the wars of the jews-第66部分

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rst　any　one　venture　to　fight　with　him；　or　to　hinder　him；　so　they　left　guarding　the　city；　and　some　of　those　that　were　about　Jesus　fled　over　the　country；　while　others　of　them　ran　down　to　the　lake；　and　met　the　enemy　in　the　teeth；　and　some　were　slain　as　they　were　getting　up　into　the　ships；　but　others　of　them　as　they　attempted　to　overtake　those　that　were　already　gone　aboard。　There　was　also　a　great　slaughter　made　in　the　city；　while　those　foreigners　that　had　not　fled　away　already　made　opposition；　but　the　natural　inhabitants　were　killed　without　fighting：　for　in　hopes　of　Titus's　giving　them　his　right　hand　for　their　security；　and　out　of　a　consciousness　that　they　had　not　given　any　consent　to　the　war；　they　avoided　fighting；　till　Titus　had　slain　the　authors　of　this　revolt；　and　then　put　a　stop　to　any　further　slaughters；　out　of　commiseration　of　these　inhabitants　of　the　place。　But　for　those　that　had　fled　to　the　lake；　upon　seeing　the　city　taken；　they　sailed　as　far　as　they　possibly　could　from　the　enemy。

6。　Hereupon　Titus　sent　one　of　his　horsemen　to　his　father；　and　let　him　know　the　good　news　of　what　he　had　done；　at　which；　as　was　natural；　he　was　very　joyful；　both　on　account　of　the　courage　and　glorious　actions　of　his　son；　for　he　thought　that　now　the　greatest　part　of　the　war　was　over。　He　then　came　thither　himself；　and　set　men　to　guard　the　city；　and　gave　them　command　to　take　care　that　nobody　got　privately　out　of　it；　but　to　kill　such　as　attempted　so　to　do。　And　on　the　next　day　he　went　down　to　the　lake；　and　commanded　that　vessels　should　be　fitted　up；　in　order　to　pursue　those　that　had　escaped　in　the　ships。　These　vessels　were　quickly　gotten　ready　accordingly；　because　there　was　great　plenty　of　materials；　and　a　great　number　of　artificers　also。

7。　Now　this　lake　of　Gennesareth　is　so　called　from　the　country　adjoining　to　it。　Its　breadth　is　forty　furlongs；　and　its　length　one　hundred　and　forty；　its　waters　are　sweet；　and　very　agreeable　for　drinking；　for　they　are　finer　than　the　thick　waters　of　other　fens；　the　lake　is　also　pure；　and　on　every　side　ends　directly　at　the　shores；　and　at　the　sand；　it　is　also　of　a　temperate　nature　when　you　draw　it　up；　and　of　a　more　gentle　nature　than　river　or　fountain　water；　and　yet　always　cooler　than　one　could　expect　in　so　diffuse　a　place　as　this　is。　Now　when　this　water　is　kept　in　the　open　air；　it　is　as　cold　as　that　snow　which　the　country　people　are　accustomed　to　make　by　night　in　summer。　There　are　several　kinds　of　fish　in　it；　different　both　to　the　taste　and　the　sight　from　those　elsewhere。　It　is　divided　into　two　parts　by　the　river　Jordan。　Now　Panium　is　thought　to　be　the　fountain　of　Jordan；　but　in　reality　it　is　carried　thither　after　an　occult　manner　from　the　place　called　Phiala：　this　place　lies　as　you　go　up　to　Trachonitis；　and　is　a　hundred　and　twenty　furlongs　from　Cesarea；　and　is　not　far　out　of　the　road　on　the　right　hand；　and　indeed　it　hath　its　name　of　Phiala　＇vial　or　bowl＇　very　justly；　from　the　roundness　of　its　circumference；　as　being　round　like　a　wheel；　its　water　continues　always　up　to　its　edges；　without　either　sinking　or　running　over。　And　as　this　origin　of　Jordan　was　formerly　not　known；　it　was　discovered　so　to　be　when　Philip　was　tetrarch　of　Trachonitis；　for　he　had　chaff　thrown　into　Phiala；　and　it　was　found　at　Paninto；　where　the　ancients　thought　the　fountain…head　of　the　river　was；　whither　it　had　been　therefore　carried　＇by　the　waters＇。　As　for　Panium　itself；　its　natural　beauty　had　been　improved　by　the　royal　liberality　of　Agrippa；　and　adorned　at　his　expenses。　Now　Jordan's　visible　stream　arises　from　this　cavern；　and　divides　the　marshes　and　fens　of　the　lake　Semechonitis；　when　it　hath　run　another　hundred　and　twenty　furlongs；　it　first　passes　by　the　city　Julias；　and　then　passes　through　the　middle　of　the　lake　Gennesareth；　after　which　it　runs　a　long　way　over　a　desert；　and　then　makes　its　exit　into　the　lake　Asphaltitis。

8。　The　country　also　that　lies　over　against　this　lake　hath　the　same　name　of　Gennesareth；　its　nature　is　wonderful　as　well　as　its　beauty；　its　soil　is　so　fruitful　that　all　sorts　of　trees　can　grow　upon　it；　and　the　inhabitants　accordingly　plant　all　sorts　of　trees　there；　for　the　temper　of　the　air　is　so　well　mixed；　that　it　agrees　very　well　with　those　several　sorts；　particularly　walnuts；　which　require　the　coldest　air；　flourish　there　in　vast　plenty；　there　are　palm　trees　also；　which　grow　best　in　hot　air；　fig　trees　also　and　olives　grow　near　them；　which　yet　require　an　air　that　is　more　temperate。　One　may　call　this　place　the　ambition　of　nature；　where　it　forces　those　plants　that　are　naturally　enemies　to　one　another　to　agree　together；　it　is　a　happy　contention　of　the　seasons；　as　if　every　one　of　them　laid　claim　to　this　country；　for　it　not　only　nourishes　different　sorts　of　autumnal　fruit　beyond　men's　expectation；　but　preserves　them　a　great　while；　it　supplies　men　with　the　principal　fruits；　with　grapes　and　figs　continually；　during　ten　months　of　the　year　（7）　and　the　rest　of　the　fruits　as　they　become　ripe　together　through　the　whole　year；　for　besides　the　good　temperature　of　the　air；　it　is　also　watered　from　a　most　fertile　fountain。　The　people　of　the　country　call　it　Capharnaum。　Some　have　thought　it　to　be　a　vein　of　the　Nile；　because　it　produces　the　Coracin　fish　as　well　as　that　lake　does　which　is　near　to　Alexandria。　The　length　of　this　country　extends　itself　along　the　banks　of　this　lake　that　bears　the　same　name　for　thirty　furlongs；　and　is　in　breadth　twenty；　And　this　is　the　nature　of　that　place。

9。　But　now；　when　the　vessels　were　gotten　ready；　Vespasian　put　upon　ship…board　as　many　of　his　forces　as　he　thought　sufficient　to　be　too　hard　for　those　that　were　upon　the　lake；　and　set　sail　after　them。　Now　these　which　were　driven　into　the　lake　could　neither　fly　to　the　land；　where　all　was　in　their　enemies'　hand；　and　in　war　against　them；　nor　could　they　fight　upon　the　level　by　sea；　for　their　ships　were　small　and　fitted　only　for　piracy；　they　were　too　weak　to　fight　with　Vespasian's　vessels；　and　the　mariners　that　were　in　them　were　so　few；　that　they　were　afraid　to　come　near　the　Romans；　who　attacked　them　in　great　numbers。　However；　as　they　sailed　round　about　the　vessels；　and　sometimes　as　they　came　near　them；　they　threw　stones　at　the　Romans　when　they　were　a　good　way　off；　or　came　closer　and　fought　them；　yet　did　they　receive　the　greatest　harm　themselves　in　both　cases。　As　for　the　stones　they　threw　at　the　Romans；　they　only　made　a　sound　one　after　another；　for　they　threw　them　against　such　as　were　in　their　armor；　while　the　Roman　darts　could　reach　the　Jews　themselves；　and　when　they　ventured　to　come　near　the　Romans；　they　became　sufferers　themselves　before　they　could　do　any　harm　to　the　ether；　and　were　drowned；　they　and　their　ships　together。　As　for　those　that　endeavored　to　come　to　an　actual　fight；　the　Romans　ran　many　of　them　through　with　their　long　poles。　Sometimes　the　Romans　leaped　into　their　ships；　with　swords　in　their　hands；　and　slew　them；　but　when　some　of　them　met　the　vessels；　the　Romans　caught　them　by　the　middle；　and　destroyed　at　once　their　ships　and　themselves　who　were　taken　in　them。　And　for　such　as　were　drowning　in　the　sea；　if　they　lifted　their　heads　up　above　the　water；　they　were　either　killed　by　darts；　or　caught　by　the　vessels；　but　if；　in　the　desperate　case　they　were　in；　they　attempted　to　swim　to　their　enemies；　the　Romans　cut　off　either　their　heads　or　their　hands；　and　indeed　they　were　destroyed　after　various　manners　every　where；　till　the　rest　being　put　to　flight；　were　forced　to　get　upon　the　land；　while　the　vessels　encompassed　them　about　＇on　the　sea＇：　but　as　many　of　these　were　repulsed　when　they　were　getting　ashore；　they　were　killed　by　the　darts　upon　the　lake；　and　the　Romans　leaped　out　of　their　vessels；　and　destroyed　a　great　many　more　upon　the　land：　one　might　then　see　the　lake　all　bloody；　and　full　of　dead　bodies；　for　not　one　of　them　escaped。　And　a　terrible　stink；　and　a　very　sad　sight　there　was　on　the　following　days　over　that　country；　for　as　for　the　shores；　they　were　full　of　shipwrecks；　and　of　dead　bodies　all　swelled；　and　as　the　dead　bodies　were　inflamed　by　the　sun；　and　putrefied；　they　corrupted　the　air；　insomuch　that　the　misery　was　not　only　the　object　of　commiseration　to　the　Jews；　but　to　those　that　hated　them；　and　had　been　the　authors　of　that　misery。　This　was　the　upshot　of　the　sea…fight。　The　number　of　the　slain；　including　those　that　were　killed　in　the　city　before；　was　six　thousand　and　five　hundred。

10。　After　this　fight　was　over；　Vespasian　sat　upon　his　tribunal　at　Taricheae；　in　order　to　distinguish　the　foreigners　from　the　old　inhabitants；　for　those　foreigners　appear　to　have　begun　the　war。　So　he　deliberated　with　the　other　commanders；　whether　he　ought　to　save　those　old　inhabitants　or　not。　And　when　those　commanders　alleged　that　the　dismission　of　them　would　be　to　his　own　disadvantage；　because；　when　they　were　once　set　at　liberty；　they　would　not　be　at　rest；　since　they　would　be　people　destitute　of　proper　habitations；　and　would　he　able　to　compel　such　as　they　fled　to　fight　against　us；　Vespasian　acknowledged　that　they　did　not　deserve　to　be　saved；　and　that　if　they　had　leave　given　them　to　fly　away；　they　would　make　use　of　it　against　those　that　gave　them　that　leave。　But　still　he　considered　with　himself　after　what　manner　they　should　be　slain　（8）　for　if　he　had　them　slain　there；　he　suspected　the　people　of　the　country　would　thereby　become　his　enemies；　for　that　to　be　sure　they　would　never　bear　it；　that　so　many　that　had　been　supplicants　to　him　should　be　killed；　and　to　offer　violence　to　them；　after　he　had　given　them　assurances　of　their　lives；　he　could　not　himself　bear　to　do　it。　However；　his　friends　were　too　hard　for　him；　and　pretended　that　nothing　against　Jews　could　be　any　impiety；　and　that　he　ought　to　prefer　what　was　profitable　before　what　was　fit　to　be　done；　where　both　could　not　be　made　consistent。　So　he　gave　them　an　ambiguous　liberty　to　do　as　they　advised；　and　permitted　the　prisoners　to　go　along　no　other　road　than　that　which　led　to　Tiberias　only。　So　they　readily　believed　what　they　desired　to　be　true；　and　went　along　securely；　with　their　effects；　the　way　which　was　allowed　them；　while　the　Romans　seized　upon　all　the　road　that　led　to　Tiberias；　that　none　of　them　might　go　out　of　it；　and　shut　them　up　in　the　city。　Then　came　Vespasian；　and　ordered　them　all　to　stand　in　the　stadium；　and　commanded　them　to　kill　the　old　me