the wars of the jews-第40部分

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ot　permit　them　to　use　force；　the　great　men　of　the　Jews；　with　John　the　publican；　being　in　the　utmost　distress　what　to　do；　persuaded　Florus；　with　the　offer　of　eight　talents；　to　hinder　the　work。　He　then；　being　intent　upon　nothing　but　getting　money；　promised　he　would　do　for　them　all　they　desired　of　him；　and　then　went　away　from　Cesarea　to　Sebaste；　and　left　the　sedition　to　take　its　full　course；　as　if　he　had　sold　a　license　to　the　Jews　to　fight　it　out。

5。　Now　on　the　next　day；　which　was　the　seventh　day　of　the　week；　when　the　Jews　were　crowding　apace　to　their　synagogue；　a　certain　man　of　Cesarea；　of　a　seditious　temper；　got　an　earthen　vessel；　and　set　it　with　the　bottom　upward；　at　the　entrance　of　that　synagogue；　and　sacrificed　birds。　This　thing　provoked　the　Jews　to　an　incurable　degree；　because　their　laws　were　affronted；　and　the　place　was　polluted。　Whereupon　the　sober　and　moderate　part　of　the　Jews　thought　it　proper　to　have　recourse　to　their　governors　again；　while　the　seditious　part；　and　such　as　were　in　the　fervor　of　their　youth；　were　vehemently　inflamed　to　fight。　The　seditions　also　among　the　Gentiles　of　Cesarea　stood　ready　for　the　same　purpose；　for　they　had；　by　agreement；　sent　the　man　to　sacrifice　beforehand　＇as　ready　to　support　him；＇　so　that　it　soon　came　to　blows。　Hereupon　Jucundus；　the　master　of　the　horse；　who　was　ordered　to　prevent　the　fight；　came　thither；　and　took　away　the　earthen　vessel；　and　endeavored　to　put　a　stop　to　the　sedition；　but　when　（20）　he　was　overcome　by　the　violence　of　the　people　of　Cesarea；　the　Jews　caught　up　their　books　of　the　law；　and　retired　to　Narbata；　which　was　a　place　to　them　belonging；　distant　from　Cesarea　sixty　furlongs。　But　John；　and　twelve　of　the　principal　men　with　him；　went　to　Florus；　to　Sebaste；　and　made　a　lamentable　complaint　of　their　case；　and　besought　him　to　help　them；　and　with　all　possible　decency；　put　him　in　mind　of　the　eight　talents　they　had　given　him；　but　he　had　the　men　seized　upon；　and　put　in　prison；　and　accused　them　for　carrying　the　books　of　the　law　out　of　Cesarea。

6。　Moreover；　as　to　the　citizens　of　Jerusalem；　although　they　took　this　matter　very　ill；　yet　did　they　restrain　their　passion；　but　Florus　acted　herein　as　if　he　had　been　hired；　and　blew　up　the　war　into　a　flame；　and　sent　some　to　take　seventeen　talents　out　of　the　sacred　treasure；　and　pretended　that　Caesar　wanted　them。　At　this　the　people　were　in　confusion　immediately；　and　ran　together　to　the　temple；　with　prodigious　clamors；　and　called　upon　Caesar　by　name；　and　besought　him　to　free　them　from　the　tyranny　of　Florus。　Some　also　of　the　seditious　cried　out　upon　Florus；　and　cast　the　greatest　reproaches　upon　him；　and　carried　a　basket　about；　and　begged　some　spills　of　money　for　him；　as　for　one　that　was　destitute　of　possessions；　and　in　a　miserable　condition。　Yet　was　not　he　made　ashamed　hereby　of　his　love　of　money；　but　was　more　enraged；　and　provoked　to　get　still　more；　and　instead　of　coming　to　Cesarea；　as　he　ought　to　have　done；　and　quenching　the　flame　of　war；　which　was　beginning　thence；　and　so　taking　away　the　occasion　of　any　disturbances；　on　which　account　it　was　that　he　had　received　a　reward　＇of　eight　talents＇；　he　marched　hastily　with　an　army　of　horsemen　and　footmen　against　Jerusalem；　that　he　might　gain　his　will　by　the　arms　of　the　Romans；　and　might；　by　his　terror；　and　by　his　threatenings；　bring　the　city　into　subjection。

7。　But　the　people　were　desirous　of　making　Florus　ashamed　of　his　attempt；　and　met　his　soldiers　with　acclamations；　and　put　themselves　in　order　to　receive　him　very　submissively。　But　he　sent　Capito；　a　centurion；　beforehand；　with　fifty　soldiers；　to　bid　them　go　back；　and　not　now　make　a　show　of　receiving　him　in　an　obliging　manner；　whom　they　had　so　foully　reproached　before；　and　said　that　it　was　incumbent　on　them；　in　case　they　had　generous　souls；　and　were　free　speakers；　to　jest　upon　him　to　his　face；　and　appear　to　be　lovers　of　liberty；　not　only　in　words；　but　with　their　weapons　also。　With　this　message　was　the　multitude　amazed；　and　upon　the　coming　of　Capito's　horsemen　into　the　midst　of　them；　they　were　dispersed　before　they　could　salute　Florus；　or　manifest　their　submissive　behavior　to　him。　Accordingly；　they　retired　to　their　own　houses；　and　spent　that　night　in　fear　and　confusion　of　face。　　8。　Now　at　this　time　Florus　took　up　his　quarters　at　the　palace；　and　on　the　next　day　he　had　his　tribunal　set　before　it；　and　sat　upon　it；　when　the　high　priests；　and　the　men　of　power；　and　those　of　the　greatest　eminence　in　the　city；　came　all　before　that　tribunal；　upon　which　Florus　commanded　them　to　deliver　up　to　him　those　that　had　reproached　him；　and　told　them　that　they　should　themselves　partake　of　the　vengeance　to　them　belonging；　if　they　did　not　produce　the　criminals；　but　these　demonstrated　that　the　people　were　peaceably　disposed；　and　they　begged　forgiveness　for　those　that　had　spoken　amiss；　for　that　it　was　no　wonder　at　all　that　in　so　great　a　multitude　there　should　be　some　more　daring　than　they　ought　to　be；　and；　by　reason　of　their　younger　age；　foolish　also；　and　that　it　was　impossible　to　distinguish　those　that　offended　from　the　rest；　while　every　one　was　sorry　for　what　he　had　done；　and　denied　it　out　of　fear　of　what　would　follow：　that　he　ought；　however；　to　provide　for　the　peace　of　the　nation；　and　to　take　such　counsels　as　might　preserve　the　city　for　the　Romans；　and　rather　for　the　sake　of　a　great　number　of　innocent　people　to　forgive　a　few　that　were　guilty；　than　for　the　sake　of　a　few　of　the　wicked　to　put　so　large　and　good　a　body　of　men　into　disorder。　　9。　Florus　was　more　provoked　at　this；　and　called　out　aloud　to　the　soldiers　to　plunder　that　which　was　called　the　Upper　Market…place；　and　to　slay　such　as　they　met　with。　So　the　soldiers；　taking　this　exhortation　of　their　commander　in　a　sense　agreeable　to　their　desire　of　gain；　did　not　only　plunder　the　place　they　were　sent　to；　but　forcing　themselves　into　every　house；　they　slew　its　inhabitants；　so　the　citizens　fled　along　the　narrow　lanes；　and　the　soldiers　slew　those　that　they　caught；　and　no　method　of　plunder　was　omitted；　they　also　caught　many　of　the　quiet　people；　and　brought　them　before　Florus；　whom　he　first　chastised　with　stripes；　and　then　crucified。　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　serva