the wars of the jews-第13部分

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ich　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　injunctions　accordingly。　　4。　In　the　mean　time　Antony　abode　at　Athens；　while　Ventidius　called　for　Silo　and　Herod　to　come　to　the　war　against　the　Parthians；　but　ordered　them　first　to　settle　the　affairs　of　Judea；　so　Herod　willingly　dismissed　Silo　to　go　to　Ventidius；　but　he　made　an　expedition　himself　against　those　that　lay　in　the　caves。　Now　these　caves　were　in　the　precipices　of　craggy　mountains；　and　could　not　be　come　at　from　any　side；　since　they　had　only　some　winding　pathways；　very　narrow；　by　which　they　got　up　to　them；　but　the　rock　that　lay　on　their　front　had　beneath　it　valleys　of　a　vast　depth；　and　of　an　almost　perpendicular　declivity；　insomuch　that　the　king　was　doubtful　for　a　long　time　what　to　do；　by　reason　of　a　kind　of　impossibility　there　was　of　attacking　the　place。　Yet　did　he　at　length　make　use　of　a　contrivance　that　was　subject　to　the　utmost　hazard；　for　he　let　down　the　most　hardy　of　his　men　in　chests；　and　set　them　at　the　mouths　of　the　dens。　Now　these　men　slew　the　robbers　and　their　families；　and　when　they　made　resistance；　they　sent　in　fire　upon　them　＇and　burnt　them＇；　and　as　Herod　was　desirous　of　saving　some　of　them；　he　had　proclamation　made；　that　they　should　come　and　deliver　themselves　up　to　him；　but　not　one　of　them　came　willingly　to　him；　and　of　those　that　were　compelled　to　come；　many　preferred　death　to　captivity。　And　here　a　certain　old　man；　the　father　of　seven　children；　whose　children；　together　with　their　mother；　desired　him　to　give　them　leave　to　go　out；　upon　the　assurance　and　right　hand　that　was　offered　them；　slew　them　after　the　following　manner：　He　ordered　every　one　of　them　to　go　out；　while　he　stood　himself　at　the　cave's　mouth；　and　slew　that　son　of　his　perpetually　who　went　out。　Herod　was　near　enough　to　see　this　sight；　and　his　bowels　of　compassion　were　moved　at　it；　and　he　stretched　out　his　right　hand　to　the　old　man；　and　besought　him　to　spare　his　children；　yet　did　not　he　relent　at　all　upon　what　he　said；　but　over　and　above　reproached　Herod　on　the　lowness　of　his　descent；　and　slew　his　wife　as　well　as　his　children；　and　when　he　had　thrown　their　dead　bodies　down　the　precipice；　he　at　last　threw　himself　down　after　them。

5。　By　this　means　Herod　subdued　these　caves；　and　the　robbers　that　were　in　them。　He　then　left　there　a　part　of　his　army；　as　many　as　he　thought　sufficient　to　prevent　any　sedition；　and　made　Ptolemy　their　general；　and　returned　to　Samaria；　he　led　also　with　him　three　thousand　armed　footmen；　and　six　hundred　horsemen；　against　Antigonus。　Now　here　those　that　used　to　raise　tumults　in　Galilee；　having　liberty　so　to　do　upon　his　departure；　fell　unexpectedly　upon　Ptolemy；　the　general　of　his　forces；　and　slew　him；　they　also　laid　the　country　waste；　and　then　retired　to　the　bogs；　and　to　places　not　easily　to　be　found。　But　when　Herod　was　informed　of　this　insurrection；　he　came　to　the　assistance　of　the　country　immediately；　and　destroyed　a　great　number　of　the　seditions；　and　raised　the　sieges　of　all　those　fortresses　they　had　besieged；　he　also　exacted　the　tribute　of　a　hundred　talents　of　his　enemies；　as　a　penalty　for　the　mutations　they　had　made　in　the　country。

6。　By　this　time　（the　Parthians　being　already　driven　out　of　the　country；　and　Pacorus　slain）　Ventidius；　by　Antony's　command；　sent　a　thousand　horsemen；　and　two　legions；　as　auxiliaries　to　Herod；　against　Antigonus。　Now　Antigonus　besought　Macheras；　who　was　their　general；　by　letter；　to　come　to　his　assistance；　and　made　a　great　many　mournful　complaints　about　Herod's　violence；　and　about　the　injuries　he　did　to　the　kingdom；　and　promised　to　give　him　money　for　such　his　assistance；　but　he　complied　not　with　his　invitation　to　betray　his　trust；　for　he　did　not　contemn　him　that　sent　him；　especially　while　Herod　gave　him　more　money　＇than　the　other　offered＇。　So　he　pretended　friendship　to　Antigonus；　but　came　as　a　spy　to　discover　his　affairs；　although　he　did　not　herein　comply　with　Herod；　who　dissuaded　him　from　so　doing。　But　Antigonus　perceived　what　his　intentions　were　beforehand；　and　excluded　him　out　of　the　city；　and　defended　himself　against　him　as　against　an　enemy；　from　the　walls；　till　Macheras　was　ashamed　of　wh