the life of flavius josephus-第15章

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thou　didst　flee　to　the　king。　Yes；　indeed；　thou　didst　flee　to　him；
but　I　say　it　was　out　of　fear　of　me。　Thou　sayest；　indeed；　that　it
is　I　who　am　a　wicked　man。　But　then；　for　what　reason　was　it　that
king　Agrippa；　who　procured　thee　thy　life　when　thou　wast　condemned
to　die　by　Vespian；　and　who　bestowed　so　much　riches　upon　thee；　did
twice　afterward　put　thee　in　bonds；　and　as　often　obliged　thee　to
run　away　from　thy　country；　and；　when　he　had　once　ordered　thee　to
be　put　to　death；　he　granted　thee　a　pardon　at　the　earnest　desire
of　Bernice？　And　when　（after　so　many　of　thy　wicked　pranks）　he　made
thee　his　secretary；　he　caught　thee　falsifying　his　epistles；　and
drove　thee　away　from　his　sight。　But　I　shall　not　inquire
accurately　into　these　matters　of　scandal　against　thee。　Yet　cannot
I　but　wonder　at　thy　impudence；　when　thou　hast　the　assurance　to
say；　that　thou　hast　better　related　these　affairs　＇of　the　war＇
than　have　all　the　others　that　have　written　about　them；　whilst
thou　didst　not　know　what　was　done　in　Galilee；　for　thou　wast　then
at　Berytus　with　the　king；　nor　didst　thou　know　how　much　the　Romans
suffered　at　the　siege　of　Jotapata；　or　what　miseries　they　brought
upon　us；　nor　couldst　thou　learn　by　inquiry　what　I　did　during　that
siege　myself；　for　all　those　that　might　afford　such　information
were　quite　destroyed　in　that　siege。　But　perhaps　thou　wilt　say；
thou　hast　written　of　what　was　done　against　the　people　of
Jerusalem　exactly。　But　how　should　that　be？　for　neither　wast　thou
concerned　in　that　war；　nor　hast　thou　read　the　commentaries　of
Caesar；　of　which　we　have　evident　proof；　because　thou　hast
contradicted　those　commentaries　of　Caesar　in　thy　history。　But　if
thou　art　so　hardy　as　to　affirm；　that　thou　hast　written　that
history　better　than　all　the　rest；　why　didst　thou　not　publish　thy
history　while　the　emperors　Vespasian　and　Titus；　the　generals　in
that　war；　as　well　as　king　Agrippa　and　his　family；　who　were　men
very　well　skilled　in　the　learning　of　the　Greeks；　were　all　alive？
for　thou　hast　had　it　written　these　twenty　years；　and　then
mightest　thou　have　had　the　testimony　of　thy　accuracy。　But　now
when　these　men　are　no　longer　with　us；　and　thou　thinkest　thou
canst　not　be　contradicted；　thou　venturest　to　publish　it。　But　then
I　was　not　in　like　manner　afraid　of　my　own　writing；　but　I　offered
my　books　to　the　emperors　themselves；　when　the　facts　were　almost
under　men's　eyes；　for　I　was　conscious　to　myself；　that　I　had
observed　the　truth　of　the　facts；　and　as　I　expected　to　have　their
attestation　to　them；　so　I　was　not　deceived　in　such　expectation。
Moreover；　I　immediately　presented　my　history　to　many　other
persons；　some　of　whom　were　concerned　in　the　war；　as　was　king
Agrippa　and　some　of　his　kindred。　Now　the　emperor　Titus　was　so
desirous　that　the　knowledge　of　these　affairs　should　be　taken　from
these　books　alone；　that　he　subscribed　his　own　hand　to　them；　and
ordered　that　they　should　be　published；　and　for　king　Agrippa；　he
wrote　me　sixty…two　letters；　and　attested　to　the　truth　of　what　I
had　therein　delivered；　two　of　which　letters　I　have　here
subjoined；　and　thou　mayst　thereby　know　their　contents：　…　〃King
Agrippa　to　Josephus；　however；　when　thou　comest　to　me；　I　will
inform　thee　of　a　great　many　things　which　thou　dost　not　know。〃　So
when　this　history　was　perfected；　Agrippa；　neither　by　way　of
flattery；　which　was　not　agreeable　to　him；　nor　by　way　of　irony；　as
thou　wilt　say；　（for　he　was　entirely　a　stranger　to　such　an　evil
disposition　of　mind；）　but　he　wrote　this　by　way　of　attestation　to
what　was　true；　as　all　that　read　histories　may　do。　And　so　much
shall　be　said　concerning　Justus　（24）　which　I　am　obliged　to　add　by
way　of　digression。

66。　Now；　when　I　had　settled　the　affairs　of　Tiberias；　and　had
assembled　my　friends　as　a　sanhedrim；　I　consulted　what　I　should　do
as　to　John。　Whereupon　it　appeared　to　be　the　opinion　of　all　the
Galileans；　that　I　should　arm　them　all；　and　march　against　John；
and　punish　him　as　the　author　of　all　the　disorders　that　had
happened。　Yet　was　not　I　pleased　with　their　determination；　as
purposing　to　compose　these　troubles　without　bloodshed。　Upon　this
I　exhorted　them　to　use　the　utmost　care　to　learn　the　names　of　all
that　were　under　John；　which　when　they　had　done；　and　I　thereby　was
apprized　who　the　men　were；　I　published　an　edict；　wherein　I
offered　security　and　my　right　hand　to　such　of　John's　party　as　had
a　mind　to　repent；　and　I　allowed　twenty　days'　time　to　such　as
would　take　this　most　advantageous　course　for　themselves。　I　also
threatened；　that　unless　they　threw　down　their　arms；　I　would　burn
their　houses；　and　expose　their　goods　to　public　sale。　When　the　men
heard　of　this；　they　were　in　no　small　disorder；　and　deserted　John；
and　to　the　number　of　four　thousand　threw　down　their　arms；　and
came　to　me。　So　that　no　others　staid　with　John　but　his　own
citizens；　and　about　fifteen　hundred　strangers　that　came　from　the
metropolis　of　Tyre；　and　when　John　saw　that　he　had　been　outwitted
by　my　stratagem；　he　continued　afterward　in　his　own　country；　and
was　in　great　fear　of　me。

67。　But　about　this　time　it　was　that　the　people　of　Sepphoris　grew
insolent；　and　took　up　arms；　out　of　a　confidence　they　had　in　the
strength　of　their　walls；　and　because　they　saw　me　engaged　in　other
affairs　also。　So　they　sent　to　Cestius　Gallus；　who　was　president
of　Syria；　and　desired　that　he　would　either　come　quickly　to　them；
and　take　their　city　under　his　protection；　or　send　them　a
garrison。　Accordingly；　Gallus　promised　them　to　come；　but　did　not
send　word　when　he　would　come：　and　when　I　had　learned　so　much；　I
took　the　soldiers　that　were　with　me；　and　made　an　assault　upon　the
people　of　Sepphoris；　and　took　the　city　by　force。　The　Galileans
took　this　opportunity；　as　thinking　they　had　now　a　proper　time　for
showing　their　hatred　to　them；　since　they　bore　ill…will　to　that
city　also。　They　then　exerted　themselves；　as　if　they　would　destroy
them　all　utterly；　with　those　that　sojourned　there　also。　So　they
ran　upon　them；　and　set　their　houses　on　fire；　as　finding　them
without　inhabitants；　for　the　men；　out　of　fear；　ran　together　to
the　citadel。　So　the　Galileans　carried　off　every　thing；　and
omitted　no　kind　of　desolation　which　they　could　bring　upon　their
countrymen。　When　I　saw　this；　I　was　exceedingly　troubled　at　it；
and　commanded　them　to　leave　off；　and　put　them　in　mind　that　it　was
not　agreeable　to　piety　to　do　such　things　to　their　countrymen：　but
since　they　neither　would　hearken　to　what　I　exhorted；　nor　to　what
I　commanded　them　to　do；　（for　the　hatred　they　bore　to　the　people
there　was　too　hard　for　my　exhortations　to　them；）　I　bade　those　my
friends；　who　were　most　faithful　to　me；　and　were　about　me；　to　give
on　reports；　as　if　the　Romans　were　falling　upon　the　other　part　of
the　city　with　a　great　army；　and　this　I　did；　that；　by　such　a
report　being　spread　abroad；　I　might　restrain　the　violence　of　the
Galileans；　and　preserve　the　city　of　Sepphoris。　And　at　length　this
stratagem　had　its　effect；　for；　upon　hearing　this　report；　they
were　in　fear　for　themselves；　and　so　they　left　off　plundering　and
ran　away；　and　this　more　especially；　because　they　saw　me；　their
general；　do　the　same　also；　for；　that　I　might　cause　this　report　to
be　believed；　I　pretended　to　be　in　fear　as　well　as　they。　Thus　were
the　inhabitants　of　Sepphoris　unexpectedly　preserved　by　this
contrivance　of　mine。

68。　Nay；　indeed；　Tiberias　had　like　to　have　been　plundered　by　the
Galileans　also　upon　the　following　occasion：　…　The　chief　men　of
the　senate　wrote　to　the　king；　and　desired　that　he　would　come　to
them；　and　take　possession　of　their　city。　The　king　promised　to
come；　and　wrote　a　letter　in　answer　to　theirs；　and　gave　it　to　one
of　his　bed…chamber；　whose　name　was　Crispus；　and　who　was　by　birth
a　Jew；　to　carry　it　to　Tiberias。　When　the　Galileans　knew　that　this
man　carried　such　a　letter；　they　caught　him；　and　brought　him　to
me；　but　as　soon　as　the　whole　multitude　heard　of　it；　they　were
enraged；　and　betook　themselves　to　their　arms。　So　a　great　many　of
them　together　from　all　quarters　the　next　day；　and　came　to　the
city　Asochis；　where　I　then　lodged；　and　made　heavy　clamors；　and
called　the　city　of　Tiberias　a　traitor　to　them；　and　a　friend　to
the　king；　and　desired　leave　of　me　to　go　down　and　utterly　destroy
it；　for　they　bore　the　like