　bestowed　on　the　Jews。　But　still　conflicts　perpetually　arose　with　the　Grecians；　and　although　the　governors　did　every　day　punish　many　of　them；　yet　did　the　sedition　grow　worse；　but　at　this　time　especially；　when　there　were　tumults　in　other　places　also；　the　disorders　among　them　were　put　into　a　greater　flame；　for　when　the　Alexandrians　had　once　a　public　assembly；　to　deliberate　about　an　embassage　they　were　sending　to　Nero；　a　great　number　of　Jews　came　flocking　to　the　theater；　but　when　their　adversaries　saw　them；　they　immediately　cried　out；　and　called　them　their　enemies；　and　said　they　came　as　spies　upon　them；　upon　which　they　rushed　out；　and　laid　violent　hands　upon　them；　and　as　for　the　rest；　they　were　slain　as　they　ran　away；　but　there　were　three　men　whom　they　caught；　and　hauled　them　along；　in　order　to　have　them　burnt　alive；　but　all　the　Jews　came　in　a　body　to　defend　them；　who　at　first　threw　stones　at　the　Grecians；　but　after　that　they　took　lamps；　and　rushed　with　violence　into　the　theater；　and　threatened　that　they　would　burn　the　people　to　a　man；　and　this　they　had　soon　done；　unless　Tiberius　Alexander；　the　governor　of　the　city；　had　restrained　their　passions。　However；　this　man　did　not　begin　to　teach　them　wisdom　by　arms；　but　sent　among　them　privately　some　of　the　principal　men；　and　thereby　entreated　them　to　be　quiet；　and　not　provoke　the　Roman　army　against　them；　but　the　seditious　made　a　jest　of　the　entreaties　of　Tiberius；　and　reproached　him　for　so　doing。

8。　Now　when　he　perceived　that　those　who　were　for　innovations　would　not　be　pacified　till　some　great　calamity　should　overtake　them；　he　sent　out　upon　them　those　two　Roman　legions　that　were　in　the　city；　and　together　with　them　five　thousand　other　soldiers；　who；　by　chance；　were　come　together　out　of　Libya；　to　the　ruin　of　the　Jews。　They　were　also　permitted　not　only　to　kill　them；　but　to　plunder　them　of　what　they　had；　and　to　set　fire　to　their　houses。　These　soldiers　rushed　violently　into　that　part　of　the　city　that　was　called　Delta；　where　the　Jewish　people　lived　together；　and　did　as　they　were　bidden；　though　not　without　bloodshed　on　their　own　side　also；　for　the　Jews　got　together；　and　set　those　that　were　the　best　armed　among　them　in　the　forefront；　and　made　a　resistance　for　a　great　while；　but　when　once　they　gave　back；　they　were　destroyed　unmercifully；　and　this　their　destruction　was　complete；　some　being　caught　in　the　open　field；　and　others　forced　into　their　houses；　which　houses　were　first　plundered　of　what　was　in　them；　and　then　set　on　fire　by　the　Romans；　wherein　no　mercy　was　shown　to　the　infants；　and　no　regard　had　to　the　aged；　but　they　went　on　in　the　slaughter　of　persons　of　every　age；　till　all　the　place　was　overflowed　with　blood；　and　fifty　thousand　of　them　lay　dead　upon　heaps；　nor　had　the　remainder　been　preserved；　had　they　not　be…taken　themselves　to　supplication。　So　Alexander　commiserated　their　condition；　and　gave　orders　to　the　Romans　to　retire；　accordingly；　these　being　accustomed　to　obey　orders；　left　off　killing　at　the　first　intimation；　but　the　populace　of　Alexandria　bare　so　very　great　hatred　to　the　Jews；　that　it　was　difficult　to　recall　them；　and　it　was　a　hard　thing　to　make　them　leave　their　dead　bodies。

9。　And　this　was　the　miserable　calamity　which　at　this　time　befell　the　Jews　at　Alexandria。　Hereupon　Cestius　thought　fit　no　longer　to　lie　still；　while　the　Jews　were　everywhere　up　in　arms；　so　he　took　out　of　Antioch　the　twelfth　legion　entire；　and　out　of　each　of　the　rest　he　selected　two　thousand；　with　six　cohorts　of　footmen；　and　four　troops　of　horsemen；　besides　those　auxiliaries　which　were　sent　by　the　kings；　of　which　Antiochus　sent　two　thousand　horsemen；　and　three　thousand　footmen；　with　as　many　archers；　and　Agrippa　sent　the　same　number　of　footmen；　and　one　thousand　horsemen；　Sohemus　also　followed　with　four　thousand；　a　third　part　whereof　were　horsemen；　but　most　part　were　archers；　and　thus　did　he　march　to　Ptolemais。　There　were　also　great　numbers　of　auxiliaries　gathered　together　from　the　＇free＇　cities；　who　indeed　had　not　the　same　skill　in　martial　affairs；　but　made　up　in　their　alacrity　and　in　their　hatred　to　the　Jews　what　they　wanted　in　skill。　There　came　also　along　with　Cestius　Agrippa　himself；　both　as　a　guide　in　his　march　over　the　country；　and　a　director　what　was　fit　to　be　done；　so　Cestius　took　part　of　his　forces；　and　marched　hastily　to　Zabulon；　a　strong　city　of　Galilee；　which　was　called　the　City　of　Men；　and　divides　the　country　of　Ptolemais　from　our　nation；