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[362]
So Josephus went round about the wall, and tried to find a place
that was out of the reach of their darts, and yet within their hearing,
and besought them, in many words, to spare themselves, to spare their country
and their temple, and not to be more obdurate in these cases than foreigners
themselves; for that the Romans, who had no relation to those things, had
a reverence for their sacred rites and places, although they belonged to
their enemies, and had till now kept their hands off from meddling with
them; while such as were brought up under them, and, if they be preserved,
will be the only people that will reap the benefit of them, hurry on to
have them destroyed. That certainly they have seen their strongest walls
demolished, and that the wall still remaining was weaker than those that
were already taken. That they must know the Roman power was invincible,
and that they had been used to serve them; for, that in case it be allowed
a right thing to fight for liberty, that ought to have been done at first;
but for them that have once fallen under the power of the Romans, and have
now submitted to them for so many long years, to pretend to shake off that
yoke afterward, was the work of such as had a mind to die miserably, not
of such as were lovers of liberty. Besides, men may well enough grudge
at the dishonor of owning ignoble masters over them, but ought not to do
so to those who have all things under their command; for what part of the
world is there that hath escaped the Romans, unless it be such as are of
no use for violent heat, or for violent cold? And evident it is that fortune
is on all hands gone over to them; and that God, when he had gone round
the nations with this dominion, is now settled in Italy. That, moreover,
it is a strong and fixed law, even among brute beasts, as well as among
men, to yield to those that are too strong for them; and to stiffer those
to have the dominion who are too hard for the rest in war; for which reason
it was that their forefathers, who were far superior to them, both in their
souls and bodies, and other advantages, did yet submit to the Romans, which
they would not have suffered, had they not known that God was with them.
As for themselves, what can they depend on in this their opposition, when
the greatest part of their city is already taken? and when those that are
within it are under greater miseries than if they were taken, although
their walls be still standing? For that the Romans are not unacquainted
with that famine which is in the city, whereby the people are already consumed,
and the fighting men will in a little time be so too; for although the
Romans should leave off the siege, and not fall upon the city with their
swords in their hands, yet was there an insuperable war that beset them
within, and was augmented every hour, unless they were able to wage war
with famine, and fight against it, or could alone conquer their natural
appetites. He added this further, how right a thing it was to change their
conduct before their calamities were become incurable, and to have recourse
to such advice as might preserve them, while opportunity was offered them
for so doing; for that the Romans would not be mindful of their past actions
to their disadvantage, unless they persevered in their insolent behavior
to the end; because they were naturally mild in their conquests, and preferred
what was profitable, before what their passions dictated to them; which
profit of theirs lay not in leaving the city empty of inhabitants, nor
the country a desert; on which account Caesar did now offer them his right
hand for their security. Whereas, if he took the city by force, he would
not save any of them, and this especially, if they rejected his offers
in these their utmost distresses; for the walls that were already taken
could not but assure them that the third wall would quickly be taken also.
And though their fortifications should prove too strong for the Romans
to break through them, yet would the famine fight for the Romans against
them.
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