the wars of the jews-第149章

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ontrived　into　all　sorts　of　things；　and　did　not　appear　as　carried　along　in　pompous　show　only；　but；　as　a　man　may　say；　running　along　like　a　river。　Some　parts　were　composed　of　the　rarest　purple　hangings；　and　so　carried　along；　and　others　accurately　represented　to　the　life　what　was　embroidered　by　the　arts　of　the　Babylonians。　There　were　also　precious　stones　that　were　transparent；　some　set　in　crowns　of　gold；　and　some　in　other　ouches；　as　the　workmen　pleased；　and　of　these　such　a　vast　number　were　brought；　that　we　could　not　but　thence　learn　how　vainly　we　imagined　any　of　them　to　be　rarities。　The　images　of　the　gods　were　also　carried；　being　as　well　wonderful　for　their　largeness；　as　made　very　artificially；　and　with　great　skill　of　the　workmen；　nor　were　any　of　these　　images　of　any　other　than　very　costly　materials；　and　many　species　of　animals　were　brought；　every　one　in　their　own　natural　ornaments。　The　men　also　who　brought　every　one　of　these　shows　were　great　multitudes；　and　adorned　with　purple　garments；　all　over　interwoven　with　gold；　those　that　were　chosen　for　carrying　these　pompous　shows　having　also　about　them　such　magnificent　ornaments　as　were　both　extraordinary　and　surprising。　Besides　these；　one　might　see　that　even　the　great　number　of　the　captives　was　not　unadorned；　while　the　variety　that　was　in　their　garments；　and　their　fine　texture；　concealed　from　the　sight　the　deformity　of　their　bodies。　But　what　afforded　the　greatest　surprise　of　all　was　the　structure　of　the　pageants　that　were　borne　along；　for　indeed　he　that　met　them　could　not　but　be　afraid　that　the　bearers　would　not　be　able　firmly　enough　to　support　them；　such　was　their　magnitude；　for　many　of　them　were　so　made；　that　they　were　on　three　or　even　four　stories；　one　above　another。　The　magnificence　also　of　their　structure　afforded　one　both　pleasure　and　surprise；　for　upon　many　of　them　were　laid　carpets　of　gold。　There　was　also　wrought　gold　and　ivory　fastened　about　them　all；　and　many　resemblances　of　the　war；　and　those　in　several　ways；　and　variety　of　contrivances；　affording　a　most　lively　portraiture　of　itself。　For　there　was　to　be　seen　a　happy　country　laid　waste；　and　entire　squadrons　of　enemies　slain；　while　some　of　them　ran　away；　and　some　were　carried　into　captivity；　with　walls　of　great　altitude　and　magnitude　overthrown　and　ruined　by　machines；　with　the　strongest　fortifications　taken；　and　the　walls　of　most　populous　cities　upon　the　tops　of　hills　seized　on；　and　an　army　pouring　itself　within　the　walls；　as　also　every　place　full　of　slaughter；　and　supplications　of　the　enemies；　when　they　were　no　longer　able　to　lift　up　their　hands　in　way　of　opposition。　Fire　also　sent　upon　temples　was　here　represented；　and　houses　overthrown；　and　falling　upon　their　owners：　rivers　also；　after　they　came　out　of　a　large　and　melancholy　desert；　ran　down；　not　into　a　land　cultivated；　nor　as　drink　for　men；　or　for　cattle；　but　through　a　land　still　on　fire　upon　every　side；　for　the　Jews　related　that　such　a　thing　they　had　undergone　during　this　war。　Now　the　workmanship　of　these　representations　was　so　magnificent　and　lively　in　the　construction　of　the　things；　that　it　exhibited　what　had　been　done　to　such　as　did　not　see　it；　as　if　they　had　been　there　really　present。　On　the　top　of　every　one　of　these　pageants　was　placed　the　commander　of　the　city　that　was　taken；　and　the　manner　wherein　he　was　taken。　Moreover；　there　followed　those　pageants　a　great　number　of　ships；　and　for　the　other　spoils；　they　were　carried　in　great　plenty。　But　for　those　that　were　taken　in　the　temple　of　Jerusalem；　（9）　they　made　the　greatest　figure　of　them　all；　that　is；　the　golden　table；　of　the　weight　of　many　talents；　the　candlestick　also；　that　was　made　of　gold；　though　its　construction　were　now　changed　from　that　which　we　made　use　of；　for　its　middle　shaft　was　fixed　upon　a　basis；　and　the　small　branches　were　produced　out　of　it　to　a　great　length；　having　the　likeness　of　a　trident　in　their　position；　and　had　every　one　a　socket　made　of　brass　for　a　lamp　at　the　tops　of　them。　These　lamps　were　in　number　seven；　and　represented　the　dignity　of　the　number　seven　among　the　Jews；　and　the　last　of　all　the　spoils；　was　carried　the　Law　of　the　Jews。　After　these　spoils　passed　by　a　great　many　men；　carrying　the　images　of　Victory；　whose　structure　was　entirely　either　of　ivory　or　of　gold。　After　which　Vespasian　marched　in　the　first　place；　and　Titus　followed　him；　Domitian　also　rode　along　with　them；　and　made　a　glorious　appearance；　and　rode　on　a　horse　that　was　worthy　of　admiration。　　　　6。　Now　the　last　part　of　this　pompous　show　was　at　the　temple　of　Jupiter　Capitolinus；　whither　when　they　were　come；　they　stood　still；　for　it　was　the　Romans'　ancient　custom　to　stay　till　somebody　brought　the　news　that　the　general　of　the　enemy　was　slain。　This　general　was　Simon；　the　son　of　Gioras；　who　had　then　been　led　in　this　triumph　among　the　captives；　a　rope　had　also　been　put　upon　his　head；　and　he　had　been　drawn　into　a　proper　place　in　the　forum；　and　had　withal　been　tormented　by　those　that　drew　him　along；　and　the　law　of　the　Romans　required　that　malefactors　condemned　to　die　should　be　slain　there。　　Accordingly；　when　it　was　related　that　there　was　an　end　of　him；　and　all　the　people　had　set　up　a　shout　for　joy；　they　then　began　to　offer　those　sacrifices　which　they　had　consecrated；　in　the　prayers　used　in　such　solemnities；　which　when　they　had　finished；　they　went　away　to　the　palace。　And　as　for　some　of　the　spectators；　the　emperors　entertained　them　at　their　own　feast；　and　for　all　the　rest　there　were　noble　preparations　made　for　feasting　at　home；　for　this　was　a　festival　day　to　the　city　of　Rome；　as　celebrated　for　the　victory　obtained　by　their　army　over　their　enemies；　for　the　end　that　was　now　put　to　their　civil　miseries；　and　for　the　commencement　of　their　hopes　of　future　prosperity　and　happiness。　　　　7。　After　these　triumphs　were　over；　and　after　the　affairs　of　the　Romans　were　settled　on　the　surest　foundations；　Vespasian　resolved　to　build　a　temple　to　Peace；　which　was　finished　in　so　short　a　time；　and　in　so　glorious　a　manner；　as　was　beyond　all　human　expectation　and　opinion：　for　he　having　now　by　Providence　a　vast　quantity　of　wealth；　besides　what　he　had　formerly　gained　in　his　other　exploits；　he　had　this　temple　adorned　with　pictures　and　statues；　for　in　this　temple　were　collected　and　deposited　all　such　rarities　as　men　aforetime　used　to　wander　all　over　the　habitable　world　to　see；　when　they　had　a　desire　to　see　one　of　them　after　another；　he　also　laid　up　therein　those　golden　vessels　and　instruments　that　were　taken　out　of　the　Jewish　temple；　as　ensigns　of　his　glory。　But　still　he　gave　order　that　they　should　lay　up　their　Law；　and　the　purple　veils　of　the　holy　place；　in　the　royal　palace　itself；　and　keep　them　there。　　　　CHAPTER　6。　　　　　　　　　　Concerning　Macherus；　And　How　Lucilius　Bassus　Took　That　Citadel；　And　Other　Places。　　　　1。　Now　Lucilius　Bassus　was　sent　as　legate　into　Judea；　and　there　he　received　the　army　from　Cerealis　Vitellianus；　and　took　that　citadel　which　was　in　Herodium；　together　with　the　garrison　that　was　in　it；　after　which　he　got　together　all　the　soldiery　that　was　there；　（which　was　a　large　body；　but　dispersed　into　several　parties；）　with　the　tenth　legion；　and　resolved　to　make　war　upon　Macherus；　for　it　was　highly　necessary　that　this　citadel　should　be　demolished；　lest　it　might　be　a　means　of　drawing　away　many　into　a　rebellion；　by　reason　of　its　strength；　for　the　nature　of　the　place　was　very　capable　of　affording　the　surest　hopes　of　safety　to　　those　that　possessed　it；　as　well　as　delay　and　fear　to　those　that　should　attack　it；　for　what　was　walled　in　was　itself　a　very　rocky　hill；　elevated　to　a　very　great　height；　which　circumstance　alone　made　it　very　hard　to　he　subdued。　It　was　also　so　contrived　by　nature；　that　it　could　not　be　easily　ascended；　for　it　is；　as　it　were；　ditched　about　with　such　valleys　on　all　sides；　and　to　such　a　depth；　that　the　eye　cannot　reach　their　bottoms；　and　such　as　are　not　easily　to　be　passed　over；　and　even　such　as　it　is　impossible　to　fill　up　with　earth。　For　that　valley　which　cuts　it　on　the　west　extends　to　threescore　furlongs；　and　did　not　end　till　it　came　to　the　lake　Asphaltitis；　on　the　same　side　it　was　also　that　Macherus　had　the　tallest　top　of　its　hill　elevated　above　the　rest。　But　then　for　the　valleys　that　lay　on　the　north　and　south　sides；　although　they　be　not　so　large　as　that　a