the wars of the jews-第45节

按键盘上方向键 ← 或 → 可快速上下翻页，按键盘上的 Enter 键可回到本书目录页，按键盘上方向键 ↑ 可回到本页顶部！
————未阅读完？加入书签已便下次继续阅读！


rucified。　Accordingly；　the　whole　number　of　those　that　were　destroyed　that　day；　with　their　wives　and　children；　（for　they　did　not　spare　even　the　infants　themselves；）　was　about　three　thousand　and　six　hundred。　And　what　made　this　calamity　the　heavier　was　this　new　method　of　Roman　barbarity；　for　Florus　ventured　then　to　do　what　no　one　had　done　before；　that　is；　to　have　men　of　the　equestrian　order　whipped　（21）　and　nailed　to　the　cross　before　his　tribunal；　who；　although　they　were　by　birth　Jews；　yet　were　they　of　Roman　dignity　notwithstanding。

CHAPTER　15。

Concerning　Bernice's　Petition　To　Florus；　To　Spare　The　Jews；　But　In　Vain；　As　Also　How；　After　The　Seditious　Flame　Was　Quenched；　It　Was　Kindled　Again　By　Florus。

1。　About　this　very　time　king　Agrippa　was　going　to　Alexandria；　to　congratulate　Alexander　upon　his　having　obtained　the　government　of　Egypt　from　Nero；　but　as　his　sister　Bernice　was　come　to　Jerusalem；　and　saw　the　wicked　practices　of　the　soldiers；　she　was　sorely　affected　at　it；　and　frequently　sent　the　masters　of　her　horse　and　her　guards　to　Florus；　and　begged　of　him　to　leave　off　these　slaughters；　but　he　would　not　comply　with　her　request；　nor　have　any　regard　either　to　the　multitude　of　those　already　slain；　or　to　the　nobility　of　her　that　interceded；　but　only　to　the　advantage　he　should　make　by　this　plundering；　nay；　this　violence　of　the　soldiers　brake　out　to　such　a　degree　of　madness；　that　it　spent　itself　on　the　queen　herself；　for　they　did　not　only　torment　and　destroy　those　whom　they　had　caught　under　her　very　eyes；　but　indeed　had　killed　herself　also；　unless　she　had　prevented　them　by　flying　to　the　palace；　and　had　staid　there　all　night　with　her　guards；　which　she　had　about　her　for　fear　of　an　insult　from　the　soldiers。　Now　she　dwelt　then　at　Jerusalem；　in　order　to　perform　a　vow　（22）　which　she　had　made　to　God；　for　it　is　usual　with　those　that　had　been　either　afflicted　with　a　distemper；　or　with　any　other　distresses；　to　make　vows；　and　for　thirty　days　before　they　are　to　offer　their　sacrifices；　to　abstain　from　wine；　and　to　shave　the　hair　of　their　head。　Which　things　Bernice　was　now　performing；　and　stood　barefoot　before　Florus's　tribunal；　and　besought　him　＇to　spare　the　Jews＇。　Yet　could　she　neither　have　any　reverence　paid　to　her；　nor　could　she　escape　without　some　danger　of　being　slain　herself。

2。　This　happened　upon　the　sixteenth　day　of　the　month　Artemisius　＇Jyar＇。　Now；　on　the　next　day；　the　multitude；　who　were　in　a　great　agony；　ran　together　to　the　Upper　Market…place；　and　made　the　loudest　lamentations　for　those　that　had　perished；　and　the　greatest　part　of　the　cries　were　such　as　reflected　on　Florus；　at　which　the　men　of　power　were　aftrighted；　together　with　the　high　priests；　and　rent　their　garments；　and　fell　down　before　each　of　them；　and　besought　them　to　leave　off；　and　not　to　provoke　Florus　to　some　incurable　procedure；　besides　what　they　had　already　suffered。　Accordingly；　the　multitude　complied　immediately；　out　of　reverence　to　those　that　had　desired　it　of　them；　and　out　of　the　hope　they　had　that　Florus　would　do　them　no　more　injuries。

3。　So　Florus　was　troubled　that　the　disturbances　were　over；　and　endeavored　to　kindle　that　flame　again；　and　sent　for　the　high　priests；　with　the　other　eminent　persons；　and　said　the　only　demonstration　that　the　people　would　not　make　any　other　innovations　should　be　this；　that　they　must　go　out　and　meet　the　soldiers　that　were　ascending　from　Cesarea；　whence　two　cohorts　were　coming；　and　while　these　men　were　exhorting　the　multitude　so　to　do；　he　sent　beforehand；　and　gave　directions　to　the　centurions　of　the　cohorts；　that　they　should　give　notice　to　those　that　were　under　them　not　to　return　the　Jews'　salutations；　and　that　if　they　made　any　reply　to　his　disadvantage；　they　should　make　use　of　their　weapons。　Now　the　high　priests　assembled　the　multitude　in　the　temple；　and　desired　them　to　go　and　meet　the　Romans；　and　to　salute　the　cohorts　very　civilly；　before　their　miserable　case　should　become　incurable。　Now　the　seditious　part　would　not　comply　with　these　persuasions；　but　the　consideration　of　those　that　had　been　destroyed　made　them　incline　to　those　that　were　the　boldest　for　action。

4。　At　this　time　it　was　that　every　priest；　and　every　servant　of　God；　brought　out　the　holy　vessels；　and　the　ornamental　garments　wherein　they　used　to　minister　in　sacred　things。　The　harpers　also；　and　the　singers　of　hymns；　came　out　with　their　instruments　of　music；　and　fell　down　before　the　multitude；　and　begged　of　them　that　they　would　preserve　those　holy　ornaments　to　them；　and　not　provoke　the　Romans　to　carry　off　those　sacred　treasures。　You　might　also　see　then　the　high　priests　themselves；　with　dust　sprinkled　in　great　plenty　upon　their　heads；　with　bosoms　deprived　of　any　covering　but　what　was　rent；　these　besought　every　one　of　the　eminent　men　by　name；　and　the　multitude　in　common；　that　they　would　not　for　a　small　offense　betray　their　country　to　those　that　were　desirous　to　have　it　laid　waste；　saying；　〃What　benefit　will　it　bring　to　the　soldiers　to　have　a　salutation　from　the　Jews？　or　what　amendment　of　your　affairs　will　it　bring　you；　if　you　do　not　now　go　out　to　meet　them？　and　that　if　they　saluted　them　civilly；　all　handle　would　be　cut　off　from　Florus　to　begin　a　war；　that　they　should　thereby　gain　their　country；　and　freedom　from　all　further　sufferings；　and　that；　besides；　it　would　be　a　sign　of　great　want　of　command　of　themselves；　if　they　should　yield　to　a　few　seditious　persons；　while　it　was　fitter　for　them　who　were　so　great　a　people　to　force　the　others　to　act　soberly。〃

5。　By　these　persuasions；　which　they　used　to　the　multitude　and　to　the　seditious；　they　restrained　some　by　threatenings；　and　others　by　the　reverence　that　was　paid　them。　After　this　they　led　them　out；　and　they　met　the　soldiers　quietly；　and　after　a　composed　manner；　and　when　they　were　come　up　with　them；　they　saluted　them；　but　when　they　made　no　answer；　the　seditious　exclaimed　against　Florus；　which　was　the　signal　given　for　falling　upon　them。　The　soldiers　therefore　encompassed　them　presently；　and　struck　them　with　their　clubs；　and　as　they　fled　away；　the　horsemen　trampled　them　down；　so　that　a　great　many　fell　down　dead　by　the　strokes　of　the　Romans；　and　more　by　their　own　violence　in　crushing　one　another。　Now　there　was　a　terrible　crowding　about　the　gates；　and　while　every　body　was　making　haste　to　get　before　another；　the　flight　of　them　all　was　retarded；　and　a　terrible　destruction　there　was　among　those　that　fell　down；　for　they　were　suffocated；　an　broken　to　pieces　by　the　multitude　of　those　that　were　uppermost；　nor　could　any　of　them　be　distinguished　by　his　relations　in　order　to　the　care　of　his　funeral；　the　soldiers　also　who　beat　them；　fell　upon　those　whom　they　overtook；　without　showing　them　any　mercy；　and　thrust　the　multitude　through　the　place　called　Bezetha；　（23）　as　they　forced　their　way；　in　order　to　get　in　and　seize　upon　the　temple；　and　the　tower　Antonia。　Florus　also　being　desirous　to　get　those　places　into　his　possession；　brought　such　as　were　with　him　out　of　the　king's　palace；　and　would　have　compelled　them　to　get　as　far　as　the　citadel　＇Antonia；＇　but　his　attempt　failed；　for　the　people　immediately　turned　back　upon　him；　and　stopped　the　violence　of　his　attempt；　and　as　they　stood　upon　the　tops　of　their　houses；　they　threw　their　darts　at　the　Romans；　who；　as　they　were　sorely　galled　thereby；　because　those　weapons　came　from　above；　and　they　were　not　able　to　make　a　passage　through　the　multitude；　which　stopped　up　the　narrow　passages；　they　retired　to　the　camp　which　was　at　the　palace。

6。　But　for　the　seditious；　they　were　afraid　lest　Florus　should　come　again；　and　get　possession　of　the　temple；　through　Antonia；　so　they　got　immediately　upon　those　cloisters　of　the　temple　that　joined　to　Antonia；　and　cut　them　down。　This　cooled　the　avarice　of　Florus；　for　whereas　he　was　eager　to　obtain　the　treasures　of　God　＇in　the　temple＇；　and　on　that　account　was　desirous　of　getting　into　Antonia；　as　soon　as　the　cloisters　were　broken　down；　he　left　off　his　attempt；　he　then　sent　for　the　high　priests　and　the　sanhedrim；　and　told　them　that　he　was　indeed　himself　going　out　of　the　city；　but　that　he　would　leave　them　as　large　a　garrison　as　they　should　desire。　Hereupon　they　promised　that　they　would　make　no　innovations；　in　case　he　would　leave　them　one　band；　but　not　that　which　had　fought　with　the　Jews；　because　the　multitude　bore　ill…will　against　that　band　on　account　of　what　they　had　suffered　from　it；　so　he　changed　the　band　as　they　desired；　and；　with　the　rest　of　his　forces；　returned　to　Cesarea。

CHAPTER　16。

Cestius　Sends　Neopolitanus　The　Tribune　To　See　In　What　Condition　The　Affairs　Of　The　Jews　Were。　Agrippa　Makes　A　Speech　To　The　People　Of　The　Jews　That　He　May　Divert　Them　From　Their　Intentions　Of　Making　War　With　The　Romans。

1。　However；　Florus　contrived　another　way　to　oblige　the　Jews　to　begin　the　war；　and　sent　to　Cestius；　and　accused　the　Jews　falsely　of　revolting　＇from　the　Roman　government＇；　and　imputed　the　beginning　of　the　former　fight　to　them；　and　pretended　they　had　been　the　authors　of　that　disturbance；　wherein　they　were　only　the　sufferers。　Yet　were　not　the　governors　of　Jerusalem　silent　upon　this　occasion；　but　did　themselves　write　to　Cestius；　as　did　Bernice　also；　about　the　illegal　practices　of　which　Florus　had　been　guilty　against　the　city；　who；　upon　reading　both　accounts；　consulted　with　his　capt