the wars of the jews-第6部分

快捷操作: 按键盘上方向键 ← 或 → 可快速上下翻页 按键盘上的 Enter 键可回到本书目录页 按键盘上方向键 ↑ 可回到本页顶部! 如果本书没有阅读完，想下次继续接着阅读，可使用上方 "收藏到我的浏览器" 功能 和 "加入书签" 功能！


eproaches　upon　Aristobulus；　as　to　his　morals；　and　gave　great　commendations　to　Hyrcanus；　and　exhorted　Aretas　to　receive　him；　and　told　him　how　becoming　a　filing　it　would　be　for　him；　who　ruled　so　great　a　kingdom；　to　afford　his　assistance　to　such　as　are　injured；　alleging　that　Hyrcanus　was　treated　unjustly；　by　being　deprived　of　that　dominion　which　belonged　to　him　by　the　prerogative　of　his　birth。　And　when　he　had　predisposed　them　both　to　do　what　he　would　have　them；　he　took　Hyrcanus　by　night；　and　ran　away　from　the　city；　and；　continuing　his　flight　with　great　swiftness；　he　escaped　to　the　place　called　Petra；　which　is　the　royal　seat　of　the　king　of　Arabia；　where　he　put　Hyrcanus　into　Aretas's　hand；　and　by　discoursing　much　with　him；　and　gaining　upon　him　with　many　presents；　he　prevailed　with　him　to　give　him　an　army　that　might　restore　him　to　his　kingdom。　This　army　consisted　of　fifty　thousand　footmen　and　horsemen；　against　which　Aristobulus　was　not　able　to　make　resistance；　but　was　deserted　in　his　first　onset；　and　was　driven　to　Jerusalem；　he　also　had　been　taken　at　first　by　force；　if　Scaurus；　the　Roman　general；　had　not　come　and　seasonably　interposed　himself；　and　raised　the　siege。　This　Scaurus　was　sent　into　Syria　from　Armenia　by　Pompey　the　Great；　when　he　fought　against　Tigranes；　so　Scaurus　came　to　Damascus；　which　had　been　lately　taken　by　Metellus　and　Lollius；　and　caused　them　to　leave　the　place；　and；　upon　his　hearing　how　the　affairs　of　Judea　stood；　he　made　haste　thither　as　to　a　certain　booty。

3。　As　soon；　therefore；　as　he　was　come　into　the　country；　there　came　ambassadors　from　both　the　brothers；　each　of　them　desiring　his　assistance；　but　Aristobulus's　three　hundred　talents　had　more　weight　with　him　than　the　justice　of　the　cause；　which　sum；　when　Scaurus　had　received；　he　sent　a　herald　to　Hyrcanus　and　the　Arabians；　and　threatened　them　with　the　resentment　of　the　Romans　and　of　Pompey；　unless　they　would　raise　the　siege。　So　Aretas　was　terrified；　and　retired　out　of　Judea　to　Philadelphia；　as　did　Scaurus　return　to　Damascus　again；　nor　was　Aristobulus　satisfied　with　escaping　＇out　of　his　brother's　hands；＇　but　gathered　all　his　forces　together；　and　pursued　his　enemies；　and　fought　them　at　a　place　called　Papyron；　and　slew　about　six　thousand　of　them；　and；　together　with　them　Antipater's　brother　Phalion。

4。　When　Hyrcanus　and　Antipater　were　thus　deprived　of　their　hopes　from　the　Arabians；　they　transferred　the　same　to　their　adversaries；　and　because　Pompey　had　passed　through　Syria；　and　was　come　to　Damascus；　they　fled　to　him　for　assistance；　and；　without　any　bribes；　　they　made　the　same　equitable　pleas　that　they　had　used　to　Aretas；　and　besought　him　to　hate　the　violent　behavior　of　Aristobulus；　and　to　bestow　the　kingdom　on　him　to　whom　it　justly　belonged；　both　on　account　of　his　good　character　and　on　account　of　his　superiority　in　age。　However；　neither　was　Aristobulus　wanting　to　himself　in　this　case；　as　relying　on　the　bribes　that　Scaurus　had　received：　he　was　also　there　himself；　and　adorned　himself　after　a　manner　the　most　agreeable　to　royalty　that　he　was　able。　But　he　soon　thought　it　beneath　him　to　come　in　such　a　servile　manner；　and　could　not　endure　to　serve　his　own　ends　in　a　way　so　much　more　abject　than　he　was　used　to；　so　he　departed　from　Diospolis。

5。　At　this　his　behavior　Pompey　had　great　indignation；　Hyrcanus　also　and　his　friends　made　great　intercessions　to　Pompey；　so　he　took　not　only　his　Roman　forces；　but　many　of　his　Syrian　auxiliaries；　and　marched　against　Aristobulus。　But　when　he　had　passed　by　Pella　and　Scythopolis；　and　was　come　to　Corea；　where　you　enter　into　the　country　of　Judea；　when　you　go　up　to　it　through　the　Mediterranean　parts；　he　heard　that　Aristobulus　was　fled　to　Alexandrium；　which　is　a　strong　hold　fortified　with　the　utmost　magnificence；　and　situated　upon　a　high　mountain；　and　he　sent　to　him；　and　commanded　him　to　come　down。　Now　his　inclination　was　to　try　his　fortune　in　a　battle；　since　he　was　called　in　such　an　imperious　manner；　rather　than　to　comply　with　that　call。　However；　he　saw　the　multitude　were　in　great　fear；　and　his　friends　exhorted　him　to　consider　what　the　power　of　the　Romans　was；　and　how　it　was　irresistible；　so　he　complied　with　their　advice；　and　came　down　to　Pompey；　and　when　he　had　made　a　long　apology　for　himself；　and　for　the　justness　of　his　cause　in　taking　the　government；　he　returned　to　the　fortress。　And　when　his　brother　invited　him　again　＇to　plead　his　cause＇；　he　came　down　and　spake　about　the　justice　of　it；　and　then　went　away　without　any　hinderance　from　Pompey；　so　he　was　between　hope　and　fear。　And　when　he　came　down；　it　was　to　prevail　with　Pompey　to　allow　him　the　government　entirely；　and　when　he　went　up　to　the　citadel；　it　was　that　he　might　not　appear　to　debase　himself　too　low。　However；　Pompey　commanded　him　to　give　up　his　fortified　places；　and　forced　him　to　write　to　every　one　of　their　governors　to　yield　them　up；　they　having　had　this　charge　given　them；　to　obey　no　letters　but　what　were　of　his　own　hand…writing。　Accordingly　he　did　what　he　was　ordered　to　do；　but　had　still　an　indignation　at　what　was　done；　and　retired　to　Jerusalem；　and　prepared　to　fight　with　Pompey。

6。　But　Pompey　did　not　give　him　time　to　make　any　preparations　＇for　a　siege＇；　but　followed　him　at　his　heels；　he　was　also　obliged　to　make　haste　in　his　attempt；　by　the　death　of　Mithridates；　of　which　he　was　informed　about　Jericho。　Now　here　is　the　most　fruitful　country　of　Judea；　which　bears　a　vast　number　of　palm　trees　（7）　besides　the　balsam　tree；　whose　sprouts　they　cut　with　sharp　stones；　and　at　the　incisions　they　gather　the　juice；　which　drops　down　like　tears。　So　Pompey　pitched　his　camp　in　that　place　one　night；　and　then　hasted　away　the　next　morning　to　Jerusalem；　but　Aristobulus　was　so　aftrighted　at　his　approach；　that　he　came　and　met　him　by　way　of　supplication。　He　also　promised　him　money；　and　that　he　would　deliver　up　both　himself　and　the　city　into　his　disposal；　and　thereby　mitigated　the　anger　of　Pompey。　Yet　did　not　he　perform　any　of　the　conditions　he　had　agreed　to；　for　Aristobulus's　party　would　not　so　much　as　admit　Gabinius　into　the　city；　who　was　sent　to　receive　the　money　that　he　had　promised。　　CHAPTER　7。

How　Pompey　Had　The　City　Of　Jerusalem　Delivered　Up　To　Him　But　Took　The　Temple　By　Force。　How　He　Went　Into　The　Holy　Of　Holies；　As　Also　What　Were　His　Other　Exploits　In　Judea。

1。　At　this　treatment　Pompey　was　very　angry；　and　took　Aristobulus　into　custody。　And　when　he　was　come　to　the　city；　he　looked　about　where　he　might　make　his　attack；　for　he　saw　the　walls　were　so　firm；　that　it　would　be　hard　to　overcome　them；　and　that　the　valley　before　the　walls　was　terrible；　and　that　the　temple；　which　was　within　that　valley；　was　itself　encompassed　with　a　very　strong　wall；　insomuch　that　if　the　city　were　taken；　that　temple　would　be　a　second　place　of　refuge　for　the　enemy　to　retire　to。

2。　Now　as　be　was　long　in　deliberating　about　this　matter；　a　sedition　arose　among　the　people　within　the　city；　Aristobulus's　party　being　willing　to　fight；　and　to　set　their　king　at　liberty；　while　the　party　of　Hyrcanus　were　for　opening　the　gates　to　Pompey；　and　the　dread　people　were　in　occasioned　these　last　to　be　a　very　numerous　party；　when　they　looked　upon　the　excellent　order　the　Roman　soldiers　were　in。　So　Aristobulus's　party　was　worsted；　and　retired　into　the　temple；　and　cut　off　the　communication　between　the　temple　and　the　city；　by　breaking　down　the　bridge　that　joined　them　together；　and　prepared　to　make　an　opposition　to　the　utmost；　but　as　the　others　had　received　the　Romans　into　the　city；　and　had　delivered　up　the　palace　to　him；　Pompey　sent　Piso；　one　of　his　great　officers；　into　that　palace　with　an　army；　who　distributed　a　garrison　about　the　city；　because　he　could　not　persuade　any　one　of　those　that　had　fled　to　the　temple　to　come　to　terms　of　accommodation；　he　then　disposed　all　things　that　were　round　about　them　so　as　might　favor　their　attacks；　as　having　Hyrcanus's　party　very　ready　to　afford　them　both　counsel　and　assistance。

3。　But　Pompey　himself　filled　up　the　ditch　that　was　oil　the　north　side　of　the　temple；　and　the　entire　valley　also；　the　army　itself　being　obliged　to　carry　the　materials　for　that　purpose。　And　indeed　it　was　a　hard　thing　to　fill　up　that　valley；　by　reason　of　its　immense　depth；　especially　as　the　Jews　used　all　the　means　possible　to　repel　them　from　their　superior　situation；　nor　had　the　Romans　succeeded　in　their　endeavors；　had　not　Pompey　taken　notice　of　the　seventh　days；　on　which　the　Jews　abstain　from　all　sorts　of　work　on　a　religious　account；　and　raised　his　bank；　but　restrained　his　soldiers　from　fighting　on　those　days；　for　the　Jews　only　acted　defensively　on　sabbath　days。　But　as　soon　as　Pompey　had　filled　up　the　valley；　he　erected　high　towers　upon　the　bank；　and　brought　those　engines　which　they　had　fetched　from　Tyre　near　to　the　wall；　and　tried　to　batter　it　down；　and　the　slingers　of　stones　beat　off　those　that　stood　above　them；　and　drove　them　away；　but　the　towers　on　this　side　of　the　city　made　very　great　resistance；　and　were　indeed　extraordinary　both　for　largeness　and　magnificence。

4。　Now　here　it　was　that；　upon　the　many　hardships　which　the　Romans　underwent；　Pompey　could　not　but　admire　not　only　at　the　other　instances　of　the　Jews'　fortitude；　but　especially　that　they　did　not　at　all　intermit　their　religious　services；　even　when　they　were　encompassed　with　darts　on　all　sides；　for；　as　if　the　city　were　in　full　peace；　their　daily　sacrifices　and　purifications；　and　every　branch　of　their　religious　worship；　was　still　performed　to　God　with　the　utmost　exactness。　Nor　indeed　when　the　temple　was　actually　taken；　and　they　were　every　day　slain　about　the　altar；　did　they　leave　off　the　instances　of　their　Divine　worship　that　were　appointed　by　their　law；　for　it　was　in　the　third　month　of　the　siege　before　the　Romans　could　even　with　great　difficulty　overthrow　one　of　the　towers；　and　get　into　the　temple。　Now　he　that　first　of　all　ventured　to　get　over　the　wall；　was　Faustus　Cornelius　the　son　of　Sylla；　and　next　after　him　were　two　centurions；　Furius　and　Fabius；　and　every　one　of　these　was　followed　by　a　cohort　of　his　own；　who　encompassed　the　Jews　on　all　sides；　and　slew　them；　some　of　them　as　they　were　running　for　shelter　to　the　temple；　and　others　as　they；　for　a　while；　fought　in　their　own　defense。

5。　And　now　did　many　of　the　priests；　even　when　they　saw　their　enemies　assailing　them　with　swords　in　thei