the wars of the jews-第140章

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uaded　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；　he　was　delivered　to　Ardalas；　one　of　his　commanders；　to　be　punished；　who　bound　his　hands　behind　him；　and　put　a　riband　over　his　eyes；　and　then　brought　him　out　over　against　the　Romans；　as　intending　to　cut　off　his　head。　But　the　man　prevented　that　execution；　and　ran　away　to　the　Romans；　and　this　while　the　Jewish　executioner　was　drawing　out　his　sword。　Now　when　he　was　gotten　away　from　the　enemy；　Titus　could　not　think　of　putting　him　to　death；　but　because　he　deemed　him　unworthy　of　being　a　Roman　soldier　any　longer；　on　account　that　he　had　been　taken　alive　by　the　enemy；　he　took　away　his　arms；　and　ejected　him　out　of　the　legion　whereto　he　had　belonged；　which；　to　one　that　had　a　sense　of　shame；　was　a　penalty　severer　than　death　itself。　　　　2。　On　the　next　day　the　Romans　drove　the　robbers　out　of　the　lower　city；　and　set　all　on　fire　as　far　as　Siloam。　These　soldiers　were　indeed　glad　to　see　the　city　destroyed。　But　they　missed　the　plunder；　because　the　seditious　had　carried　off　all　their　effects；　and　were　retired　into　the　upper　city；　for　they　did　not　yet　at　all　repent　of　the　mischiefs　they　had　done；　but　were　insolent；　as　if　they　had　done　well；　for；　as　they　saw　the　city　on　fire；　they　appeared　cheerful；　and　put　on　joyful　countenances；　in　expectation；　as　they　said；　of　death　to　end　their　miseries。　Accordingly；　as　the　people　were　now　slain；　the　holy　house　was　burnt　down；　and　the　city　was　on　fire；　there　was　nothing　further　left　for　the　enemy　to　do。　Yet　did　not　Josephus　grow　weary；　even　in　this　utmost　extremity；　to　beg　of　them　to　spare　what　was　left　of　the　city；　he　spake　largely　to　them　about　their　barbarity　and　impiety；　and　gave　them　his　advice　in　order　to　their　escape；　though　he　gained　nothing　thereby　more　than　to　be　laughed　at　by　them；　and　as　they　could　not　think　of　surrendering　themselves　up；　because　of　the　oath　they　had　taken；　nor　were　strong　enough　to　fight　with　the　Romans　any　longer　upon　the　square；　as　being　surrounded　on　all　sides；　and　a　kind　of　prisoners　already；　yet　were　they　so　accustomed　to　kill　people；　that　they　could　not　restrain　their　right　hands　from　acting　accordingly。　So　they　dispersed　themselves　before　the　city；　and　laid　themselves　in　ambush　among　its　ruins；　to　catch　those　that　attempted　to　desert　to　the　Romans；　accordingly　many　such　deserters　were　caught　by　them；　and　were　all　slain；　for　these　were　too　weak；　by　reason　of　their　want　of　food；　to　fly　away　from　them；　so　their　dead　bodies　were　thrown　to　the　dogs。　Now　every　other　sort　of　death　was　thought　more　tolerable　than　the　famine；　insomuch　that；　though　the　Jews　despaired　now　of　mercy；　yet　would　they　fly　to　the　Romans；　and　would　themselves；　even　of　their　own　accord；　fall　among　the　murderous　rebels　also。　Nor　was　there　any　place　in　the　city　that　had　no　dead　bodies　in　it；　but　what　was　entirely　covered　with　those　that　were　killed　either　by　the　famine　or　the　rebellion；　and　all　was　full　of　the　dead　bodies　of　such　as　had　perished；　either　by　that　sedition　or　by　that　famine。　　　　3。　So　now　the　last　hope　which　supported　the　tyrants；　and　that　crew　of　robbers　who　were　with　them；　was　in　the　caves　and　caverns　under　ground；　whither；　if　they　could　once　fly；　they　did　not　expect　to　be　searched　for；　but　endeavored；　that　after　the　whole　city　should　be　destroyed；　and　the　Romans　gone　away；　they　might　come　out　again；　and　escape　from　them。　This　was　no　better　than　a　dream　of　theirs；　for　they　were　not　able　to　lie　hid　either　from　God　or　from　the　Romans。　However；　they　depended　on　these　under…ground　subterfuges；　and　set　more　places　on　fire　than　did　the　Romans　themselves；　and　those　that　fled　out　of　their　houses　thus　set　on　fire　into　the　ditches；　they　killed　without　mercy；　and　pillaged　them　also；　and　if　they　discovered　food　belonging　to　any　one；　they　seized　upon　it　and　swallowed　it　down；　together　with　their　blood　also；　nay；　they　were　now　come　to　fight　one　with　another　about　their　plunder；　and　I　cannot　but　think　that；　had　not　their　destruction　prevented　it；　their　barbarity　would　have　made　them　taste　of　even　the　　　dead　bodies　themselves。　　　　CHAPTER　8。　　　　　　　　　　How　Caesar　Raised　Banks　Round　About　The　Upper　City　＇Mount　Z