192

he commanded them to hurl burning torches all at once. The part made of wood caught fire and sent up a great flame. At first, then, a north wind blowing from above drove the flame against the Romans, and it almost caught the engines; then a strong south wind blowing in the opposite direction drove it against the wall, 2.82 and soon the whole of it was burning. Upon 2.82 this the Romans were about to attack the enemy on the following day, but Eleazar, addressing those in the fortress, persuaded them all, after having slain their own wives and children, for each to fall upon the others. And indeed, this having been decided, they at once embraced their wives and hugged their children, clinging to them with kisses and tears, and they slew their dearest ones with their own hands, as if they were not their own. Then gathering all their possessions together, they threw fire into them. And having chosen by lot ten men who were to be the slayers of all, each man was laid out by them on top of their dearest ones. Then again the one who was chosen by lot, having slain the nine, and having looked around in a circle lest anyone was left alive anywhere, when he knew that all were slain, set fire to the palace, and driving his whole sword through himself, he fell down near his kinsfolk. And so they had died, supposing that not a single living person was left behind, but an old woman and another woman and five children had escaped notice, having hidden in the underground passages. And the number of the slain, with women and children, was two hundred and sixty. But the Romans made an assault in the morning; and seeing none of the enemy, but a great silence within and a fire blazing, they were at a loss. And at last they shouted, if they might call forth any of those within. The women became aware of the shout, and coming up from the underground passages, they reported to the Romans what had been done; but they did not believe. But when they passed inside the palace and came upon the slain, they marveled at the nobility of the men and their contempt for death. 2.83 Such, then, was the capture of Masada; and in Alexandria in Egypt it happened that many Jews died. For those of the sicarii from the sedition, having fled there, persuaded many of those who received them to lay claim to freedom. And if any of the prominent Jews opposed them, they killed some, and urged the others to revolt. But the leaders of the council, having gathered the Jews into an assembly, condemned the madness of the sicarii, and exhorted the multitude to guard against the destruction from them, and to hand them over to the Romans. The multitude, therefore, was persuaded by what was said, and rushing upon the sicarii, they seized them. And about six hundred were captured, and as many as escaped then were not long after arrested and brought back. And when every torture was inflicted upon them, so that they might confess Caesar as lord, not one gave in, but all kept their resolve superior to the compulsion. And the age of the children especially astounded the onlookers; for not one of them either was forced to name Caesar as lord. The madness of the sicarii also touched the cities around Cyrene. For Jonathan, a most wicked man, a weaver by trade, having escaped to it, persuaded some of the poor to pay attention to him, and he led them out into the desert, promising to show signs and wonders. But the leading Jews of Cyrene reported these things to Catullus, the governor of Cyrene. And he, having sent soldiers, arrested those with Jonathan. But Jonathan himself escaped at that time, but being diligently sought, he was captured, and having been brought 2.84 before the governor, he contrived for himself an escape from punishment, and created for Catullus opportunities for unjust gains. For he said that the wealthiest of the Jews, falsely accusing them, had been his teachers in what was done; and the governor eagerly received the slanders. And in addition to believing readily, he also taught the sicarii the false accusation; and many were denounced, being prompted by him. Here then

192

λαμπάδας καιομένας ἀκοντίζειν ἀθρόους παρεκελεύσατο. τὸ δὲ πεποιημένον ἐκ ξύλων τοῦ πυρὸς ἀντελάβετο καὶ φλόγα πολλὴν ἀνῆκε. τὸ μὲν ουν πρῶτον πνέων βορρᾶς ανωθεν εἰς τοὺς ̔Ρωμαίους τὴν φλόγα ἐπήλαυνε, καὶ μικροῦ τῶν μηχανημάτων ηψατο αν· επειτα νότος ἀντιπνεύσας πολὺς τῷ τείχει 2.82 ταύτην προσέβαλε, καὶ απαν ηδη κατέφλεκτο. ἐπὶ 2.82 τούτοις οἱ μὲν ̔Ρωμαῖοι κατὰ τὴν ἐπιοῦσαν τοῖς πολεμίοις ἐπιχειρεῖν εμελλον, ̓Ελεάζαρ δὲ τοῖς ἐν τῷ φρουρίῳ διαλεχθεὶς επεισε πάντας τάς τε γυναῖκας ἑαυτῶν καὶ τὰ τέκνα ἀνῃρηκότας ἐκείνοις ἐπαπελθεῖν εκαστον. καὶ δὴ τούτου δόξαντος, ὁμοῦ τε τὰς γυναῖκας ἠσπάζοντο καὶ τὰ τέκνα προσηγκαλίζοντο, τοῖς φιλήμασιν ἐμφυόμενοι καὶ δακρύοντες, καὶ διεχειρίζοντο τὰ φίλτατα ταῖς χερσίν, ὡς μή τι σφίσι προσήκοντα. ειτα τὴν κτῆσιν απασαν συναθροίσαντες πῦρ ἐνέβαλλον εἰς αὐτήν. κλήρῳ δ' ἑλόμενοι δέκα τοὺς ἐσομένους σφαγεῖς ἁπάντων, ὑπ' αὐτῶν εκαστος ἐπὶ τοῖς φιλτάτοις ἐκτίννυτο. ειτ' αυθις ὁ κλήρῳ λαχὼν τοὺς ἐννέα διαχειρισάμενος, καὶ κύκλῳ περιαθρήσας μήπου τις ζωὸς περιλέλειπται, ὡς εγνω πάντας ἀνῃρημένους, πῦρ μὲν τοῖς βασιλείοις ἐνίησιν, ολον δὲ τὸ ξίφος ἐλάσας δι' ἑαυτοῦ πλησίον τῶν οἰκείων κατέπεσε. καὶ οἱ μὲν ἐτεθνήκεσαν ὑπειληφότες μή τινα ζῶντα καταλειφθῆναι, ελαθεν δὲ γυνὴ πρεσβῦτις καί τις ἑτέρα καὶ πέντε παιδία τοῖς ὑπονόμοις κατακρυφθέντα. ην δὲ τὸ τῶν σφαγέντων πλῆθος σὺν γυναιξὶ καὶ παισὶ διακόσιοι πρὸς ἑξήκοντα. Οἱ δὲ ̔Ρωμαῖοι προσβολὴν εωθεν ἐποιοῦντο· βλέποντες δ' οὐδένα τῶν πολεμίων, πολλὴν δ' ενδον ἠρεμίαν καὶ πῦρ ἀναπτόμενον, διηπόρουν. καὶ τέλος ἠλάλαξαν, ει τινα τῶν ἐντὸς προσκαλέσαιντο. τῆς δὲ βοῆς αισθησις τοῖς γυναίοις ἐγένετο, κἀκ τῶν ὑπονόμων ἀναδῦσαι τὰ πραχθέντα τοῖς ̔Ρωμαίοις ἐμήνυον· οἱ δ' ἠπίστουν. ὡς δὲ τῶν βασιλείων παρῆλθον ενδον καὶ τοῖς ἀνῃρημένοις ἐνέτυχον, ἐθαύμαζον τὴν γενναιότητα τῶν ἀνδρῶν καὶ τοῦ θανάτου τὴν καταφρόνησιν. 2.83 Τοιαύτη μὲν ουν ἡ τῆς Μασάδας ἐγένετο αλωσις· καὶ κατὰ τὴν ἐν Αἰγύπτῳ ̓Αλεξάνδρειαν πολλοὺς ἀποθανεῖν ̓Ιουδαίους συμβέβηκεν. οἱ γὰρ ἐκ τῆς στάσεως τῶν σικαρίων καταφυγόντες ἐκεῖ πολλοὺς τῶν ὑποδεξαμένων επειθον τῆς ἐλευθερίας ἀντιποιεῖσθαι. εἰ δέ τινες αὐτοῖς τῶν οὐκ ἀφανῶν ̓Ιουδαίων ἀντέβαινον, τοὺς μὲν εκτεινον, τοὺς δ' αλλους πρὸς ἀποστασίαν προεκαλοῦντο. οἱ δὲ τῆς γερουσίας πρωτεύοντες εἰς ἐκκλησίαν τοὺς ̓Ιουδαίους ἀθροίσαντες ηλεγχον τὴν τῶν σικαρίων ἀπόνοιαν, καὶ φυλάξασθαι τὸ πλῆθος παρεκάλουν τὸν ἐξ αὐτῶν ολεθρον, παραδοῦναι δὲ ̔Ρωμαίοις αὐτούς. ἐπείσθη τοίνυν τὸ πλῆθος τοῖς λεγομένοις, καὶ πρὸς τοὺς σικαρίους ᾳξαντες συνήρπαζον αὐτούς. καὶ ἑάλωσαν μὲν περὶ ἑξακοσίους, οσοι δὲ τότε διέφυγον οὐκ εἰς μακρὰν συλληφθέντες ἐπανήχθησαν. καὶ πάσης αὐτοῖς ἐπενεχθείσης βασάνου, οπως Καίσαρα δεσπότην ὁμολογήσωσιν, οὐδεὶς ἐνέδωκεν, ἀλλὰ πάντες τὴν γνώμην ὑπερτέραν τῆς ἀνάγκης ἐτήρησαν. μάλιστα δ' ἡ τῶν παίδων ἡλικία τοὺς θεωμένους ἐξέπληξεν· οὐδὲ γὰρ ἐκείνων τις ἐξενικήθη Καίσαρα δεσπότην ἐξονομάσαι. Ηψατο δὲ καὶ τῶν περὶ Κυρήνην πόλεων ἡ τῶν σικαρίων ἀπόνοια. διεκπεσὼν γὰρ εἰς αὐτὴν ̓Ιωνάθης πονηρότατος ανθρωπος, τὴν τέχνην ὑφάντης, τινὰς τῶν ἀπόρων ἀνέπεισε προσέχειν αὐτῷ, καὶ προήγαγεν εἰς τὴν ερημον, σημεῖα δείξειν καὶ τέρατα ὑπισχνούμενος. οἱ δὲ τῶν ἐπὶ Κυρήνης ̓Ιουδαίων πρωτεύοντες Κατύλλῳ τῷ τῆς Κυρήνης ἡγεμόνι ταῦτα ἀγγέλλουσιν. ὁ δὲ στρατιώτας ἀποστείλας συνέσχε τοὺς μετὰ ̓Ιωνάθου. αὐτὸς δὲ ὁ ̓Ιωνάθης τότε μὲν διέφυγεν, ἐπιμελῶς δὲ ζητηθεὶς ηλω, καὶ ἀναχθεὶς 2.84 πρὸς τὸν ἡγεμόνα ἑαυτῷ μὲν ἐμηχανᾶτο τῆς τιμωρίας ἐξάλυξιν, τῷ Κατύλλῳ δὲ ἀφορμὰς ἀδίκων κερδῶν περιεποιήσατο. τοὺς γὰρ πλουσιωτάτους τῶν ̓Ιουδαίων ελεγε, καταψευδόμενος αὐτῶν, διδασκάλους αὐτῷ τῶν δρωμένων γενέσθαι· καὶ ὁ ἡγεμὼν προθύμως ἐδέχετο τὰς διαβολάς. πρὸς δὲ τῷ πιστεύειν ῥᾳδίως καὶ τὴν ψευδῆ κατηγορίαν τοὺς σικαρίους ἐδίδασκε· καὶ πολλῶν κατεῖπον ὑπ' ἐκείνου ὑποβαλλόμενοι. ̓Ενταῦθα μὲν