the wars of the jews-第110章

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rs　they　run　into；　rather　than　to　fight　hand　to　hand　with　men　that　love　　　murdering；　and　are　mad　one　against　another。　But　if　any　one　imagines　that　the　glory　of　victory；　when　it　is　gotten　without　fighting；　will　be　more　insipid；　let　him　know　this　much；　that　a　glorious　success；　quietly　obtained；　is　more　profitable　than　the　dangers　of　a　battle；　for　we　ought　to　esteem　these　that　do　what　is　agreeable　to　temperance　and　prudence　no　less　　　glorious　than　those　that　have　gained　great　reputation　by　their　actions　in　war：　that　he　shall　lead　on　his　army　with　greater　force　when　their　enemies　are　diminished；　and　his　own　army　refreshed　after　the　continual　labors　they　had　undergone。　However；　that　this　is　not　a　proper　time　to　propose　to　　　ourselves　the　glory　of　victory；　for　that　the　Jews　are　not　now　employed　in　making　of　armor　or　building　of　walls；　nor　indeed　in　getting　together　auxiliaries；　while　the　advantage　will　be　on　their　side　who　give　them　such　opportunity　of　delay；　but　that　the　Jews　are　vexed　to　pieces　every　day　by　their　civil　wars　and　dissensions；　and　are　under　greater　miseries　than；　if　they　were　once　taken；　could　be　inflicted　on　them　by　us。　Whether　　　therefore　any　one　hath　regard　to　what　is　for　our　safety；　he　ought　to　suffer　these　Jews　to　destroy　one　another；　or　whether　he　hath　regard　to　the　greater　glory　of　the　action；　we　ought　by　no　means　to　meddle　with　those　men；　now　they　are　afflicted　with　a　distemper　at　home；　for　should　we　now　conquer　them；　it　would　be　said　the　conquest　was　not　owing　to　our　bravery；　but　to　their　sedition。〃　（10）　　　　　　3。　And　now　the　commanders　joined　in　their　approbation　of　what　Vespasian　had　said；　and　it　was　soon　discovered　how　　　wise　an　opinion　he　had　given。　And　indeed　many　there　were　of　the　Jews　that　deserted　every　day；　and　fled　away　from　the　zealots；　although　their　flight　was　very　difficult；　since　they　had　guarded　every　passage　out　of　the　city；　and　slew　every　one　that　was　caught　at　them；　as　taking　it　for　granted　they　were　going　over　to　the　Romans；　yet　did　he　who　gave　them　money　get　clear　off；　while　he　only　that　gave　them　none　was　voted　a　traitor。　So　the　upshot　was　this；　that　the　rich　purchased　their　flight　by　money；　while　none　but　the　poor　were　slain。　Along　all　the　roads　also　vast　numbers　of　dead　bodies　lay　in　heaps；　and　even　many　of　those　that　were　so　zealous　in　deserting　at　length　chose　rather　to　perish　within　the　city；　for　the　hopes　of　burial　made　death　in　their　own　city　appear　of　the　two　less　terrible　to　them。　But　these　zealots　came　at　last　to　that　degree　of　barbarity；　as　not　to　bestow　a　burial　either　on　those　slain　in　the　city；　or　on　those　that　lay　along　the　roads；　but　as　if　they　had　made　an　agreement　to　cancel　both　the　laws　of　their　　　country　and　the　laws　of　nature；　and；　at　the　same　time　that　they　defiled　men　with　their　wicked　actions；　they　would　　　pollute　the　Divinity　itself　also；　they　left　the　dead　bodies　to　putrefy　under　the　sun；　and　the　same　punishment　was　allotted　to　such　as　buried　any　as　to　those　that　deserted；　which　was　no　other　than　death；　while　he　that　granted　the　favor　of　a　grave　to　another　would　presently　stand　in　need　of　a　grave　himself。　To　say　all　in　a　word；　no　other　gentle　passion　was　so　entirely　lost　among　them　as　mercy；　for　what　were　the　greatest　objects　of　pity　did　most　of　all　irritate　these　wretches；　and　they　transferred　their　rage　from　the　living　to　those　that　had　been　slain；　and　from　the　dead　to　the　living。　Nay；　the　terror　was　so　very　great；　that　he　who　survived　called　them　that　were　first　dead　happy；　as　being　at　rest　already；　as　did　those　that　were　under　torture　in　the　prisons；　declare；　that；　upon　this　　　comparison；　those　that　lay　unburied　were　the　happiest。　These　men；　therefore；　trampled　upon　all　the　laws　of　men；　and　　　laughed　at　the　laws　of　God；　and　for　the　oracles　of　the　　　prophets；　they　ridiculed　them　as　the　tricks　of　jugglers；　yet　did　these　prophets　foretell　many　things　concerning　＇the　rewards　of＇　virtue；　and　＇punishments　of＇　vice；　which　when　these　　　zealots　violated；　they　occasioned　the　fulfilling　of　those　very　prophecies　belonging　to　their　own　country；　for　there　was　a　certain　ancient　oracle　of　those　men；　that　the　city　should　then　be　taken　and　the　sanctuary　burnt；　by　right　of　war；　when　a　sedition　should　invade　the　Jews；　and　their　own　hand　should　pollute　the　temple　of　God。　Now　while　these　zealots　did　not　＇quite＇　disbelieve　these　predictions；　they　made　themselves　the　instruments　of　their　accomplishment。　　　　　　　　　　CHAPTER　7。　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　How　John　Tyrannized　Over　The　Rest；　And　What　Mischiefs　The　Zealots　Did　At　Masada。　How　Also　Vespasian　Took　Gadara；　And　What　Actions　　　　　Were　Performed　By　Placidus。　　　　　　　　　　　　1。　By　this　time　John　was　beginning　to　tyrannize；　and　thought　it　beneath　him　to　accept　of　barely　the　same　honors　that　　　others　had；　and　joining　to　himself　by　degrees　a　party　of　the　wickedest　of　them　all；　he　broke　off　from　the　rest　of　the　faction。　This　was　brought　about　by　his　still　disagreeing　with　the　opinions　of　others；　and　giving　out　injunctions　of　his　own；　in　a　very　imperious　manner；　so　that　it　was　evident　he　was　setting　up　a　monarchical　power。　Now　some　submitted　to　him　out　of　their　fear　of　him；　and　others　out　of　their　good…will　to　him；　for　he　was　a　shrewd　man　to　entice　men　to　him；　both　by　deluding　them　and　putting　cheats　upon　them。　Nay；　many　　　there　were　that　thought　they　should　be　safer　themselves；　if　the　causes　of　their　past　insolent　actions　should　now　be　　　reduced　to　one　head；　and　not　to　a　great　many。　His　activity　was　so　great；　and　that　both　in　action　and　in　counsel；　that　he　had　not　a　few　guards　about　him；　yet　was　there　a　great　party　of　his　antagonists　that　left　him；　among　whom　envy　at　him　weighed　a　great　deal；　while　they　thought　it　a　very　heavy　thing　to　be　in　subjection　to　one　that　was　formerly　their　equal。　But　the　main　reason　that　moved　men　against　him　was　the　dread　of　monarchy；　for　they　could　not　hope　easily　to　put　an　end　to　his　power；　if　he　had　once　obtained　it；　and　yet　they　knew　that　he　would　have　this　pretense　always　against　them；　that　they　had　opposed　him　when　he　was　first　advanced；　while　every　　　one　chose　rather　to　suffer　any　thing　whatsoever　in　war；　than　that；　when　they　had　been　in　a　voluntary　slavery　for　some　time；　they　should　afterward　perish。　So　the　sedition　was　　　divided　into　two　parts；　and　John　reigned　in　opposition　to　his　adversaries　over　one　of　them：　but　for　their　leaders；　they　watched　one　another；　nor　did　they　at　all；　or　at　least　very　little；　meddle　with　arms　in　their　quarrels；　but　they　fought　earnestly　against　the　people；　and　contended　one　with　another　which　of　them　should　bring　home　the　greatest　prey。　But　　　because　the　city　had　to　struggle　with　three　of　the　greatest　misfortunes；　war；　and　tyranny；　and　sedition；　it　appeared；　upon　the　comparison；　that　the　war　was　the　least　troublesome　to　the　populace　of　them　all。　Accordingly；　they　ran　away　from　their　own　houses　to　foreigners；　and　obtained　that　preservation　from　the　Romans　which　they　despaired　to　obtain　among　their　own　people。　　　　　　2。　And　now　a　fourth　misfortune　arose；　in　order　to　bring　our　nation　to　destruction。　There　was　a　fortress　of　very　great　strength　not　far　from　Jerusalem；　which　had　been　built　by　our　ancient　kings；　both　as　a　repository　for　their　effects　in　the　hazards　of　war；　and　for　the　pr