the antiquities of the jews-1-第280章

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permitted　those　that　were　with　him　to　take　what　was　left　in　them
for　a　prey；　and　he　would　have　done　greater　things；　unless　care
had　been　taken　to　repress　him　immediately；　for　Gratus；　when　he
had　joined　himself　to　some　Roman　soldiers；　took　the　forces　he　had
with　him；　and　met　Simon；　and　after　a　great　and　a　long　fight；　no
small　part　of　those　that　came　from　Perea；　who　were　a　disordered
body　of　men；　and　fought　rather　in　a　bold　than　in　a　skillful
manner；　were　destroyed；　and　although　Simon　had　saved　himself　by
flying　away　through　a　certain　valley；　yet　Gratus　overtook　him；
and　cut　off　his　head。　The　royal　palace　also　at　Amathus；　by　the
river　Jordan；　was　burnt　down　by　a　party　of　men　that　were　got
together；　as　were　those　belonging　to　Simon。　And　thus　did　a　great
and　wild　fury　spread　itself　over　the　nation；　because　they　had　no
king　to　keep　the　multitude　in　good　order；　and　because　those
foreigners　who　came　to　reduce　the　seditious　to　sobriety　did；　on
the　contrary；　set　them　more　in　a　flame；　because　of　the　injuries
they　offered　them；　and　the　avaricious　management　of　their
affairs。

7。　But　because　Athronges；　a　person　neither　eminent　by　the　dignity
of　his　progenitors；　nor　for　any　great　wealth　he　was　possessed　of；
but　one　that　had　in　all　respects　been　a　shepherd　only；　and　was
not　known　by　any　body；　yet　because　he　was　a　tall　man；　and
excelled　others　in　the　strength　of　his　hands；　he　was　so　bold　as
to　set　up　for　king。　This　man　thought　it　so　sweet　a　thing　to　do
more　than　ordinary　injuries　to　others；　that　although　he　should　be
killed；　he　did　not　much　care　if　he　lost　his　life　in　so　great　a
design。　He　had　also　four　brethren；　who　were　tall　men　themselves；
and　were　believed　to　be　superior　to　others　in　the　strength　of
their　hands；　and　thereby　were　encouraged　to　aim　at　great　things；
and　thought　that　strength　of　theirs　would　support　them　in
retaining　the　kingdom。　Each　of　these　ruled　over　a　band　of　men　of
their　own；　for　those　that　got　together　to　them　were　very
numerous。　They　were　every　one　of　them　also　commanders；　but　when
they　came　to　fight；　they　were　subordinate　to　him；　and　fought　for
him；　while　he　put　a　diadem　about　his　head；　and　assembled　a
council　to　debate　about　what　things　should　be　done；　and　all
things　were　done　according　to　his　pleasure。　And　this　man　retained
his　power　a　great　while；　he　was　also　called　king；　and　had　nothing
to　hinder　him　from　doing　what　he　pleased。　He　also；　as　well　as　his
brethren；　slew　a　great　many　both　of　the　Romans　and　of　the　king's
forces；　an　managed　matters　with　the　like　hatred　to　each　of　them。
The　king's　forces　they　fell　upon；　because　of　the　licentious
conduct　they　had　been　allowed　under　Herod's　government；　and　they
fell　upon　the　Romans；　because　of　the　injuries　they　had　so　lately
received　from　them。　But　in　process　of　time　they　grew　more　cruel
to　all　sorts　of　men；　nor　could　any　one　escape　from　one　or　other
of　these　seditions；　since　they　slew　some　out　of　the　hopes　of
gain；　and　others　from　a　mere　custom　of　slaying　men。　They　once
attacked　a　company　of　Romans　at　Emmaus；　who　were　bringing　corn
and　weapons　to　the　army；　and　fell　upon　Arius；　the　centurion；　who
commanded　the　company；　and　shot　forty　of　the　best　of　his　foot
soldiers；　but　the　rest　of　them　were　aftrighted　at　their
slaughter；　and　left　their　dead　behind　them；　but　saved　themselves
by　the　means　of　Gratus；　who　came　with　the　king's　troops　that　were
about　him　to　their　assistance。　Now　these　four　brethren　continued
the　war　a　long　while　by　such　sort　of　expeditions；　and　much
grieved　the　Romans；　but　did　their　own　nation　also　a　great　deal　of
mischief。　Yet　were　they　afterwards　subdued；　one　of　them　in　a
fight　with　Gratus；　another　with　Ptolemy；　Archelaus　also　took　the
eldest　of　them　prisoner；　while　the　last　of　them　was　so　dejected
at　the　other's　misfortune；　and　saw　so　plainly　that　he　had　no　way
now　left　to　save　himself；　his　army　being　worn　away　with　sickness
and　continual　labors；　that　he　also　delivered　himself　up　to
Archclaus；　upon　his　promise　and　oath　to　God　＇to　preserve　his
life。＇　But　these　things　came　to　pass　a　good　while　afterward。

8。　And　now　Judea　was　full　of　robberies；　and　as　the　several
companies　of　the　seditious　lighted　upon　any　one　to　head　them；　he
was　created　a　king　immediately；　in　order　to　do　mischief　to　the
public。　They　were　in　some　small　measure　indeed；　and　in　small
matters；　hurtful　to　the　Romans；　but　the　murders　they　committed
upon　their　own　people　lasted　a　long　while。

9。　As　soon　as　Varus　was　once　informed　of　the　state　of　Judea　by
Sabinus's　writing　to　him；　he　was　afraid　for　the　legion　he　had
left　there；　so　he　took　the　two　other　legions；　（for　there　were
three　legions　in　all　belonging　to　Syria；）　and　four　troops　of
horsemen；　with　the　several　auxiliary　forces　which　either　the
kings　or　certain　of　the　tetrarchs　afforded　him；　and　made　what
haste　he　could　to　assist　those　that　were　then　besieged　in　Judea。
He　also　gave　order　that　all　that　were　sent　out　for　this
expedition；　should　make　haste　to　Ptolemais。　The　citizens　of
Berytus　also　gave　him　fifteen　hundred　auxiliaries　as　he　passed
through　their　city。　Aretas　also；　the　king　of　Arabia　Petrea；　out
of　his　hatred　to　Herod；　and　in　order　to　purchase　the　favor　of　the
Romans；　sent　him　no　small　assistance；　besides　their　footmen　and
horsemen；　and　when　he　had　now　collected　all　his　forces　together；
he　committed　part　of　them　to　his　son；　and　to　a　friend　of　his；　and
sent　them　upon　an　expedition　into　Galilee；　which　lies　in　the
neighborhood　of　Ptolemais；　who　made　an　attack　upon　the　enemy；　and
put　them　to　flight；　and　took　Sepphoris；　and　made　its　inhabitants
slaves；　and　burnt　the　city。　But　Varus　himself　pursued　his　march
for　Samaria　with　his　whole　army；　yet　did　not　he　meddle　with　the
city　of　that　name；　because　it　had　not　at　all　joined　with　the
seditious；　but　pitched　his　camp　at　a　certain　village　that
belonged　to　Ptolemy；　whose　name　was　Arus；　which　the　Arabians
burnt；　out　of　their　hatred　to　Herod；　and　out　of　the　enmity　they
bore　to　his　friends；　whence　they　marched　to　another　village；
whose　name　was　Sampho；　which　the　Arabians　plundered　and　burnt；
although　it　was　a　fortified　and　a　strong　place；　and　all　along
this　march　nothing　escaped　them；　but　all　places　were　full　of　fire
and　of　slaughter。　Emmaus　was　also　burnt　by　Varus's　order；　after
its　inhabitants　had　deserted　it；　that　he　might　avenge　those　that
had　there　been　destroyed。　From　thence　he　now　marched　to
Jerusalem；　whereupon　those　Jews　whose　camp　lay　there；　and　who　had
besieged　the　Roman　legion；　not　bearing　the　coming　of　this　army；
left　the　siege　imperfect：　but　as　to　the　Jerusalem　Jews；　when
Varus　reproached　them　bitterly　for　what　had　been　done；　they
cleared　themselves　of　the　accusation；　and　alleged　that　the
conflux　of　the　people　was　occasioned　by　the　feast；　that　the　war
was　not　made　with　their　approbation；　but　by　the　rashness　of　the
strangers；　while　they　were　on　the　side　of　the　Romans；　and
besieged　together　with　them；　rather　than　having　any　inclination
to　besiege　them。　There　also　came　beforehand　to　meet　Varus；
Joseph；　the　cousin…german　of　king　Herod；　as　also　Gratus　and
Rufus；　who　brought　their　soldiers　along　with　them；　together　with
those　Romans　who　had　been　besieged；　but　Sabinus　did　not　come　into
Varus's　presence；　but　stole　out　of　the　city　privately；　and　went
to　the　sea…side。

10。　Upon　this；　Varus　sent　a　part　of　his　army　into　the　country；　to
seek　out　those　that　had　been　the　authors　of　the　revolt；　and　when
they　were　discovered；　he　punished　some　of　them　that　were　most
guilty；　and　some　he　dismissed：　now　the　number　of　those　that　were
crucified　on　this　account　were　two　thousand。　After　which　he
disbanded　his　army；　which　he　found　no　way　useful　to　him　in　the
affairs　he　came　about；　for　they　behaved　themselves　very
disorderly；　and　disobeyed　his　orders；　and　what　Varus　desired　them
to　do；　and　this　out　of　regard　to　that　gain　which　they　made　by　the
mischief　they　did。　As　for　himself；　when　he　was　informed　that　ten
thousand　Jews　had　gotten　together；　he　made　haste　to　catch　them；
but　they　did　not　proceed　so　far　as　to　fight　him；　but；　by　the
advice　of　Achiabus；　they　came　together；　and　delivered　themselves
up　to　him：　hereupon　Varus　forgave　the　crime　of　revolting　to　the
multitude；　but　sent　their　severa