the antiquities of the jews-1-第295章

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could；　and　took　with　him　two　legions　of　the　Roman　army；　and　came
to　Ptolemais；　and　there　wintered；　as　intending　to　set　about　the
war　in　the　spring。　He　also　wrote　word　to　Caius　what　he　had
resolved　to　do；　who　commended　him　for　his　alacrity；　and　ordered
him　to　go　on；　and　to　make　war　with　them；　in　case　they　would　not
obey　his　commands。　But　there　came　many　ten　thousands　of　the　Jews
to　Petronius；　to　Ptolemais；　to　offer　their　petitions　to　him；　that
he　would　not　compel　them　to　transgress　and　violate　the　law　of
their　forefathers；　〃but　if；〃　said　they；　〃thou　art　entirely
resolved　to　bring　this　statue；　and　erect　it；　do　thou　first　kill
us；　and　then　do　what　thou　hast　resolved　on；　for　while　we　are
alive　we　cannot　permit　such　things　as　are　forbidden　us　to　be　done
by　the　authority　of　our　legislator；　and　by　our　forefathers'
determination　that　such　prohibitions　are　instances　of　virtue。〃
But　Petronius　was　angry　at　them；　and　said；　〃If　indeed　I　were
myself　emperor；　and　were　at　liberty　to　follow　my　own　inclination；
and　then　had　designed　to　act　thus；　these　your　words　would　be
justly　spoken　to　me；　but　now　Caesar　hath　sent　to　me；　I　am　under
the　necessity　of　being　subservient　to　his　decrees；　because　a
disobedience　to　them　will　bring　upon　me　inevitable　destruction。〃
Then　the　Jews　replied；　〃Since；　therefore；　thou　art　so　disposed；　O
Petronius！　that　thou　wilt　not　disobey　Caius's　epistles；　neither
will　we　transgress　the　commands　of　our　law；　and　as　we　depend　upon
the　excellency　of　our　laws；　and；　by　the　labors　of　our　ancestors；
have　continued　hitherto　without　suffering　them　to　be
transgressed；　we　dare　not　by　any　means　suffer　ourselves　to　be　so
timorous　as　to　transgress　those　laws　out　of　the　fear　of　death；
which　God　hath　determined　are　for　our　advantage；　and　if　we　fall
into　misfortunes；　we　will　bear　them；　in　order　to　preserve　our
laws；　as　knowing　that　those　who　expose　themselves　to　dangers　have
good　hope　of　escaping　them；　because　God　will　stand　on　our　side；
when；　out　of　regard　to　him；　we　undergo　afflictions；　and　sustain
the　uncertain　turns　of　fortune。　But　if　we　should　submit　to　thee；
we　should　be　greatly　reproached　for　our　cowardice；　as　thereby
showing　ourselves　ready　to　transgress　our　law；　and　we　should
incur　the　great　anger　of　God　also；　who；　even　thyself　being　judge；
is　superior　to　Caius。〃

3。　When　Petronius　saw　by　their　words　that　their　determination　was
hard　to　be　removed；　and　that；　without　a　war；　he　should　not　be
able　to　be　subservient　to　Caius　in　the　dedication　of　his　statue；
and　that　there　must　be　a　great　deal　of　bloodshed；　he　took　his
friends；　and　the　servants　that　were　about　him；　and　hasted　to
Tiberias；　as　wanting　to　know　in　what　posture　the　affairs　of　the
Jews　were；　and　many　ten　thousands　of　the　Jews　met　Petronius
again；　when　he　was　come　to　Tiberias。　These　thought　they　must　run
a　mighty　hazard　if　they　should　have　a　war　with　the　Romans；　but
judged　that　the　transgression　of　the　law　was　of　much　greater
consequence；　and　made　supplication　to　him；　that　he　would　by　no
means　reduce　them　to　such　distresses；　nor　defile　their　city　with
the　dedication　of　the　statue。　Then　Petronius　said　to　them；　〃Will
you　then　make　war　with　Caesar；　without　considering　his　great
preparations　for　war；　and　your　own　weakness？〃　They　replied；　〃We
will　not　by　any　means　make　war　with　him；　but　still　we　will　die
before　we　see　our　laws　transgressed。〃　So　they　threw　themselves
down　upon　their　faces；　and　stretched　out　their　throats；　and　said
they　were　ready　to　be　slain；　and　this　they　did　for　forty　days
together；　and　in　the　mean　time　left　off　the　tilling　of　their
ground；　and　that　while　the　season　of　the　year　required　them　to
sow　it。　（31）　Thus　they　continued　firm　in　their　resolution；　and
proposed　to　themselves　to　die　willingly；　rather　than　to　see　the
dedication　of　the　statue。

4。　When　matters　were　in　this　state；　Aristobulus；　king　Agrippa's
brother；　and　Heleias　the　Great；　and　the　other　principal　men　of
that　family　with　them；　went　in　unto　Petronius；　and　besought　him；
that　since　he　saw　the　resolution　of　the　multitude；　he　would　not
make　any　alteration；　and　thereby　drive　them　to　despair；　but　would
write　to　Caius；　that　the　Jews　had　an　insuperable　aversion　to　the
reception　of　the　statue；　and　how　they　continued　with　him；　and
left　of　the　tillage　off　their　ground：　that　they　were　not　willing
to　go　to　war　with　him；　because　they　were　not　able　to　do　it；　but
were　ready　to　die　with　pleasure；　rather　than　suffer　their　laws　to
be　transgressed：　and　how；　upon　the　land's　continuing　unsown；
robberies　would　grow　up；　on　the　inability　they　would　be　under　of
paying　their　tributes；　and　that　Caius　might　be　thereby　moved　to
pity；　and　not　order　any　barbarous　action　to　be　done　to　them；　nor
think　of　destroying　the　nation：　that　if　he　continues　inflexible
in　his　former　opinion　to　bring　a　war　upon　them；　he　may　then　set
about　it　himself。　And　thus　did　Aristobulus；　and　the　rest　with
him；　supplicate　Petronius。　So　Petronius；　（32）　partly　on　account
of　the　pressing　instances　which　Aristobulus　and　the　rest　with　him
made；　and　because　of　the　great　consequence　of　what　they　desired；
and　the　earnestness　wherewith　they　made　their　supplication；　…
partly　on　account　of　the　firmness　of　the　opposition　made　by　the
Jews；　which　he　saw；　while　he　thought　it　a　terrible　thing　for　him
to　be　such　a　slave　to　the　madness　of　Caius；　as　to　slay　so　many
ten　thousand　men；　only　because　of　their　religious　disposition
towards　God；　and　after　that　to　pass　his　life　in　expectation　of
punishment；　Petronius；　I　say；　thought　it　much　better　to　send　to
Caius；　and　to　let　him　know　how　intolerable　it　was　to　him　to　bear
the　anger　he　might　have　against　him　for　not　serving　him　sooner；
in　obedience　to　his　epistle；　for　that　perhaps　he　might　persuade
him；　and　that　if　this　mad　resolution　continued；　he　might　then
begin　the　war　against　them；　nay；　that　in　case　he　should　turn　his
hatred　against　himself；　it　was　fit　for　virtuous　persons　even　to
die　for　the　sake　of　such　vast　multitudes　of　men。　Accordingly；　he
determined　to　hearken　to　the　petitioners　in　this　matter。

5。　He　then　called　the　Jews　together　to　Tiberias；　who　came　many
ten　thousands　in　number；　he　also　placed　that　army　he　now　had　with
him　opposite　to　them；　but　did　not　discover　his　own　meaning；　but
the　commands　of　the　emperor；　and　told　them　that　his　wrath　would；
without　delay；　be　executed　on　such　as　had　the　courage　to　disobey
what　he　had　commanded；　and　this　immediately；　and　that　it　was　fit
for　him；　who　had　obtained　so　great　a　dignity　by　his　grant；　not　to
contradict　him　in　any　thing：　…　〃yet；〃　said　he；　〃I　do　not　think　it
just　to　have　such　a　regard　to　my　own　safety　and　honor；　as　to
refuse　to　sacrifice　them　for　your　preservation；　who　are　so　many
in　number；　and　endeavor　to　preserve　the　regard　that　is　due　to
your　law；　which　as　it　hath　come　down　to　you　from　your
forefathers；　so　do　you　esteem　it　worthy　of　your　utmost　contention
to　preserve　it：　nor；　with　the　supreme　assistance　and　power　of
God；　will　I　be　so　hardy　as　to　suffer　your　temple　to　fall　into
contempt　by　the　means　of　the　imperial　authority。　I　will；
therefore；　send　to　Caius；　and　let　him　know　what　your　resolutions
are；　and　will　assist　your　suit　as　far　as　I　am　able；　that　you　may
not　be　exposed　to　suffer　on　account　of　the　honest　designs　you
have　proposed　to　yourselves；　and　may　God　be　your　assistant；　for
his　authority　is　beyond　all　the　contrivance　and　power　of　men；　and
may　he　procure　you　the　preservation　of　your　ancient　laws；　and　may
not　he　be　deprived；　though　without　your　consent；　of　his
accustomed　honors。　But　if　Caius　be　irritated；　and　turn　the
violence　of　his　rage　upon　me；　I　will　rather　undergo　all　that
danger　and　that　affliction　that　may　come　either　on　my　body　or　my
soul；　than　see　so　many　of　you　to　perish；　while　you　are　acting　in
so　excellent　a　manner。　Do　you；　therefore；　every　one　of　you；　go
your　way　about　your　own　occupations；　and　fall　to　the　cultivation
of　your　ground；　I　will　myself　send　to　Rome；　and　will　not　refuse
to　serve　you　in　all　things；　both　by　myself　and　by　my　friends。〃

6。　When　Petronius　had　said　this；　and　had　dismissed　rite　assembly
of　the　Jews；　he　desired　the　principal　of　them　to　take　care　of
their　husbandry；　and　to　speak　kindly　to　the　people；　and　encour