histories-第53章

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



commands　an　extensive　prospect　over　Syria。　The　inhabitants　are　healthy



and　able　to　bear　fatigue。　Rain　is　uncommon；　but　the　soil　is　fertile。



Its　products　resemble　our　own。　They　have；　besides；　the　balsam…tree　and



the　palm。　The　palm…groves　are　tall　and　graceful。　The　balsam　is　a



shrub；　each　branch；　as　it　fills　with　sap；　may　be　pierced　with　a



fragment　of　stone　or　pottery。　If　steel　is　employed；　the　veins　shrink



up。　The　sap　is　used　by　physicians。　Libanus　is　the　principal



mountain；　and　has；　strange　to　say；　amidst　these　burning　heats；　a



summit　shaded　with　trees　and　never　deserted　by　its　snows。　The　same



range　supplies　and　sends　forth　the　stream　of　the　Jordan。　This　river



does　not　discharge　itself　into　the　sea；　but　flows　entire　through　two



lakes；　and　is　lost　in　the　third。　This　is　a　lake　of　vast　circumference；



it　resembles　the　sea；　but　is　more　nauseous　in　taste；　it　breeds



pestilence　among　those　who　live　near　by　its　noisome　odour；　it　cannot



be　moved　by　the　wind；　and　it　affords　no　home　either　to　fish　or



water…birds。　These　strange　waters　support　what　is　thrown　upon　them；　as



on　a　solid　surface；　and　all　persons；　whether　they　can　swim　or　no；



are　equally　buoyed　up　by　the　waves。　At　a　certain　season　of　the　year



the　lake　throws　up　bitumen；　and　the　method　of　collecting　it　has　been



taught　by　that　experience　which　teaches　all　other　arts。　It　is



naturally　a　fluid　of　dark　colour；　when　vinegar　is　sprinkled　upon　it；



it　coagulates　and　floats　upon　the　surface。　Those　whose　business　it



is　take　it　with　the　hand；　and　draw　it　on　to　the　deck　of　the　boat；　it



then　continues　of　itself　to　flow　in　and　lade　the　vessel　till　the



stream　is　cut　off。　Nor　can　this　be　done　by　any　instrument　of　brass



or　iron。　It　shrinks　from　blood　or　any　cloth　stained　by　the　menstrua　of



women。　Such　is　the　account　of　old　authors；　but　those　who　know　the



country　say　that　the　bitumen　moves　in　heaving　masses　on　the　water；



that　it　is　drawn　by　hand　to　the　shore；　and　that　there；　when　dried　by



the　evaporation　of　the　earth　and　the　power　of　the　sun；　it　is　cut



into　pieces　with　axes　and　wedges　just　as　timber　or　stone　would　be。



　　Not　far　from　this　lake　lies　a　plain；　once　fertile；　they　say；　and　the



site　of　great　cities；　but　afterwards　struck　by　lightning　and　consumed。



Of　this　event；　they　declare；　traces　still　remain；　for　the　soil；



which　is　scorched　in　appearance；　has　lost　its　productive　power。



Everything　that　grows　spontaneously；　as　well　as　what　is　planted　by



hand；　either　when　the　leaf　or　flower　have　been　developed；　or　after



maturing　in　the　usual　form；　becomes　black　and　rotten；　and　crumbles



into　a　kind　of　dust。　I　am　ready　to　allow；　on　the　one　hand；　that



cities；　once　famous；　may　have　been　consumed　by　fire　from　heaven；



while；　on　the　other；　I　imagine　that　the　earth　is　infected　by　the



exhalations　of　the　lake；　that　the　surrounding　air　is　tainted；　and　that



thus　the　growth　of　harvest　and　the　fruits　of　autumn　decay　under　the



equally　noxious　influences　of　soil　and　climate。　The　river　Belus　also



flows　into　the　Jewish　sea。　About　its　mouth　is　a　kind　of　sand　which



is　collected；　mixed　with　nitre；　and　fused　into　glass。　This　shore　is　of



limited　extent；　but　furnishes　an　inexhaustible　supply　to　the　exporter。



　　A　great　part　of　Judaea　consists　of　scattered　villages。　They　have



also　towns。　Jersualem　is　the　capital。　There　stood　a　temple　of



immense　wealth。　First　came　the　city　with　its　fortifications；　then



the　royal　palace；　then；　within　the　innermost　defences；　the　temple



itself。　Only　the　Jew　might　approach　the　gates；　all　but　priests　were



forbidden　to　pass　the　threshold。　While　the　East　was　under　the　sway



of　the　Assyrians；　the　Medes；　and　the　Persians；　Jews　were　the　most



contemptible　of　the　subject　tribes。　When　the　Macedonians　became



supreme；　King　Antiochus　strove　to　destroy　the　national　superstition；



and　to　introduce　Greek　civilization；　but　was　prevented　by　his　war　with



the　Parthians　from　at　all　improving　this　vilest　of　nations；　for　at



this　time　the　revolt　of　Arsaces　had　taken　place。　The　Macedonian



power　was　now　weak；　while　the　Parthian　had　not　yet　reached　its　full



strength；　and；　as　the　Romans　were　still　far　off；　the　Jews　chose



kings　for　themselves。　Expelled　by　the　fickle　populace；　and　regaining



their　throne　by　force　of　arms；　these　princes；　while　they　ventured　on



the　wholesale　banishment　of　their　subjects；　on　the　destruction　of



cities；　on　the　murder　of　brothers；　wives；　and　parents；　and　the　other



usual　atrocities　of　despots；　fostered　the　national　superstition　by



appropriating　the　dignity　of　the　priesthood　as　the　support　of　their



political　power。



　　Cneius　Pompeius　was　the　first　of　our　countrymen　to　subdue　the



Jews。　Availing　himself　of　the　right　of　conquest；　he　entered　the



temple。　Thus　it　became　commonly　known　that　the　place　stood　empty



with　no　similitude　of　gods　within；　and　that　the　shrine　had　nothing



to　reveal。　The　walls　of　Jerusalem　were　destroyed；　the　temple　was



left　standing。　After　these　provinces　had　fallen；　in　the　course　of



our　civil　wars；　into　the　hands　of　Marcus　Antonius；　Pacorus；　king　of



the　Parthians；　seized　Judaea。　He　was　slain　by　Publius　Ventidius；　and



the　Parthians　were　driven　back　over　the　Euphrates。　Caius　Sosius



reduced　the　Jews　to　subjection。　The　royal　power；　which　had　been



bestowed　by　Antony　on　Herod；　was　augmented　by　the　victorious　Augustus。



On　Herod's　death；　one　Simon；　without　waiting　for　the　approbation　of



the　Emperor；　usurped　the　title　of　king。　He　was　punished　by



Quintilius　Varus　then　governor　of　Syria；　and　the　nation；　with　its



liberties　curtailed；　was　divided　into　three　provinces　under　the　sons



of　Herod。　Under　Tiberius　all　was　quiet。　But　when　the　Jews　were　ordered



by　Caligula　to　set　up　his　statue　in　the　temple；　they　preferred　the



alternative　of　war。　The　death　of　the　Emperor　put　an　end　to　the



disturbance。　The　kings　were　either　dead；　or　reduced　to　insignificance；



when　Claudius　entrusted　the　province　of　Judaea　to　the　Roman　Knights　or



to　his　own　freedmen；　one　of　whom；　Antonius　Felix；　indulging　in　every



kind　of　barbarity　and　lust；　exercised　the　power　of　a　king　in　the



spirit　of　a　slave。　He　had　married　Drusilla；　the　granddaughter　of



Antony　and　Cleopatra；　and　so　was　the　grandson…in…law；　as　Claudius



was　the　grandson；　of　Antony。



　　Yet　the　endurance　of　the　Jews　lasted　till　Gessius　Florus　was



procurator。　In　his　time　the　war　broke　out。　Cestius　Gallus；　legate　of



Syria；　who　attempted　to　crush　it；　had　to　fight　several　battles；



generally　with　ill…success。　Cestius　dying；　either　in　the　course　of



nature；　or　from　vexation；　Vespasian　was　sent　by　Nero；　and　by　help　of



his　good　fortune；　his　high　reputation；　and　his　excellent　subordinates；



succeeded　within　the　space　of　two　summers　in　occupying　with　his



victorious　army　the　whole　of　the　level　country　and　all　the　cities；



except　Jerusalem。　The　following　year　had　been　wholly　taken　up　with



civil　strife；　and　had　passed；　as　far　as　the　Jews　were　concerned；　in



inaction。　Peace　having　been　established　in　Italy；　foreign　affairs　were



once　more　remembered。　Our　indignation　was　heightened　by　the



circumstance　that　the　Jews　alone　had　not　submitted。　At　the　same　time



it　was　held　to　be　more　expedient；　in　reference　to　the　possible　results



and　contingencies　of　the　new　reign；　that　Titus　should　remain　with



the　army。



　　Accordingly　he　pitched　his　camp；　as　I　have　related；　before　the　walls



of　Jerusalem；　and　displayed　his　legions　in　order　of　battle。



　　The　Jews　formed　their　line　close　under　their　walls；　whence；　if



successful；　they　might　venture　to　advance；　and　where；　if　repulsed；



they　had　a　refuge　at　hand。　The　cavalry　with　some　light　infantry　was



sent　to　attack　them；　and　fought　without　any　decisive　result。　Shortly



afterwards　the　enemy　retreated。　During　the　following　days　they



fought　a　series　of　engagements　in　front　of　the　gates；　till　they　were



driven　within　the　walls　by　continual　defeats。　The　Romans　then　began　to



prepare　for　an　assault。　It　seemed　beneath　them　to　await　the　result



of　famine。　The　army　demanded　the　more　perilous　alternative；　some



prompted　by　courage；　many　by　sheer　ferocity　and　greed　of　gain。　Titus



himself　had　Rome　with　all　its　wealth　and　pleasures　before　his　eyes。



Jerusalem　must　fall　at　once；　or　it　would　delay　his　enjoyment　of



them。　But　the　commanding　situation　of　the　city　had　been　strengthened



by　enormous　works　which　would　have　been　a　thorough　defence　even　for



level　ground。　Two　hills　of　great　height　were　fenced　in　by　walls



which　had　been　skilfully　obliqued　or　bent　inwards；　in　such　a　manner



that　the　flank　of　an　assailant　was　exposed　to　missiles。　The　rock



terminated　in　a　precipice；　the　towers　were　raised　to　a　height　of　sixty



feet；　where　the　hill　lent　its　aid　to　the　fortifications；　where　the



ground　fell；　to　a　height　of　one　hundred　and　twenty。　They　had　a



marvellous　appearance；　and　to　a　distant　spectator　seemed　to　be　of



uniform　elevation。　Within　were　other　walls　surrounding　the　palace；



and；　rising　to　a　conspicuous　height；　the　tower　Antonia；　so　called　by



Herod；　in　honour　of　Marcus　Antonius。



　　The　temple　resembled　a　citadel；　and　had　its　own　walls；　which　were



more　laboriously　constructed　than　the　others。　Even　the　colonnades　with



which　it　was　surrounded　formed　an　admirable　outwork。　It　contained　an



inexhaustible　spring；　there　were　subterranean　excavations　in　the　hill；



and　tanks　and　cisterns　for　holding　rain　water。　The　founders　of　the



state　had　foreseen　that　frequent　wars　would　result　from　the



singularity　of　its　customs；　and　so　had　made　every　provision　against



the　most　protracted　siege。　After　the　capture　of　their　city　by



Pompey；　experience　and　apprehension　taught　them　much。　Availing



themselves　of　the　sordid　policy　of　the　Claudian　era　to　purchase　the



right　of　fortification；　they　raised　in　time　of　peace　such　walls　as



were　suited　for　war。　Their　numbers　were　increased　by　a　vast　rabble



collected　from　the　overthrow　of　the　other　cities。　All　the　most



obstinate　rebels　had　escaped　into　the　place；　and　perpetual　seditions



were　the　consequence。　There　were　three　generals；　and　as　many　armies。



Simon　held　the　outer　and　larger　circuit　of　walls。　John；　also　called



Bargioras；　occupied　the　middle　city。　Eleazar　had　fortified　the　temple。



John　and　Simon　were　strong　in　numbers　and　equipment；　Eleazar　in



position。　There　were　continual　skirmishes；　surprises；　and　incendiary



fires；　and　a　vast　quantity　of　corn　was　burnt。　Before　long　John　sent



some　emissaries；　who；　under　pretence　of　sacrificing；　slaughtered



Eleazar　and　his　partisans；　and　gained　possession　of　the　temple。　The



city　was　thus　divided　between　two　factions；　till；　as　the　Romans



approached；　war　with　the　foreigner　brought　about　a　reconciliation。



　　Prodigies　had