the wars of the jews-第60章

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　doing　all　that　was　possible；　that　you　might　never　have　admitted　the　Romans　＇into　your　city＇；　when　Pompey　came　first　into　the　country。　But　so　it　was；　that　our　ancestors　and　their　kings；　who　were　in　much　better　circumstances　than　we　are；　both　as　to　money；　and　strong　bodies；　and　＇valiant＇　souls；　did　not　bear　the　onset　of　a　small　body　of　the　Roman　army。　And　yet　you；　who　have　now　accustomed　yourselves　to　obedience　from　one　generation　to　another；　and　who　are　so　much　inferior　to　those　who　first　submitted；　in　your　circumstances　will　venture　to　oppose　the　entire　empire　of　the　Romans。　While　those　Athenians；　who；　in　order　to　preserve　the　liberty　of　Greece；　did　once　set　fire　to　their　own　city；　who　pursued　Xerxes；　that　proud　prince；　when　he　sailed　upon　the　land；　and　walked　upon　the　sea；　and　could　not　be　contained　by　the　seas；　but　conducted　such　an　army　as　was　too　broad　for　Europe；　and　made　him　run　away　like　a　fugitive　in　a　single　ship；　and　brake　so　great　a　part　of　Asia　at　the　Lesser　Salamis；　are　yet　at　this　time　servants　to　the　Romans；　and　those　injunctions　which　are　sent　from　Italy　become　laws　to　the　principal　governing　city　of　Greece。　Those　Lacedemonians　also　who　got　the　great　victories　at　Thermopylae。　and　Platea；　and　had　Agesilaus　＇for　their　king＇；　and　searched　every　corner　of　Asia；　are　contented　to　admit　the　same　lords。　Those　Macedonians　also；　who　still　fancy　what　great　men　their　Philip　and　Alexander　were；　and　see　that　the　latter　had　promised　them　the　empire　over　the　world；　these　bear　so　great　a　change；　and　pay　their　obedience　to　those　whom　fortune　hath　advanced　in　their　stead。　Moreover；　ten　thousand　ether　nations　there　are　who　had　greater　reason　than　we　to　claim　their　entire　liberty；　and　yet　do　submit。　You　are　the　only　people　who　think　it　a　disgrace　to　be　servants　to　those　to　whom　all　the　world　hath　submitted。　What　sort　of　an　army　do　you　rely　on？　What　are　the　arms　you　depend　on？　Where　is　your　fleet；　that　may　seize　upon　the　Roman　seas？　and　where　are　those　treasures　which　may　be　sufficient　for　your　undertakings？　Do　you　suppose；　I　pray　you；　that　you　are　to　make　war　with　the　Egyptians；　and　with　the　Arabians？　Will　you　not　carefully　reflect　upon　the　Roman　empire？　Will　you　not　estimate　your　own　weakness？　Hath　not　your　army　been　often　beaten　even　by　your　neighboring　nations；　while　the　power　of　the　Romans　is　invincible　in　all　parts　of　the　habitable　earth？　nay；　rather　they　seek　for　somewhat　still　beyond　that；　for　all　Euphrates　is　not　a　sufficient　boundary　for　them　on　the　east　side；　nor　the　Danube　on　the　north；　and　for　their　southern　limit；　Libya　hath　been　searched　over　by　them；　as　far　as　countries　uninhabited；　as　is　Cadiz　their　limit　on　the　west；　nay；　indeed；　they　have　sought　for　another　habitable　earth　beyond　the　ocean；　and　have　carried　their　arms　as　far　as　such　British　islands　as　were　never　known　before。　What　therefore　do　you　pretend　to？　Are　you　richer　than　the　Gauls；　stronger　than　the　Germans；　wiser　than　the　Greeks；　more　numerous　than　all　men　upon　the　habitable　earth？　What　confidence　is　it　that　elevates　you　to　oppose　the　Romans？　Perhaps　it　will　be　said；　It　is　hard　to　endure　slavery。　Yes；　but　how　much　harder　is　this　to　the　Greeks；　who　were　esteemed　the　noblest　of　all　people　under　the　sun！　These；　though　they　inhabit　in　a　large　country；　are　in　subjection　to　six　bundles　of　Roman　rods。　It　is　the　same　case　with　the　Macedonians；　who　have　juster　reason　to　claim　their　liberty　than　you　have。　What　is　the　case　of　five　hundred　cities　of　Asia？　Do　they　not　submit　to　a　single　governor；　and　to　the　consular　bundle　of　rods？　What　need　I　speak　of　the　Henlochi；　and　Colchi　and　the　nation　of　Tauri；　those　that　inhabit　the　Bosphorus；　and　the　nations　about　Pontus；　and　Meotis；　who　formerly　knew　not　so　much　as　a　lord　of　their　own；　but　arc　now　subject　to　three　thousand　armed　men；　and　where　forty　long　ships　keep　the　sea　in　peace；　which　before　was　not　navigable；　and　very　tempestuous？　How　strong　a　plea　may　Bithynia；　and　Cappadocia；　and　the　people　of　Pamphylia；　the　Lycians；　and　Cilicians；　put　in　for　liberty！　But　they　are　made　tributary　without　an　army。　What　are　the　circumstances　of　the　Thracians；　whose　country　extends　in　breadth　five　days'　journey；　and　in　length　seven；　and　is　of　a　much　more　harsh　constitution；　and　much　more　defensible；　than　yours；　and　by　the　rigor　of　its　cold　sufficient　to　keep　off　armies　from　attacking　them？　do　not　they　submit　to　two　thousand　men　of　the　Roman　garrisons？　Are　not　the　Illyrlans；　who　inhabit　the　country　adjoining；　as　far　as　Dalmatia　and　the　Danube；　governed　by　barely　two　legions？　by　which　also　they　put　a　stop　to　the　incursions　of　the　Daeians。　And　for　the　Dalmatians；　who　have　made　such　frequent　insurrections　in　order　to　regain　their　liberty；　and　who　could　never　before　be　so　thoroughly　subdued；　but　that　they　always　gathered　their　forces　together　again；　revolted；　yet　are　they　now　very　quiet　under　one　Roman　legion。　Moreover；　if　eat　advantages　might　provoke　any　people　to　revolt；　the　Gauls　might　do　it　best　of　all；　as　being　so　thoroughly　walled　round　by　nature；　on　the　east　side　by　the　Alps；　on　the　north　by　the　river　Rhine；　on　the　south　by　the　Pyrenean　mountains；　and　on　the　west　by　the　ocean。　Now　although　these　Gauls　have　such　obstacles　before　them　to　prevent　any　attack　upon　them；　and　have　no　fewer　than　three　hundred　and　five　nations　among　them；　nay　have；　as　one　may　say；　the　fountains　of　domestic　happiness　within　themselves；　and　send　out　plentiful　streams　of　happiness　over　almost　the　whole　world；　these　bear　to　be　tributary　to　the　Romans；　and　derive　their　prosperous　condition　from　them；　and　they　undergo　this；　not　because　they　are　of　effeminate　minds；　or　because　they　are　of　an　ignoble　stock；　as　having　borne　a　war　of　eighty　years　in　order　to　preserve　their　liberty；　but　by　reason　of　the　great　regard　they　have　to　the　power　of　the　Romans；　and　their　good　fortune；　which　is　of　greater　efficacy　than　their　arms。　These　Gauls；　therefore；　are　kept　in　servitude　by　twelve　hundred　soldiers；　which　are　hardly　so　many　as　are　their　cities；　nor　hath　the　gold　dug　out　of　the　mines　of　Spain　been　sufficient　for　the　support　of　a　war　to　preserve　their　liberty；　nor　could　their　vast　distance　from　the　Romans　by　land　and　by　sea　do　it；　nor　could　the　martial　tribes　of　the　Lusitanians　and　Spaniards　escape；　no　more　could　the　ocean；　with　its　tide；　which　yet　was　terrible　to　the　ancient　inhabitants。　Nay；　the　Romans　have　extended　their　arms　beyond　the　pillars　of　Hercules；　and　have　walked　among　the　clouds；　upon　the　Pyrenean　mountains；　and　have　subdued　these　nations。　And　one　legion　is　a　sufficient　guard　for　these　people；　although　they　were　so　hard　to　be　conquered；　and　at　a　distance　so　remote　from　Rome。　Who　is　there　among　you　that　hath　not　heard　of　the　great　number　of　the　Germans？　You　have；　to　be　sure；　yourselves　seen　them　to　be　strong　and　tall；　and　that　frequently；　since　the　Romans　have　them　among　their　captives　every　where；　yet　these　Germans；　who　dwell　in　an　immense　country；　who　have　minds　greater　than　their　bodies；　and　a　soul　that　despises　death；　and　who　are　in　rage　more　fierce　than　wild　beasts；　have　the　Rhine　for　the　boundary　of　their　enterprises；　and　are　tamed　by　eight　Roman　legions。　Such　of　them　as　were　taken　captive　became　their　servants；　and　the　rest　of　the　entire　nation　were　obliged　to　sa