the wars of the jews-第148章

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　public　instances　of　the　destruction　of　that　nation。　He　then　saw　a　river　as　he　went　along；　of　such　a　nature　as　deserves　to　be　recorded　in　history；　it　runs　in　the　middle　between　Arcea；　belonging　to　Agrippa's　kingdom；　and　Raphanea。　It　hath　somewhat　very　peculiar　in　it；　for　when　it　runs；　its　current　is　strong；　and　has　plenty　of　water；　after　which　its　springs　fail　for　six　days　together；　and　leave　its　channel　dry；　as　any　one　may　see；　after　which　days　it　runs　on　the　seventh　day　as　it　did　before；　and　as　though　it　had　undergone　no　change　at　all；　it　hath　also　been　observed　to　keep　this　order　perpetually　and　exactly；　whence　it　is　that　they　call　it　the　Sabbatic　River　（7）　that　name　being　taken　from　the　sacred　seventh　day　among　the　Jews。　　　　2。　But　when　the　people　of　Antioch　were　informed　that　Titus　was　approaching；　they　were　so　glad　at　it；　that　they　could　not　keep　within　their　walls；　but　hasted　away　to　give　him　the　meeting；　nay；　they　proceeded　as　far　as　thirty　furlongs；　and　more；　with　that　intention。　These　were　not　the　men　only；　but　a　multitude　of　women　also　with　their　children　did　the　same；　and　when　they　saw　him　coming　up　to　them；　they　stood　on　both　sides　of　the　way；　and　stretched　out　their　right　hands；　saluting　him；　and　making　all　sorts　of　acclamations　to　him；　and　turned　back　together　with　him。　They　also；　among　all　the　acclamations　they　made　to　him；　besought　him　all　the　way　they　went　to　eject　the　Jews　out　of　their　city；　yet　did　not　Titus　at　all　yield　to　this　their　petition；　but　gave　them　the　bare　hearing　of　it　quietly。　However；　the　Jews　were　in　a　great　deal　of　terrible　fear；　under　the　uncertainty　they　were　in　what　his　opinion　was；　and　what　he　would　do　to　them。　For　Titus　did　not　stay　at　Antioch；　but　continued　his　progress　immediately　to　Zeugma；　which　lies　upon　the　Euphrates；　whither　came　to　him　messengers　from　Vologeses　king　of　Parthia；　and　brought　him　a　crown　of　gold　upon　the　victory　he　had　gained　over　the　Jews；　which　he　accepted　of；　and　feasted　the　king's　messengers；　and　then　came　back　to　Antioch。　And　when　the　senate　and　people　of　Antioch　earnestly　entreated　him　to　come　upon　their　theater；　where　their　whole　multitude　was　assembled；　and　expected　him；　he　complied　with　great　humanity；　but　when　they　pressed　him　with　much　earnestness；　and　continually　begged　of　him　that　he　would　eject　the　Jews　out　of　their　city；　he　gave　them　this　very　pertinent　answer：　How　can　this　be　done；　since　that　country　of　theirs；　whither　the　Jews　must　be　obliged　then　to　retire；　is　destroyed；　and　no　place　will　receive　them　besides？〃　Whereupon　the　people　of　Antioch；　when　they　had　failed　of　success　in　this　their　first　request；　made　him　a　second；　for　they　desired　that　he　would　order　those　tables　of　brass　to　be　removed　on　which　the　Jews'　privileges　were　engraven。　However；　Titus　would　not　grant　that　neither；　but　permitted　the　Jews　of　Antioch　to　continue　to　enjoy　the　very　same　privileges　in　that　city　which　they　had　before；　and　then　departed　for　Egypt；　and　as　he　came　to　Jerusalem　in　his　progress；　and　compared　the　melancholy　condition　he　saw　it　then　in；　with　the　ancient　glory　of　the　city；　and　called　to　mind　the　greatness　of　its　present　ruins；　as　well　as　its　ancient　splendor；　he　could　not　but　pity　the　destruction　of　the　city；　so　far　was　he　from　boasting　that　so　great　and　goodly　a　city　as　that　was　had　been　by　him　taken　by　force；　nay；　he　frequently　cursed　those　that　had　been　the　authors　of　their　revolt；　and　had　brought　such　a　punishment　upon　the　city；　insomuch　that　it　openly　appeared　that　he　did　not　desire　that　such　a　calamity　as　this　punishment　of　theirs　amounted　to　should　be　a　demonstration　of　his　courage。　Yet　was　there　no　small　quantity　of　the　riches　that　had　been　in　that　city　still　found　among　its　ruins；　a　great　deal　of　which　the　Romans　dug　up；　but　the　greatest　part　was　discovered　by　those　who　were　captives；　and　so　they　carried　it　away；　I　mean　the　gold　and　the　silver；　and　the　rest　of　that　most　precious　furniture　which　the　Jews　had；　and　which　the　owners　had　treasured　up　under　ground；　against　the　uncertain　fortunes　of　war。　　　　3。　So　Titus　took　the　journey　he　intended　into　Egypt；　and　passed　over　the　desert　very　suddenly；　and　came　to　Alexandria；　and　took　up　a　resolution　to　go　to　Rome　by　sea。　And　as　he　was　accompanied　by　two　legions；　he　sent　each　of　them　again　to　the　places　whence　they　had　before　come；　the　fifth　he　sent　to　Mysia；　and　the　fifteenth　to　Pannonia：　as　for　the　leaders　of　the　captives；　Simon　and　John；　with　the　other　seven　hundred　men；　whom　he　had　selected　out　of　the　rest　as　being　eminently　tall　and　handsome　of　body；　he　gave　order　that　they　should　be　soon　carried　to　Italy；　as　resolving　to　produce　them　in　his　triumph。　So　when　he　had　had　a　prosperous　voyage　to　his　mind；　the　city　of　Rome　behaved　itself　in　his　reception；　and　their　meeting　him　at　a　distance；　as　it　did　in　the　case　of　his　father。　But　what　made　the　most　splendid　appearance　in　Titus's　opinion　was；　when　his　father　met　him；　and　received　him；　but　still　the　multitude　of　the　citizens　conceived　the　greatest　joy　when　they　saw　them　all　three　together；　（8）　as　they　did　at　this　time；　nor　were　many　days　overpast　when　they　determined　to　have　but　one　triumph；　that　should　be　common　to　both　of　them；　on　account　of　the　glorious　exploits　they　had　performed；　although　the　senate　had　decreed　each　of　them　a　separate　triumph　by　himself。　So　when　notice　had　been　given　　beforehand　of　the　day　appointed　for　this　pompous　solemnity　to　be　made；　on　account　of　their　victories；　not　one　of　the　immense　multitude　was　left　in　the　city；　but　every　body　went　out　so　far　as　to　gain　only　a　station　where　they　might　stand；　and　left　only　such　a　passage　as　was　necessary　for　those　that　were　to　be　seen　to　go　along　it。　

4。　Now　all　the　soldiery　marched　out　beforehand　by　companies；　and　in　their　several　ranks；　under　their　several　commanders；　in　the　night　time；　and　were　about　the　gates；　not　of　the　upper　palaces；　but　those　near　the　temple　of　Isis；　for　there　it　was　that　the　emperors　had　rested　the　foregoing　night。　And　as　soon　as　ever　it　was　day；　Vespasian　and　Titus　came　out　crowned　with　laurel；　and　clothed　in　those　ancient　purple　habits　which　were　proper　to　their　family；　and　then　went　as　far　as　Octavian's　Walks；　for　there　it　was　that　the　senate；　and　the　principal　rulers；　and　those　that　had　been　recorded　as　of　the　equestrian　order；　waited　for　them。　Now　a　tribunal　had　been　erected　before　the　cloisters；　and　ivory　chairs　had　been　set　upon　it；　when　they　came　and　sat　down　upon　them。　Whereupon　the　soldiery　made　an　acclamation　of　joy　to　them　immediately；　and　all　gave　them　attestations　of　their　valor；　while　they　were　themselves　without　their　arms；　and　only　in　their　silken　garments；　and　crowned　with　laurel：　then　Vespasian　accepted　of　these　shouts　of　theirs；　but　while　they　were　still　disposed　to　go　on　in　such　acclamations；　he　gave　them　a　signal　of　silence。　And　when　every　body　entirely　held　their　peace；　he　stood　up；　and　covering　the　greatest　part　of　his　head　with　his　cloak；　he　put　up　the　accustomed　solemn　prayers；　the　like　prayers　did　Titus　put　up　also；　after　which　prayers　Vespasian　made　a　short　speech　to　all　the　people；　and　then　sent　away　the　soldiers　to　a　dinner　prepared　for　them　by　the　emperors。　Then　did　he　retire　to　that　gate　which　was　called　the　Gate　of　the　Pomp；　because　pompous　shows　do　always　go　through　that　gate；　there　it　was　that　they　tasted　some　food；　and　when　they　had　put　on　their　triumphal　garments；　and　had　offered　sacrifices　to　the　gods　that　were　placed　at　the　gate；　they　sent　the　triumph　forward；　and　marched　through　the　theatres；　that　they　might　be　the　more　easily　seen　by　the　multitudes。　　　　5。　Now　it　is　impossible　to　describe　the　multitude　of　the　shows　as　they　deserve；　and　the　magnificence　of　them　all；　such　indeed　as　a　man　could　not　easily　think　of　as　performed；　either　by　the　labor　of　workmen；　or　the　variety　of　riches；　or　the　rarities　of　nature；　for　almost　all　such　curiosities　as　the　most　happy　men　ever　get　by　piece…meal　were　here　one　heaped　on　another；　and　those　both　admirable　and　costly　in　their　nature；　and　all　brought　together　on　that　day　demonstrated　the　vastness　of　the　dominions　of　the　Romans；　for　there　was　here　to　be　seen　a　mighty　quantity　of　silver；　and　gold；　and　ivory；　contrived　into　all　sorts　of　things；　and　did　not　appear　as　carried　along　in　pompous　show　only；　but；　as