the wars of the jews-第47节

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　to　the　Romans；　and　those　injunctions　which　are　sent　from　Italy　become　laws　to　the　principal　governing　city　of　Greece。　Those　Lacedemonians　also　who　got　the　great　victories　at　Thermopylae。　and　Platea；　and　had　Agesilaus　＇for　their　king＇；　and　searched　every　corner　of　Asia；　are　contented　to　admit　the　same　lords。　Those　Macedonians　also；　who　still　fancy　what　great　men　their　Philip　and　Alexander　were；　and　see　that　the　latter　had　promised　them　the　empire　over　the　world；　these　bear　so　great　a　change；　and　pay　their　obedience　to　those　whom　fortune　hath　advanced　in　their　stead。　Moreover；　ten　thousand　ether　nations　there　are　who　had　greater　reason　than　we　to　claim　their　entire　liberty；　and　yet　do　submit。　You　are　the　only　people　who　think　it　a　disgrace　to　be　servants　to　those　to　whom　all　the　world　hath　submitted。　What　sort　of　an　army　do　you　rely　on？　What　are　the　arms　you　depend　on？　Where　is　your　fleet；　that　may　seize　upon　the　Roman　seas？　and　where　are　those　treasures　which　may　be　sufficient　for　your　undertakings？　Do　you　suppose；　I　pray　you；　that　you　are　to　make　war　with　the　Egyptians；　and　with　the　Arabians？　Will　you　not　carefully　reflect　upon　the　Roman　empire？　Will　you　not　estimate　your　own　weakness？　Hath　not　your　army　been　often　beaten　even　by　your　neighboring　nations；　while　the　power　of　the　Romans　is　invincible　in　all　parts　of　the　habitable　earth？　nay；　rather　they　seek　for　somewhat　still　beyond　that；　for　all　Euphrates　is　not　a　sufficient　boundary　for　them　on　the　east　side；　nor　the　Danube　on　the　north；　and　for　their　southern　limit；　Libya　hath　been　searched　over　by　them；　as　far　as　countries　uninhabited；　as　is　Cadiz　their　limit　on　the　west；　nay；　indeed；　they　have　sought　for　another　habitable　earth　beyond　the　ocean；　and　have　carried　their　arms　as　far　as　such　British　islands　as　were　never　known　before。　What　therefore　do　you　pretend　to？　Are　you　richer　than　the　Gauls；　stronger　than　the　Germans；　wiser　than　the　Greeks；　more　numerous　than　all　men　upon　the　habitable　earth？　What　confidence　is　it　that　elevates　you　to　oppose　the　Romans？　Perhaps　it　will　be　said；　It　is　hard　to　endure　slavery。　Yes；　but　how　much　harder　is　this　to　the　Greeks；　who　were　esteemed　the　noblest　of　all　people　under　the　sun！　These；　though　they　inhabit　in　a　large　country；　are　in　subjection　to　six　bundles　of　Roman　rods。　It　is　the　same　case　with　the　Macedonians；　who　have　juster　reason　to　claim　their　liberty　than　you　have。　What　is　the　case　of　five　hundred　cities　of　Asia？　Do　they　not　submit　to　a　single　governor；　and　to　the　consular　bundle　of　rods？　What　need　I　speak　of　the　Henlochi；　and　Colchi　and　the　nation　of　Tauri；　those　that　inhabit　the　Bosphorus；　and　the　nations　about　Pontus；　and　Meotis；　who　formerly　knew　not　so　much　as　a　lord　of　their　own；　but　arc　now　subject　to　three　thousand　armed　men；　and　where　forty　long　ships　keep　the　sea　in　peace；　which　before　was　not　navigable；　and　very　tempestuous？　How　strong　a　plea　may　Bithynia；　and　Cappadocia；　and　the　people　of　Pamphylia；　the　Lycians；　and　Cilicians；　put　in　for　liberty！　But　they　are　made　tributary　without　an　army。　What　are　the　circumstances　of　the　Thracians；　whose　country　extends　in　breadth　five　days'　journey；　and　in　length　seven；　and　is　of　a　much　more　harsh　constitution；　and　much　more　defensible；　than　yours；　and　by　the　rigor　of　its　cold　sufficient　to　keep　off　armies　from　attacking　them？　do　not　they　submit　to　two　thousand　men　of　the　Roman　garrisons？　Are　not　the　Illyrlans；　who　inhabit　the　country　adjoining；　as　far　as　Dalmatia　and　the　Danube；　governed　by　barely　two　legions？　by　which　also　they　put　a　stop　to　the　incursions　of　the　Daeians。　And　for　the　Dalmatians；　who　have　made　such　frequent　insurrections　in　order　to　regain　their　liberty；　and　who　could　never　before　be　so　thoroughly　subdued；　but　that　they　always　gathered　their　forces　together　again；　revolted；　yet　are　they　now　very　quiet　under　one　Roman　legion。　Moreover；　if　eat　advantages　might　provoke　any　people　to　revolt；　the　Gauls　might　do　it　best　of　all；　as　being　so　thoroughly　walled　round　by　nature；　on　the　east　side　by　the　Alps；　on　the　north　by　the　river　Rhine；　on　the　south　by　the　Pyrenean　mountains；　and　on　the　west　by　the　ocean。　Now　although　these　Gauls　have　such　obstacles　before　them　to　prevent　any　attack　upon　them；　and　have　no　fewer　than　three　hundred　and　five　nations　among　them；　nay　have；　as　one　may　say；　the　fountains　of　domestic　happiness　within　themselves；　and　send　out　plentiful　streams　of　happiness　over　almost　the　whole　world；　these　bear　to　be　tributary　to　the　Romans；　and　derive　their　prosperous　condition　from　them；　and　they　undergo　this；　not　because　they　are　of　effeminate　minds；　or　because　they　are　of　an　ignoble　stock；　as　having　borne　a　war　of　eighty　years　in　order　to　preserve　their　liberty；　but　by　reason　of　the　great　regard　they　have　to　the　power　of　the　Romans；　and　their　good　fortune；　which　is　of　greater　efficacy　than　their　arms。　These　Gauls；　therefore；　are　kept　in　servitude　by　twelve　hundred　soldiers；　which　are　hardly　so　many　as　are　their　cities；　nor　hath　the　gold　dug　out　of　the　mines　of　Spain　been　sufficient　for　the　support　of　a　war　to　preserve　their　liberty；　nor　could　their　vast　distance　from　the　Romans　by　land　and　by　sea　do　it；　nor　could　the　martial　tribes　of　the　Lusitanians　and　Spaniards　escape；　no　more　could　the　ocean；　with　its　tide；　which　yet　was　terrible　to　the　ancient　inhabitants。　Nay；　the　Romans　have　extended　their　arms　beyond　the　pillars　of　Hercules；　and　have　walked　among　the　clouds；　upon　the　Pyrenean　mountains；　and　have　subdued　these　nations。　And　one　legion　is　a　sufficient　guard　for　these　people；　although　they　were　so　hard　to　be　conquered；　and　at　a　distance　so　remote　from　Rome。　Who　is　there　among　you　that　hath　not　heard　of　the　great　number　of　the　Germans？　You　have；　to　be　sure；　yourselves　seen　them　to　be　strong　and　tall；　and　that　frequently；　since　the　Romans　have　them　among　their　captives　every　where；　yet　these　Germans；　who　dwell　in　an　immense　country；　who　have　minds　greater　than　their　bodies；　and　a　soul　that　despises　death；　and　who　are　in　rage　more　fierce　than　wild　beasts；　have　the　Rhine　for　the　boundary　of　their　enterprises；　and　are　tamed　by　eight　Roman　legions。　Such　of　them　as　were　taken　captive　became　their　servants；　and　the　rest　of　the　entire　nation　were　obliged　to　save　themselves　by　flight。　Do　you　also；　who　depend　on　the　walls　of　Jerusalem；　consider　what　a　wall　the　Britons　had；　for　the　Romans　sailed　away　to　them；　an　subdued　them　while　they　were　encompassed　by　the　ocean；　and　inhabited　an　island　that　is　not　less　than　the　＇continent　of　this＇　habitable　earth；　and　four　legions　are　a　sufficient　guard　to　so　large　all　island　And　why　should　I　speak　much　more　about　this　matter；　while　the　Parthians；　that　most　warlike　body　of　men；　and　lords　of　so　many　nations；　and　encompassed　with　such　mighty　forces；　send　hostages　to　the　Romans？　whereby　you　may　see；　if　you　please；　even　in　Italy；　the　noblest　nation　of　the　East；　under　the　notion　of　peace；　submitting　to　serve　them。　Now　when　almost　all　people　under　the　sun　submit　to　the　Roman　arms；　will　you　be　the　only　people　that　make　war　against　them？　and　this　without　regarding　the　fate　of　the　Carthaginians；　who；　in　the　midst　of　their　brags　of　the　great　Hannibal；　and　the　nobility　of　their　Phoenician　original；　fell　by　the　hand　of　Scipio。　Nor　indeed　have　the　Cyrenians；　derived　from　the　Lacedemonians；　nor　the　Marmaridite；　a　nation　extended　as　far　as　the　regions　uninhabitable　for　want　of　water；　nor　have　the　Syrtes；　a　place　terrible　to　such　as　barely　hear　it　described；　the　Nasamons　and　Moors；　and　the　immense　multitude　of　the　Numidians；　been　able　to　put　a　stop　to　the　Roman　valor。　And　as　for　the　third　part　of　the　habitable　earth；　＇Akica；＇　whose　nations　are　so　many　that　it　is　not　easy　to　number　them；　and　which　is　bounded　by　the　Atlantic　Sea　and　the　pillars　of　Hercules；　and　feeds　an　innumerable　multitude　of　Ethiopians；　as　far　as　the　Red　Sea；　these　have　the　Romans　subdued　entirely。　And　besides　the　annual　fruits　of　the　earth；　which　maintain　the　multitude　of　the　Romans　for　eight　months　in　the　year；　this；　over　and　above；　pays　all　sorts　of　tribute；　and　affords　revenues　suitable　to　the　necessities　of　the　government。　Nor　do　they；　like　you；　esteem　such　injunctions　a　disgrace　to　them；　although　they　have　but　one　Roman　legion　that　abides　among　them。　And　indeed　what　occasion　is　there　for　showing　you　the　power　of　the　Romans　over　remote　countries；　when　it　is　so　easy　to　learn　it　from　Egypt；　in　your　neighborhood？　This　country　is　extended　as　far　as　the　Ethiopians；　and　Arabia　the　Happy；　and　borders　upon　India；　it　hath　seven　millions　five　hundred　thousand　men；　besides　the　inhabitants　of　Alexandria；　as　may　be　learned　from　the　revenue　of　the　poll　tax；　yet　it　is　not　ashamed　to　submit　to　the　Roman　government；　although　it　hath　Alexandria　as　a　grand　temptation　to　a　revolt；　by　reason　it　is　so　full　of　people　and　of　riches；　and　is　besides　exceeding　large；　its　length　being　thirty　furlongs；　and　its　breadth　no　less　than　ten；　and　it　pays　more　tribute　to　the　Romans　in　one　month　than　you　do　in　a　year；　nay；　besides　what　it　pays　in　money；　it　sends　corn　to　Rome　that　supports　it　for　four　months　＇in　the　year＇：　it　is　also　walled　round　on　all　sides；　either　by　almost　impassable　deserts；　or　seas　that　have　no　havens；　or　by　rivers；　or　by　lakes；　yet　have　none　of　these　things　been　found　too　strong　for　the　Roman　go