the wars of the jews-第167章

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st　them；　and　on　account　of　what　pranks　they　had　played　not　long　before；　which　I　am　obliged　to　describe　without　fail；　though　briefly；　that　I　may　the　better　connect　my　narration　of　future　actions　with　those　that　went　before。　　　　3。　For　as　the　Jewish　nation　is　widely　dispersed　over　all　the　habitable　earth　among　its　inhabitants；　so　it　is　very　much　intermingled　with　Syria　by　reason　of　its　neighborhood；　and　had　the　greatest　multitudes　in　Antioch　by　reason　of　the　largeness　of　the　city；　wherein　the　kings；　after　Antiochus；　had　afforded　them　a　habitation　with　the　most　undisturbed　tranquillity；　for　though　Antiochus；　who　was　called　Epiphanes；　laid　Jerusalem　waste；　and　spoiled　the　temple；　yet　did　those　that　succeeded　him　in　the　kingdom　restore　all　the　donations　that　were　made　of　brass　to　the　Jews　of　Antioch；　and　dedicated　them　to　their　synagogue；　and　　granted　them　the　enjoyment　of　equal　privileges　of　citizens　with　the　Greeks　themselves；　and　as　the　succeeding　kings　treated　them　after　the　same　manner；　they　both　multiplied　to　a　great　number；　and　adorned　their　temple　gloriously　by　fine　ornaments；　and　with　great　magnificence；　in　the　use　of　what　had　been　given　them。　They　also　made　proselytes　of　a　great　many　of　the　Greeks　perpetually；　and　thereby　after　a　sort　brought　them　to　be　a　portion　of　their　own　body。　But　about　this　time　when　the　present　war　began；　and　Vespasian　was　newly　sailed　to　Syria；　and　all　men　had　taken　up　a　great　hatred　against　the　Jews；　then　it　was　that　a　certain　person；　whose　name　was　Antiochus；　being　one　of　the　Jewish　　nation；　and　greatly　respected　on　account　of　his　father；　who　was　governor　of　the　Jews　at　Antioch　（5）　came　upon　the　theater　at　a　time　when　the　people　of　Antioch　were　assembled　together；　and　became　an　informer　against　his　father；　and　accused　both　him　and　others　that　they　had　resolved　to　burn　the　whole　city　in　one　night；　he　also　delivered　up　to　them　some　Jews　that　were　foreigners；　as　partners　in　their　resolutions。　When　the　people　heard　this；　they　could　not　refrain　their　passion；　but　commanded　that　those　who　were　delivered　up　to　them　should　have　fire　　brought　to　burn　them；　who　were　accordingly　all　burnt　upon　the　theater　immediately。　They　did　also　fall　violently　upon　the　multitude　of　the　Jews；　as　supposing　that　by　punishing　them　suddenly　they　should　save　their　own　city。　As　for　Antiochus；　he　aggravated　the　rage　they　were　in；　and　thought　to　give　them　a　demonstration　of　his　own　conversion；　arm　of　his　hatred　of　the　Jewish　customs；　by　sacrificing　after　the　manner　of　the　Greeks；　he　persuaded　the　rest　also　to　compel　them　to　do　the　same；　because　they　would　by　that　means　discover　who　they　were　that　had　plotted　against　them；　since　they　would　not　do　so；　and　when　the　people　of　Antioch　tried　the　experiment；　some　few　complied；　but　those　that　would　not　do　so　were　slain。　As　for　Ailtiochus　himself；　he　obtained　soldiers　from　the　Roman　commander；　and　became　a　severe　master　over　his　own　citizens；　not　permitting　them　to　rest　on　the　seventh　day；　but　forcing　them　to　do　all　that　they　usually　did　on　other　days；　and　to　that　degree　of　distress　did　he　reduce　them　in　this　matter；　that　the　rest　of　the　seventh　day　was　dissolved　not　only　at　Antioch；　but　the　same　thing　which　took　thence　its　rise　was　done　in　other　cities　also；　in　like　manner；　for　some　small　time。　　　　4。　Now；　after　these　misfortunes　had　happened　to　the　Jews　at　Antioch；　a　second　calamity　befell　them；　the　description　of　which　when　we　were　going　about　we　premised　the　account　foregoing；　for　upon　this　accident；　whereby　the　four…square　market…place　was　burnt　down；　as　well　as　the　archives；　and　the　place　where　the　public　records　were　preserved；　and　the　royal　palaces；　（and　it　was　not　without　difficulty　that　the　fire　was　then　put　a　stop　to；　which　was　likely；　by　the　fury　wherewith　it　was　carried　along；　to　have　gone　over　the　whole　city；）　Antiochus　accused　the　Jews　as　the　occasion　of　all　the　mischief　that　was　done。　Now　this　induced　the　people　of　Antioch；　who　were　now　under　the　immediate　persuasion；　by　reason　of　the　disorder　they　were　in；　that　this　calumny　was　true；　and　would　have　been　under　the　same　persuasion；　even　though　they　had　not　borne　an　ill…will　at　the　Jews　before；　to　believe　this　man's　accusation；　especially　when　they　considered　what　had　been　done　before；　and　this　to　such　a　degree；　that　they　all　fell　violently　upon　those　that　were　accused；　and　this；　like　madmen；　in　a　very　furious　rage　also；　even　as　if　they　had　seen　the　Jews　in　a　manner　setting　fire　themselves　to　the　city；　nor　was　it　without　difficulty　that　one　Cneius　Collegas；　the　legate；　could　prevail　with　them　to　permit　the　affairs　to　be　laid　before　Caesar；　for　as　to　Cesennius　Petus；　the　president　of　Syria；　Vespasian　had　already　sent　him　away；　and　so　it　happened　that　he　was　not　yet　come　back　thither。　But　when　Collegas　had　made　a　careful　inquiry　into　the　matter；　he　found　out　the　truth；　and　that　not　one　of　those　Jews　that　were　accused　by　Antiochus　had　any　hand　in　it；　but　that　all　was　done　by　some　vile　　persons　greatly　in　debt；　who　supposed　that　if　they　could　once　set　fire　to　the　market…place；　and　burn　the　public　records；　they　should　have　no　further　demands　made　upon　them。　So　the　Jews　were　under　great　disorder　and　terror；　in　the　uncertain　expectations　of　what　would　be　the　upshot　of　these　accusations　against　them。

CHAPTER　4。　　　　　　　　　　How　Vespasian　Was　Received　At　Rome；　As　Also　How　The　Germans　Revolted　From　The　Romans；　But　Were　Subdued。　That　The　Sarmatians　Overran　Mysia；　But　Were　Compelled　To　Retire　To　Their　Own　Country　Again。　　　　1。　And　now　Titus　Caesar；　upon　the　news　that　was　brought　him　concerning　his　father；　that　his　coming　was　much　desired　by　all　the　Italian　cities；　and　that　Rome　especially　received　him　with　great　alacrity　and　splendor；　betook　himself　to　rejoicing　and　pleasures　to　a　great　degree；　as　now　freed　from　the　solicitude　he　had　been　under；　after　the　most　agreeable　manner。　For　all　men　that　were　in　Italy　showed　their　respects　to　him　in　their　minds　before　he　came　thither；　as　if　he　were　already　come；　as　esteeming　the　very　expectation　they　had　of　him　to　be　his　real　presence；　on　account　of　the　great　desires　they　had　to　see　him；　and　because　the　good…will　they　bore　him　was　entirely　free　and　unconstrained；　for　it　was；　desirable　thing　to　the　senate；　who　well　remembered　the　calamities　they　had　undergone　in　the　late　changes　of　their　governors；　to　receive　a　governor　who　was　adorned　with　the　gravity　of　old　age；　and　with　the　highest　skill　in　the　actions　of　war；　whose　advancement　would　be；　as　they　knew；　for　nothing　else　but　for　the　preservation　of　those　that　were　to　be　governed。　Moreover；　the　people　had　been　so　harassed　by　their　civil　miseries；　that　they　were　still　more　earnest　for　his　coming　immediately；　as　supposing　they　should　then　be　firmly　　delivered　from　their　calamities；　and　believed　they　should　then　recover　their　secure　tranquillity　and　prosperity；　and　for　the　soldiery；　they　had　the　principal　regard　to　him；　for　they　were　chiefly　apprized　of　his　great　exploits　in　war；　and　since　they　had　experienced　the　want　of　skill　and　want　of　courage　in　other　commanders；　they　were　very　desirous　to　be　free　from　that　great　shame　they　had　undergone　by　their　means；　and　heartily　wished　to　receive　such　a　prince　as　might　be　a　security　and　an　ornament　to　them。　And　as　t