histories-第52章

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being　supreme　ruler　of　all　things；　but　most　people　with　Pluto；　arguing



from　the　emblems　which　may　be　seen　on　his　statues；　or　from　conjectures



of　their　own。



　　Domitian　and　Mucianus　received；　before　they　reached　the　Alps；



favourable　news　of　the　operations　among　the　Treveri。　The　best　proof　of



the　victory　was　seen　in　the　enemy's　general　Valentinus；　who　with



undaunted　courage　shewed　in　his　look　his　habitual　high　spirit。　He



was　heard；　but　only　that　they　might　judge　of　his　character；　and　he　was



condemned。　During　his　execution　he　replied　to　one　who　taunted　him　with



the　subjection　of　his　country；　〃That　I　take　as　my　consolation　in



death。〃　Mucianus　now　brought　forward　as　a　new　thought　a　plan　he　had



long　concealed。　〃Since；〃　he　said；　〃by　the　blessing　of　the　Gods　the



strength　of　the　enemy　has　been　broken；　it　would　little　become



Domitian；　now　that　the　war　is　all　but　finished；　to　interfere　with



the　glory　of　others。　If　the　stability　of　the　Empire　or　the　safety　of



Gaul　were　in　danger；　it　would　have　been　right　for　Caesar　to　take　his



place　in　the　field；　but　the　Canninefates　and　Batavi　should　be　handed



over　to　inferior　generals。　Let　the　Emperor　display　from　the　near



neighbourhood　of　Lugdunum　the　might　and　prestige　of　imperial　power；



not　meddling　with　trifling　risks；　though　he　would　not　be　wanting　on



greater　occasions。〃



　　His　artifices　were　understood；　but　it　was　a　part　of　their　respect



not　to　expose　them。　Thus　they　arrived　at　Lugdunum。　It　is　believed　that



from　this　place　Domitian　despatched　secret　emissaries　to　Cerialis；　and



tempted　his　loyalty　with　the　question　whether；　on　his　shewing　himself；



he　would　hand　over　to　him　the　command　of　the　army。　Whether　in　this



scheme　Domitian　was　thinking　of　war　with　his　father；　or　of



collecting　money；　and　men　to　be　used　against　his　brother；　was



uncertain；　for　Cerialis；　by　a　judicious　temporising；　eluded　the



request　as　prompted　by　an　idle　and　childish　ambition。　Domitian；　seeing



that　his　youth　was　despised　by　the　older　officers；　gave　up　even　the



less　important　functions　of　government　which　he　had　before



exercised。　Under　a　semblance　of　simple　and　modest　tastes；　he　wrapped



himself　in　a　profound　reserve；　and　affected　a　devotion　to　literature



and　a　love　of　poetry；　thus　seeking　to　throw　a　veil　over　his　character；



and　to　withdraw　himself　from　the　jealousy　of　his　brother；　of　whose



milder　temper；　so　unlike　his　own；　he　judged　most　falsely。



　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　BOOK　V；　A。D。　70







　　EARLY　in　this　year　Titus　Caesar；　who　had　been　selected　by　his　father



to　complete　the　subjugation　of　Judaea；　and　who　had　gained



distinction　as　a　soldier　while　both　were　still　subjects；　began　to　rise



in　power　and　reputation；　as　armies　and　provinces　emulated　each　other



in　their　attachment　to　him。　The　young　man　himself；　anxious　to　be



thought　superior　to　his　station；　was　ever　displaying　his



gracefulness　and　his　energy　in　war。　By　his　courtesy　and　affability



he　called　forth　a　willing　obedience；　and　he　often　mixed　with　the



common　soldiers；　while　working　or　marching；　without　impairing　his



dignity　as　general。　He　found　in　Judaea　three　legions；　the　5th；　the



10th；　and　the　15th；　all　old　troops　of　Vespasian's。　To　these　he　added



the　12th　from　Syria；　and　some　men　belonging　to　the　18th　and　3rd；



whom　he　had　withdrawn　from　Alexandria。　This　force　was　accompanied　by



twenty　cohorts　of　allied　troops　and　eight　squadrons　of　cavalry；　by　the



two　kings　Agrippa　and　Sohemus；　by　the　auxiliary　forces　of　king



Antiochus；　by　a　strong　contingent　of　Arabs；　who　hated　the　Jews　with



the　usual　hatred　of　neighbours；　and；　lastly；　by　many　persons　brought



from　the　capital　and　from　Italy　by　private　hopes　of　securing　the　yet



unengaged　affections　of　the　Prince。　With　this　force　Titus　entered



the　enemy's　territory；　preserving　strict　order　on　his　march；



reconnoitring　every　spot；　and　always　ready　to　give　battle。　At　last



he　encamped　near　Jerusalem。



　　As　I　am　about　to　relate　the　last　days　of　a　famous　city；　it　seems



appropriate　to　throw　some　light　on　its　origin。



　　Some　say　that　the　Jews　were　fugitives　from　the　island　of　Crete；



who　settled　on　the　nearest　coast　of　Africa　about　the　time　when



Saturn　was　driven　from　his　throne　by　the　power　of　Jupiter。　Evidence　of



this　is　sought　in　the　name。　There　is　a　famous　mountain　in　Crete　called



Ida；　the　neighbouring　tribe；　the　Idaei；　came　to　be　called　Judaei　by



a　barbarous　lengthening　of　the　national　name。　Others　assert　that　in



the　reign　of　Isis　the　overflowing　population　of　Egypt；　led　by



Hierosolymus　and　Judas；　discharged　itself　into　the　neighbouring



countries。　Many；　again；　say　that　they　were　a　race　of　Ethiopian　origin；



who　in　the　time　of　king　Cepheus　were　driven　by　fear　and　hatred　of



their　neighbours　to　seek　a　new　dwelling…place。　Others　describe　them　as



an　Assyrian　horde　who；　not　having　sufficient　territory；　took



possession　of　part　of　Egypt；　and　founded　cities　of　their　own　in　what



is　called　the　Hebrew　country；　lying　on　the　borders　of　Syria。　Others；



again；　assign　a　very　distinguished　origin　to　the　Jews；　alleging　that



they　were　the　Solymi；　a　nation　celebrated　in　the　poems　of　Homer；　who



called　the　city　which　they　founded　Hierosolyma　after　their　own　name。



　　Most　writers；　however；　agree　in　stating　that　once　a　disease；　which



horribly　disfigured　the　body；　broke　out　over　Egypt；　that　king



Bocchoris；　seeking　a　remedy；　consulted　the　oracle　of　Hammon；　and　was



bidden　to　cleanse　his　realm；　and　to　convey　into　some　foreign　land　this



race　detested　by　the　gods。　The　people；　who　had　been　collected　after



diligent　search；　finding　themselves　left　in　a　desert；　sat　for　the　most



part　in　a　stupor　of　grief；　till　one　of　the　exiles；　Moyses　by　name；



warned　them　not　to　look　for　any　relief　from　God　or　man；　forsaken　as



they　were　of　both；　but　to　trust　to　themselves；　taking　for　their



heaven…sent　leader　that　man　who　should　first　help　them　to　be　quit　of



their　present　misery。　They　agreed；　and　in　utter　ignorance　began　to



advance　at　random。　Nothing；　however；　distressed　them　so　much　as　the



scarcity　of　water；　and　they　had　sunk　ready　to　perish　in　all　directions



over　the　plain；　when　a　herd　of　wild　asses　was　seen　to　retire　from



their　pasture　to　a　rock　shaded　by　trees。　Moyses　followed　them；　and；



guided　by　the　appearance　of　a　grassy　spot；　discovered　an　abundant



spring　of　water。　This　furnished　relief。　After　a　continuous　journey　for



six　days；　on　the　seventh　they　possessed　themselves　of　a　country；



from　which　they　expelled　the　inhabitants；　and　in　which　they　founded



a　city　and　a　temple。



　　Moyses；　wishing　to　secure　for　the　future　his　authority　over　the



nation；　gave　them　a　novel　form　of　worship；　opposed　to　all　that　is



practised　by　other　men。　Things　sacred　with　us；　with　them　have　no



sanctity；　while　they　allow　what　with　us　is　forbidden。　In　their　holy



place　they　have　consecrated　an　image　of　the　animal　by　whose　guidance



they　found　deliverance　from　their　long　and　thirsty　wanderings。　They



slay　the　ram；　seemingly　in　derision　of　Hammon；　and　they　sacrifice



the　ox；　because　the　Egyptians　worship　it　as　Apis。　They　abstain　from



swine's　flesh；　in　consideration　of　what　they　suffered　when　they　were



infected　by　the　leprosy　to　which　this　animal　is　liable。　By　their



frequent　fasts　they　still　bear　witness　to　the　long　hunger　of　former



days；　and　the　Jewish　bread；　made　without　leaven；　is　retained　as　a



memorial　of　their　hurried　seizure　of　corn。　We　are　told　that　the　rest



of　the　seventh　day　was　adopted；　because　this　day　brought　with　it　a



termination　of　their　toils；　after　a　while　the　charm　of　indolence



beguilded　them　into　giving　up　the　seventh　year　also　to　inaction。　But



others　say　that　it　is　an　observance　in　honour　of　Saturn；　either　from



the　primitive　elements　of　their　faith　having　been　transmitted　from　the



Idaei；　who　are　said　to　have　shared　the　flight　of　that　God；　and　to　have



founded　the　race；　or　from　the　circumstance　that　of　the　seven　stars



which　rule　the　destinies　of　men　Saturn　moves　in　the　highest　orbit



and　with　the　mightiest　power；　and　that　many　of　the　heavenly　bodies



complete　their　revolutions　and　courses　in　multiples　of　seven。



　　This　worship；　however　introduced；　is　upheld　by　its　antiquity；　all



their　other　customs；　which　are　at　once　perverse　and　disgusting；　owe



their　strength　to　their　very　badness。　The　most　degraded　out　of　other



races；　scorning　their　national　beliefs；　brought　to　them　their



contributions　and　presents。　This　augmented　the　wealth　of　the　Jews；



as　also　did　the　fact；　that　among　themselves　they　are　inflexibly　honest



and　ever　ready　to　shew　compassion；　though　they　regard　the　rest　of



mankind　with　all　the　hatred　of　enemies。　They　sit　apart　at　meals；



they　sleep　apart；　and　though；　as　a　nation；　they　are　singularly　prone



to　lust；　they　abstain　from　intercourse　with　foreign　women；　among



themselves　nothing　is　unlawful。　Circumcision　was　adopted　by　them　as



a　mark　of　difference　from　other　men。　Those　who　come　over　to　their



religion　adopt　the　practice；　and　have　this　lesson　first　instilled　into



them；　to　despise　all　gods；　to　disown　their　country；　and　set　at



nought　parents；　children；　and　brethren。　Still　they　provide　for　the



increase　of　their　numbers。　It　is　a　crime　among　them　to　kill　any



newly…born　infant。　They　hold　that　the　souls　of　all　who　perish　in



battle　or　by　the　hands　of　the　executioner　are　immortal。　Hence　a



passion　for　propagating　their　race　and　a　contempt　for　death。　They



are　wont　to　bury　rather　than　to　burn　their　dead；　following　in　this　the



Egyptian　cus



tom；　they　bestow　the　same　care　on　the　dead；　and　they　hold　the　same



belief　about　the　lower　world。　Quite　different　is　their　faith　about



things　divine。　The　Egyptians　worship　many　animals　and　images　of



monstrous　form；　the　Jews　have　purely　mental　conceptions　of　Deity；　as



one　in　essence。　They　call　those　profane　who　make　representations　of



God　in　human　shape　out　of　perishable　materials。　They　believe　that



Being　to　be　supreme　and　eternal；　neither　capable　of　representation；



nor　of　decay。　They　therefore　do　not　allow　any　images　to　stand　in　their



cities；　much　less　in　their　temples。　This　flattery　is　not　paid　to　their



kings；　nor　this　honour　to　our　Emperors。　From　the　fact；　however；　that



their　priests　used　to　chant　to　the　music　of　flutes　and　cymbals；　and　to



wear　garlands　of　ivy；　and　that　a　golden　vine　was　found　in　the



temple；　some　have　thought　that　they　worshipped　father　Liber；　the



conqueror　of　the　East；　though　their　institutions　do　not　by　any　means



harmonize　with　the　theory；　for　Liber　established　a　festive　and



cheerful　worship；　while　the　Jewish　religion　is　tasteless　and　mean。



　　Eastward　the　country　is　bounded　by　Arabia；　to　the　south　lies



Egypt；　on　the　west　are　Phoenicia　and　the　Mediterranean。　Northward　it



commands　an　extensive　prospect