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[323]
But as for the tyrants themselves, and those that were with them,
when they found that they were encompassed on every side, and, as it were,
walled round, without any method of escaping, they desired to treat with
Titus by word of mouth. Accordingly, such was the kindness of his nature,
and his desire of preserving the city from destruction, joined to the advice
of his friends, who now thought the robbers were come to a temper, that
he placed himself on the western side of the outer [court of the] temple;
for there were gates on that side above the Xystus, and a bridge that connected
the upper city to the temple. This bridge it was that lay between the tyrants
and Caesar, and parted them; while the multitude stood on each side; those
of the Jewish nation about Sinran and John, with great hopes of pardon;
and the Romans about Caesar, in great expectation how Titus would receive
their supplication. So Titus charged his soldiers to restrain their rage,
and to let their darts alone, and appointed an interpreter between them,
which was a sign that he was the conqueror, and first began the discourse,
and said, "I hope you, sirs, are now satiated with the miseries of
your country, who have not bad any just notions, either of our great power,
or of your own great weakness, but have, like madmen, after a violent and
inconsiderate manner, made such attempts, as have brought your people,
your city, and your holy house to destruction. You have been the men that
have never left off rebelling since Pompey first conquered you, and have,
since that time, made open war with the Romans. Have you depended on your
multitude, while a very small part of the Roman soldiery have been strong
enough for you? Have you relied on the fidelity of your confederates? And
what nations are there, out of the limits of our dominion, that would choose
to assist the Jews before the Romans? Are your bodies stronger than ours?
nay, you know that the [strong] Germans themselves are our servants. Have
you stronger walls than we have? Pray, what greater obstacle is there than
the wall of the ocean, with which the Britons are encompassed, and yet
do adore the arms of the Romans. Do you exceed us in courage of soul, and
in the sagacity of your commanders? Nay, indeed, you cannot but know that
the very Carthaginians have been conquered by us. It can therefore be nothing
certainly but the kindness of us Romans which hath excited you against
us; who, in the first place, have given you this land to possess; and,
in the next place, have set over you kings of your own nation; and, in
the third place, have preserved the laws of your forefathers to you, and
have withal permitted you to live, either by yourselves, or among others,
as it should please you: and, what is our chief favor of all we have given
you leave to gather up that tribute which is paid to God 1
with such other gifts that are dedicated to him; nor have we called those
that carried these donations to account, nor prohibited them; till at length
you became richer than we ourselves, even when you were our enemies; and
you made preparations for war against us with our own money; nay, after
all, when you were in the enjoyment of all these advantages, you turned
your too great plenty against those that gave it you, and, like merciless
serpents, have thrown out your poison against those that treated you kindly.
I suppose, therefore, that you might despise the slothfulness of Nero,
and, like limbs of the body that are broken or dislocated, you did then
lie quiet, waiting for some other time, though still with a malicious intention,
and have now showed your distemper to be greater than ever, and have extended
your desires as far as your impudent and immense hopes would enable you
to do it. At this time my father came into this country, not with a design
to punish you for what you had done under Cestius, but to admonish you;
for had he come to overthrow your nation, he had run directly to your fountain-head,
and had immediately laid this city waste; whereas he went and burnt Galilee
and the neighboring parts, and thereby gave you time for repentance; which
instance of humanity you took for an argument of his weakness, and nourished
up your impudence by our mildness. When Nero was gone out of the world,
you did as the wickedest wretches would have done, and encouraged yourselves
to act against us by our civil dissensions, and abused that time, when
both I and my father were gone away to Egypt, to make preparations for
this war. Nor were you ashamed to raise disturbances against us when we
were made emperors, and this while you had experienced how mild we had
been, when we were no more than generals of the army. But when the government
was devolved upon us, and all other people did thereupon lie quiet, and
even foreign nations sent embassies, and congratulated our access to the
government, then did you Jews show yourselves to be our enemies. You sent
embassies to those of your nation that are beyond Euphrates to assist you
in your raising disturbances; new walls were built by you round your city,
seditions arose, and one tyrant contended against another, and a civil
war broke out among you; such indeed as became none but so wicked a people
as you are. I then came to this city, as unwillingly sent by my father,
and received melancholy injunctions from him. When I heard that the people
were disposed to peace, I rejoiced at it; I exhorted you to leave off these
proceedings before I began this war; I spared you even when you had fought
against me a great while; I gave my right hand as security to the deserters;
I observed what I had promised faithfully. When they fled to me, I had
compassion on many of those that I had taken captive; I tortured those
that were eager for war, in order to restrain them. It was unwillingly
that I brought my engines of war against your walls; I always prohibited
my soldiers, when they were set upon your slaughter, from their severity
against you. After every victory I persuaded you to peace, as though I
had been myself conquered. When I came near your temple, I again departed
from the laws of war, and exhorted you to spare your own sanctuary, and
to preserve your holy house to yourselves. I allowed you a quiet exit out
of it, and security for your preservation; nay, if you had a mind, I gave
you leave to fight in another place. Yet have you still despised every
one of my proposals, and have set fire to your holy house with your own
hands. And now, vile wretches, do you desire to treat with me by word of
mouth? To what purpose is it that you would save such a holy house as this
was, which is now destroyed? What preservation can you now desire after
the destruction of your temple? Yet do you stand still at this very time
in your armor; nor can you bring yourselves so much as to pretend to be
supplicants even in this your utmost extremity. O miserable creatures!
what is it you depend on? Are not your people dead? is not your holy house
gone? is not your city in my power? and are not your own very lives in
my hands? And do you still deem it a part of valor to die? However, I will
not imitate your madness. If you throw down your arms, and deliver up your
bodies to me, I grant you your lives; and I will act like a mild master
of a family; what cannot be healed shall be punished, and the rest I will
preserve for my own use."
1 Spanheim notes here, that the Romans used to permit the Jews to collect their sacred tribute, and send it to Jerusalem; of which we have had abundant evidence in Josephus already on other occasions.
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