the wars of the jews-第14节

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　of　water；　and　so　he　was　under　no　necessity　of　running　away。　After　which；　therefore；　they　made　an　irruption　upon　Antigonus's　party；　and　slew　a　great　many　of　them；　some　in　open　battles；　and　some　in　private　ambush；　nor　had　they　always　success　in　their　attempts；　for　sometimes　they　were　beaten；　and　ran　away。

2。　In　the　mean　time　Ventidius；　the　Roman　general；　was　sent　out　of　Syria；　to　restrain　the　incursions　of　the　Parthians；　and　after　he　had　done　that；　he　came　into　Judea；　in　pretense　indeed　to　assist　Joseph　and　his　party；　but　in　reality　to　get　money　of　Antigonus；；　and　when　he　had　pitched　his　camp　very　near　to　Jerusalem；　as　soon　as　he　had　got　money　enough；　he　went　away　with　the　greatest　part　of　his　forces；　yet　still　did　he　leave　Silo　with　some　part　of　them；　lest　if　he　had　taken　them　all　away；　his　taking　of　bribes　might　have　been　too　openly　discovered。　Now　Antigonus　hoped　that　the　Parthians　would　come　again　to　his　assistance；　and　therefore　cultivated　a　good　understanding　with　Silo　in　the　mean　time；　lest　any　interruption　should　be　given　to　his　hopes。

3。　Now　by　this　time　Herod　had　sailed　out　of　Italy；　and　was　come　to　Ptolemais；　and　as　soon　as　he　had　gotten　together　no　small　army　of　foreigners；　and　of　his　own　countrymen；　he　marched　through　Galilee　against　Antigonus；　wherein　he　was　assisted　by　Ventidius　and　Silo；　both　whom　Dellius；　（22）　a　person　sent　by　Antony；　persuaded　to　bring　Herod　＇into　his　kingdom＇。　Now　Ventidius　was　at　this　time　among　the　cities；　and　composing　the　disturbances　which　had　happened　by　means　of　the　Parthians；　as　was　Silo　in　Judea　corrupted　by　the　bribes　that　Antigonus　had　given　him；　yet　was　not　Herod　himself　destitute　of　power；　but　the　number　of　his　forces　increased　every　day　as　he　went　along；　and　all　Galilee；　with　few　exceptions；　joined　themselves　to　him。　So　he　proposed　to　himself　to　set　about　his　most　necessary　enterprise；　and　that　was　Masada；　in　order　to　deliver　his　relations　from　the　siege　they　endured。　But　still　Joppa　stood　in　his　way；　and　hindered　his　going　thither；　for　it　was　necessary　to　take　that　city　first；　which　was　in　the　enemies'　hands；　that　when　he　should　go　to　Jerusalem；　no　fortress　might　be　left　in　the　enemies'　power　behind　him。　Silo　also　willingly　joined　him；　as　having　now　a　plausible　occasion　of　drawing　off　his　forces　＇from　Jerusalem＇；　and　when　the　Jews　pursued　him；　and　pressed　upon　him；　＇in　his　retreat；＇　Herod　made　all　excursion　upon　them　with　a　small　body　of　his　men；　and　soon　put　them　to　flight；　and　saved　Silo　when　he　was　in　distress。　　4。　After　this　Herod　took　Joppa；　and　then　made　haste　to　Masada　to　free　his　relations。　Now；　as　he　was　marching；　many　came　in　to　him；　induced　by　their　friendship　to　his　father；　some　by　the　reputation　he　had　already　gained　himself；　and　some　in　order　to　repay　the　benefits　they　had　received　from　them　both；　but　still　what　engaged　the　greatest　number　on　his　side；　was　the　hopes　from　him　when　he　should　be　established　in　his　kingdom；　so　that　he　had　gotten　together　already　an　army　hard　to　be　conquered。　But　Antigonus　laid　an　ambush　for　him　as　he　marched　out；　in　which　he　did　little　or　no　harm　to　his　enemies。　However；　he　easily　recovered　his　relations　again　that　were　in　Masada；　as　well　as　the　fortress　Ressa；　and　then　marched　to　Jerusalem；　where　the　soldiers　that　were　with　Silo　joined　themselves　to　his　own；　as　did　many　out　of　the　city；　from　a　dread　of　his　power。

5。　Now　when　he　had　pitched　his　camp　on　the　west　side　of　the　city；　the　guards　that　were　there　shot　their　arrows　and　threw　their　darts　at　them；　while　others　ran　out　in　companies；　and　attacked　those　in　the　forefront；　but　Herod　commanded　proclamation　to　be　made　at　the　wall；　that　he　was　come　for　the　good　of　the　people　and　the　preservation　of　the　city；　without　any　design　to　be　revenged　on　his　open　enemies；　but　to　grant　oblivion　to　them；　though　they　had　been　the　most　obstinate　against　him。　Now　the　soldiers　that　were　for　Antigonus　made　a　contrary　clamor；　and　did　neither　permit　any　body　to　hear　that　proclamation；　nor　to　change　their　party；　so　Antigonus　gave　order　to　his　forces　to　beat　the　enemy　from　the　walls；　accordingly；　they　soon　threw　their　darts　at　them　from　the　towers；　and　put　them　to　flight。

6。　And　here　it　was　that　Silo　discovered　he　had　taken　bribes；　for　he　set　many　of　the　soldiers　to　clamor　about　their　want　of　necessaries；　and　to　require　their　pay；　in　order　to　buy　themselves　food；　and　to　demand　that　he　would　lead　them　into　places　convenient　for　their　winter　quarters；　because　all　the　parts　about　the　city　were　laid　waste　by　the　means　of　Antigonus's　army；　which　had　taken　all　things　away。　By　this　he　moved　the　army；　and　attempted　to　get　them　off　the　siege；　but　Herod　went　to　the　captains　that　were　under　Silo；　and　to　a　great　many　of　the　soldiers；　and　begged　of　them　not　to　leave　him；　who　was　sent　thither　by　Caesar；　and　Antony；　and　the　senate；　for　that　he　would　take　care　to　have　their　wants　supplied　that　very　day。　After　the　making　of　which　entreaty；　he　went　hastily　into　the　country；　and　brought　thither　so　great　an　abundance　of　necessaries；　that　he　cut　off　all　Silo's　pretenses；　and　in　order　to　provide　that　for　the　following　days　they　should　not　want　supplies；　he　sent　to　the　people　that　were　about　Samaria　（which　city　had　joined　itself　to　him）　to　bring　corn；　and　wine；　and　oil；　and　cattle　to　Jericho。　When　Antigonus　heard　of　this；　be　sent　some　of　his　party　with　orders　to　hinder；　and　lay　ambushes　for　these　collectors　of　corn。　This　command　was　obeyed；　and　a　great　multitude　of　armed　men　were　gathered　together　about　Jericho；　and　lay　upon　the　mountains；　to　watch　those　that　brought　the　provisions。　Yet　was　Herod　not　idle；　but　took　with　him　ten　cohorts；　five　of　them　were　Romans；　and　five　were　Jewish　cohorts；　together　with　some　mercenary　troops　intermixed　among　them；　and　besides　those　a　few　horsemen；　and　came　to　Jericho；　and　when　he　came；　he　found　the　city　deserted；　but　that　there　were　five　hundred　men；　with　their　wives　and　children；　who　had　taken　possession　of　the　tops　of　the　mountains；　these　he　took；　and　dismissed　them；　while　the　Romans　fell　upon　the　rest　of　the　city；　and　plundered　it；　having　found　the　houses　full　of　all　sorts　of　good　things。　So　the　king　left　a　garrison　at　Jericho；　and　came　back；　and　sent　the　Roman　army　into　those　cities　which　were　come　over　to　him；　to　take　their　winter　quarters　there；　viz。　into　Judea；　＇or　Idumea；＇　and　Galilee；　and　Samaria。　Antigonus　also　by　bribes　obtained　of　Silo　to　let　a　part　of　his　army　be　received　at　Lydda；　as　a　compliment　to　Antonius。

CHAPTER　16。

Herod　Takes　Sepphoris　And　Subdues　The　Robbers　That　Were　In　The　Caves　；　He　After　That　Avenges　Himself　Upon　Macheras；　As　Upon　An　Enemy　Of　His　And　Goes　To　Antony　As　He　Was　Besieging　Samosata。　　1。　So　the　Romans　lived　in　plenty　of　all　things；　and　rested　from　war。　However；　Herod　did　not　lie　at　rest；　but　seized　upon　Idumea；　and　kept　it；　with　two　thousand　footmen；　and　four　hundred　horsemen；　and　this　he　did　by　sending　his　brother　Joseph　thither；　that　no　innovation　might　be　made　by　Antigonus。　He　also　removed　his　mother；　and　all　his　relations；　who　had　been　in　Masada；　to　Samaria；　and　when　he　had　settled　them　securely；　he　marched　to　take　the　remaining　parts　of　Galilee；　and　to　drive　away　the　garrisons　placed　there　by　Antigonus。

2。　But　when　Herod　had　reached　Sepphoris；　（23）　in　a　very　great　snow；　he　took　the　city　without　any　difficulty；　the　guards　that　should　have　kept　it　flying　away　before　it　was　assaulted；　where　he　gave　an　opportunity　to　his　followers　that　had　been　in　distress　to　refresh　themselves；　there　being　in　that　city　a　great　abundance　of　necessaries。　After　which　he　hasted　away　to　the　robbers　that　were　in　the　caves；　who　overran　a　great　part　of　the　country；　and　did　as　great　mischief　to　its　inhabitants　as　a　war　itself　could　have　done。　Accordingly；　he　sent　beforehand　three　cohorts　of　footmen；　and　one　troop　of　horsemen；　to　the　village　Arbela；　and　came　himself　forty　days　afterwards　（24）　with　the　rest　of　his　forces　Yet　were　not　the　enemy　aftrighted　at　his　assault　but　met　him　in　arms；　for　their　skill　was　that　of　warriors；　but　their　boldness　was　the　boldness　of　robbers：　when　therefore　it　came　to　a　pitched　battle；　they　put　to　flight　Herod's　left　wing　with　their　right　one；　but　Herod；　wheeling　about　on　the　sudden　from　his　own　right　wing；　came　to　their　assistance；　and　both　made　his　own　left　wing　return　back　from　its　flight；　and　fell　upon　the　pursuers；　and　cooled　their　courage；　till　they　could　not　bear　the　attempts　that　were　made　directly　upon　them；　and　so　turned　back　and　ran　away。　　3。　But　Herod　followed　them；　and　slew　them　as　he　followed　them；　and　destroyed　a　great　part　of　them；　till　those　that　remained　were　scattered　beyond　the　river　＇Jordan；＇　and　Galilee　was　freed　from　the　terrors　they　had　been　under；　excepting　from　those　that　remained；　and　lay　concealed　in　caves；　which　required　longer　time　ere　they　could　be　conquered。　In　order　to　which　Herod；　in　the　first　place；　distributed　the　fruits　of　their　former　labors　to　the　soldiers；　and　gave　every　one　of　them　a　hundred　and　fifty　drachmae　of　silver；　and　a　great　deal　more　to　their　commanders；　and　sent　them　into　their　winter　quarters。　He　also　sent　to　his　youngest　brother　Pheroas；　to　take　care　of　a　good　market　for　them；　where　they　might　buy　themselves　provisions；　and　to　build　a　wall　about　Alexandrium；　who　took　care　of　both　those　injun