第 126 节
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不受约束 更新:2024-05-25 15:05 字数:9322
ejected; and become weak。 Now as soon as a part of the wall was battered down; and certain of the towers yielded to the impression of the battering rams; those that opposed themselves fled away; and such a terror fell upon the tyrants; as was much greater than the occasion required; for before the enemy got over the breach they were quite stunned; and were immediately for flying away。 And now one might see these men; who had hitherto been so insolent and arrogant in their wicked practices; to be cast down and to tremble; insomuch that it would pity one's heart to observe the change that was made in those vile persons。 Accordingly; they ran with great violence upon the Roman wall that encompassed them; in order to force away those that guarded it; and to break through it; and get away。 But when they saw that those who had formerly been faithful to them had gone away; (as indeed they were fled whithersoever the great distress they were in persuaded them to flee;) as also when those that came running before the rest told them that the western wall was entirely overthrown; while others said the Romans were gotten in; and others that they were near; and looking out for them; which were only the dictates of their fear; which imposed upon their sight; they fell upon their face; and greatly lamented their own mad conduct; and their nerves were so terribly loosed; that they could not flee away。 And here one may chiefly reflect on the power of God exercised upon these wicked wretches; and on the good fortune of the Romans; for these tyrants did now wholly deprive themselves of the security they had in their own power; and came down from those very towers of their own accord; wherein they could have never been taken by force; nor indeed by any other way than by famine。 And thus did the Romans; when they had taken such great pains about weaker walls; get by good fortune what they could never have gotten by their engines; for three of these towers were too strong for all mechanical engines whatsoever; concerning which we have treated above。 5。 So they now left these towers of themselves; or rather they were ejected out of them by God himself; and fled immediately to that valley which was under Siloam; where they again recovered themselves out of the dread they were in for a while; and ran violently against that part of the Roman wall which lay on that side; but as their courage was too much depressed to make their attacks with sufficient force; and their power was now broken with fear and affliction; they were repulsed by the guards; and dispersing themselves at distances from each other; went down into the subterranean caverns。 So the Romans being now become masters of the walls; they both placed their ensigns upon the towers; and made joyful acclamations for the victory they had gained; as having found the end of this war much lighter than its beginning; for when they had gotten upon the last wall; without any bloodshed; they could hardly believe what they found to be true; but seeing nobody to oppose them; they stood in doubt what such an unusual solitude could mean。 But when they went in numbers into the lanes of the city with their swords drawn; they slew those whom they overtook without and set fire to the houses whither the Jews were fled; and burnt every soul in them; and laid waste a great many of the rest; and when they were come to the houses to plunder them; they found in them entire families of dead men; and the upper rooms full of dead corpses; that is; of such as died by the famine; they then stood in a horror at this sight; and went out without touching any thing。 But although they had this commiseration for such as were destroyed in that manner; yet had they not the same for those that were still alive; but they ran every one through whom they met with; and obstructed the very lanes with their dead bodies; and made the whole city run down with blood; to such a degree indeed that the fire of many of the houses was quenched with these men's blood。 And truly so it happened; that though the slayers left off at the evening; yet did the fire greatly prevail in the night; and as all was burning; came that eighth day of the month Gorpieus 'Elul' upon Jerusalem; a city that had been liable to so many miseries during this siege; that; had it always enjoyed as much happiness from its first foundation; it would certainly have been the envy of the world。 Nor did it on any other account so much deserve these sore misfortunes; as by producing such a generation of men as were the occasions of this its overthrow。 CHAPTER 9。 What Injunctions Caesar Gave When He Was Come Within The City。 The Number Of The Captives And Of Those That Perished In The Siege; As Also Concerning Those That Had Escaped Into The Subterranean Caverns; Among Whom Were The Tyrants Simon And John Themselves。 1。 Now when Titus was come into this 'upper' city; he admired not only some other places of strength in it; but particularly those strong towers which the tyrants in their mad conduct had relinquished; for when he saw their solid altitude; and the largeness of their several stones; and the exactness of their joints; as also how great was their breadth; and how extensive their length; he expressed himself after the manner following: 〃We have certainly had God for our assistant in this war; and it was no other than God who ejected the Jews out of these fortifications; for what could the hands of men or any machines do towards overthrowing these towers?〃 At which time he had many such discourses to his friends; he also let such go free as had been bound by the tyrants; and were left in the prisons。 To conclude; when he entirely demolished the rest of the city; and overthrew its walls; he left these towers as a monument of his good fortune; which had proved his auxiliaries; and enabled him to take what could not otherwise have been taken by him。 2。 And now; since his soldiers were already quite tired with killing men; and yet there appeared to be a vast multitude still remaining alive; Caesar gave orders that they should kill none but those that were in arms; and opposed them; but should take the rest alive。 But; together with those whom they had orders to slay; they slew the aged and the infirm; but for those that were in their flourishing age; and who might be useful to them; they drove them together into the temple; and shut them up within the walls of the court of the women; over which Caesar set one of his freed…men; as also Fronto; one of his own friends; which last was to determine every one's fate; according to his merits。 So this Fronto slew all those that had been seditious and robbers; who were impeached one by another; but of the young men he chose out the tallest and most beautiful; and reserved them for the triumph; and as for the rest of the multitude that were above seventeen years old; he put them into bonds; and sent them to the Egyptian mines (31) Titus also sent a great number into the provinces; as a present to them; that they might be destroyed upon their theatres; by the sword and by the wild beasts; but those that were under seventeen years of age were sold for slaves。 Now during the days wherein Fronto was distinguishing these men; there perished; for want of food; eleven thousand; some of whom did not taste any food; through the hatred their guards bore to them; and others would not take in any when it was given them。 The multitude also was so very great; that they were in want even of corn for their sustenance。 3。 Now the number (32) of those that were carried captive during this whole war was collected to be ninety…seven thousand; as was the number of those that perished during the whole siege eleven hundred thousand; the greater part of whom were indeed of the same nation 'with the citizens of Jerusalem'; but not belonging to the city itself; for they were come up from all the country to the feast of unleavened bread; and were on a sudden shut up by an army; which; at the very first; occasioned so great a straitness among them; that there came a pestilential destruction upon them; and soon afterward such a famine; as destroyed them more suddenly。 And that this city could contain so many people in it; is manifest by that number of them which was taken under Cestius; who being desirous of informing Nero of the power of the city; who otherwise was disposed to contemn that nation; entreated the high priests; if the thing were possible; to take the number of their whole multitude。 So these high priests; upon the coming of that feast which is called the Passover; when they slay their sacrifices; from the ninth hour till the eleventh; but so that a company not less than ten (33) belong to every sacrifice; (for it is not lawful for them to feast singly by themselves;) and many of us are twenty in a company; found the number of sacrifices was two hundred and fifty…six thousand five hundred; which; upon the allowance of no more than ten that feast together; amounts to two millions seven hundred thousand and two hundred persons that were pure and holy; for as to those that have the leprosy; or the gonorrhea; or women that have their monthly courses; or such as are otherwise polluted; it is not lawful for them to be partakers of this s