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of the leading Jews of Antioch, went before the assembly of the Antiochians and accused his father, and accused also the rest of the Jews, that they had plotted to burn the whole city, and he handed over some foreign Jews as partners in the plot. The populace of Antioch immediately burned those who had been handed over, and rushed against the native Jews, intending to punish them as well. But Antiochus, the accuser of his own people, saying that he was renouncing his ancestral religion, sacrificed according to the custom of the Greeks, and he advised that the others also be compelled to do likewise; for the conspirators would be revealed by their not renouncing their own religion. When the Antiochians put this to the test, a few submitted, but those who could not bear to Hellenize 2.76 were killed. The said Antiochus, having also received soldiers from the Roman governor, was harsh to his own people, not permitting them to rest on the seventh day; and so he made the compulsion so strong that not only in Antioch was the rest of the Sabbath abolished, but also in the other cities this prevailed for some time. Not only these things happened to the Jews in Antioch, but a second calamity also occurred. For it happened that the city's square market, along with the public records offices and archives, was burned down. The said Antiochus attributed the arson to the Jews, and incited the Antiochians against them, as they already held them in suspicion; and all rushed as if insane against those who had been slandered. With difficulty some restrained them, advising that the matter be referred to Titus. In the meantime, some who made a careful investigation of the matter found that the Jewish race was blameless, but that wicked men had dared the deed because of the pressure of debts, thinking that if they burned the market and the public records, they would have a release from collection. Meanwhile, Titus also arrived in Antioch. And the people of Antioch went out to meet him and acclaimed him, and with their acclamations they combined a petition demanding that the Jews be expelled from the city. But he at that time listened quietly to what was said and passed by, but later when the Antiochians again insisted very vehemently that the Jews be driven out of the city, "But their fatherland," he said, "to which they should have withdrawn, has been destroyed, and no place would receive them anymore." Having failed, therefore, in this request, they turned to a 2.77 second, and demanded that the bronze tablets be destroyed, on which the rights of the Jews were inscribed. But Titus did not consent to this either, but left everything for the Jews in Antioch as they had it before. But he himself, going away to Alexandria and viewing Jerusalem on his journey, pitied the destruction of the city, cursing the authors of the revolt, as being the cause of the city's desolation, a city both ancient and prosperous. And even in the ruins themselves parts of its very deep wealth were still found. For the Romans were digging up many things, but the captives pointed out the greater part, which the owners had stored in the earth against the uncertain turns of the war. But Titus, having journeyed to Egypt and arrived in Alexandria, and intending to sail from there to Italy, ordered the leaders of the captives, John and Simon, and seven hundred other men distinguished by the size and beauty of their bodies, to be brought to Italy at once, so that they might fill out the procession in the triumph. After the arrival of Titus in Rome, Lucilius Bassus was sent as general to Judaea and brought over the fortress at Herodium along with those who held it; then, having gathered all the military force that was there, he marched against Machaerus. This fortress was exceedingly hard to capture, being a fortified rocky hill; and it was so constructed by nature as not even to be approachable; for it was entrenched on all sides by deep ravines. Having such strength, 2.78 it also had a palace inside, marvelous in the size and beauty of its chambers, many

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̓Αντιοχείας ̓Ιουδαίων τοῦ πρώτου, εἰς τὸν δῆμον τῶν ̓Αντιοχέων παρελθὼν κατηγόρει μὲν τοῦ πατρός, κατηγόρει δὲ καὶ τῶν λοιπῶν ̓Ιουδαίων, οτι καταπρῆσαι τὴν πόλιν απασαν ἐβουλεύσαντο, καὶ παρεδίδου ξένους ̓Ιουδαίους τινὰς ὡς τοῦ βουλεύματος κοινωνούς. τὸ δὲ τῶν ̓Αντιοχέων δημοτικὸν τοὺς μὲν παραδοθέντας αὐτίκα κατέκαυσαν, κατὰ δὲ τῶν αὐθιγενῶν ̓Ιουδαίων ωρμηντο κἀκείνους τιμωρησόμενοι. ὁ δὲ τῶν ὁμοφύλων κατήγορος ̓Αντίοχος, ἀποστῆναι τῆς πατρίου λέγων θρησκείας, εθυεν ὡς νόμος τοῖς Ελλησι, παρῄνει δὲ καὶ τοὺς αλλους ποιεῖν ὁμοίως βιάζεσθαι· εσεσθαι γὰρ φανεροὺς τοὺς ἐπιβουλεύσαντας τῷ μὴ τὴν σφετέραν θρησκείαν ἀπόμνυσθαι. χρωμένων δὲ τῇ πείρᾳ τῶν ̓Αντιοχέων, ὀλίγοι μὲν ὑπέκυψαν, οἱ δὲ μὴ ἑλληνί2.76 σαι ἀνασχόμενοι διεφθάρησαν. ὁ δ' εἰρημένος ̓Αντίοχος καὶ στρατιώτας παρὰ τοῦ ̔Ρωμαίων ἡγεμόνος λαβών, χαλεπὸς ην τοῖς ὁμοφύλοις, ἀργεῖν τὴν ἑβδόμην οὐκ ἐπιτρέπων· ουτω τε τὴν ἀνάγκην εθετο ἰσχυρὰν ὡς μὴ μόνον ἐπ' ̓Αντιοχείας τὴν τοῦ σαββάτου ἀργίαν καταλελύσθαι, ἀλλὰ κἀν ταῖς αλλαις πόλεσιν ἐπί τινα χρόνον τοῦτο ἐπικρατῆσαι. Οὐ ταῦτα δὲ μόνα τοῖς ἐν ̓Αντιοχείᾳ συμβέβηκεν ̓Ιουδαίοις, ἀλλὰ καὶ δευτέρα προσεγένετο συμφορά. συνέβη μὲν γὰρ καταπρησθῆναι τὴν τῆς πόλεως τετράγωνον ἀγοράν, ἀρχεῖά τε καὶ χαρτοφυλάκια. ὁ δ' εἰρημένος ̓Αντίοχος τοῖς ̓Ιουδαίοις προσῆπτε τὸν ἐμπρησμόν, καὶ τοὺς ̓Αντιοχεῖς ὑπόπτους εχοντας ηδη αὐτοὺς ἠρέθισε κατ' αὐτῶν· καὶ ωσπερ ἐμμανεῖς πρὸς τοὺς διαβεβλημένους απαντες ωρμηντο. μόλις δ' αὐτοὺς κατέσχον τινές, συμβουλεύσαντες Τίτῳ τὴν ὑπόθεσιν ἀναθεῖναι. ἐν τῷ μέσῳ δέ τινες ποιούμενοι ἐπιμελῆ τοῦ πράγματος ζήτησιν ευρον τὸ μὲν τῶν ̓Ιουδαίων γένος ἀναίτιον, πονηροὺς δ' ἀνθρώπους τὸ εργον τολμήσαντας διὰ χρεῶν ἀνάγκας, οἰηθέντας, εἰ τὴν ἀγορὰν καὶ τὰ δημόσια γραμματεῖα ἐμπρήσειαν, εξειν ἀπαλλαγὴν τῆς εἰσπράξεως. ̓Εν τούτοις δὲ καὶ ὁ Τίτος ἀφικνεῖτο εἰς ̓Αντιόχειαν. καὶ ὁ τῶν ̓Αντιοχέων δῆμος προϋπήντα αὐτῷ καὶ εὐφήμει, ταῖς δ' εὐφημίαις συνεῖρε καὶ δέησιν ἐκβαλεῖν ἀξιοῦσαν τοὺς ̓Ιουδαίους τῆς πόλεως. ὁ δὲ τότε τῶν λεγομένων ἡσυχῇ κατακούων παρῄει, υστερον δ' αυθις σφόδρα λιπαρῶς ἐγκειμένων τῶν ̓Αντιοχέων ἐξελαθῆναι τοὺς ̓Ιουδαίους τῆς πόλεως, "ἀλλ' η γε πατρὶς αὐτῶν" εφη, "εἰς ην ἀναχωρεῖν αὐτοὺς ἐχρῆν, ἀνῄρηται, καὶ δέξαιτ' αν αὐτοὺς οὐδεὶς ετι τόπος." ἀποτυχόντες ουν τῆς αἰτήσεως ταύτης, ἐπὶ 2.77 δευτέραν ἐτράποντο, καὶ τὰς χαλκᾶς ἠξίουν δέλτους ἀναιρεθῆναι, αις τὰ δίκαια τῶν ̓Ιουδαίων ἐγέγραπτο. ἀλλ' οὐδὲ πρὸς τοῦτο Τίτος ἐπένευσε, πάντα δὲ τοῖς ἐπ' ̓Αντιοχείας ̓Ιουδαίοις ειασεν ὡς πρότερον ειχον αὐτά. αὐτὸς δ' εἰς ̓Αλεξάνδρειαν ἀπιών, καὶ κατὰ τὴν πορείαν τὰ ̔Ιεροσόλυμα θεασάμενος, ῳκτειρε τὸν τῆς πόλεως ολεθρον, ἐπαρώμενος τοῖς αἰτίοις τῆς ἀποστάσεως, ὡς αἰτίοις τῆς τῆς πόλεως ἐρημώσεως, πόλεως ἀρχαίας τε καὶ εὐδαίμονος. εὑρίσκοντο δ' ετι κἀν τοῖς ἐρειπίοις αὐτοῖς μέρη τοῦ βαθυτάτου πλούτου αὐτῆς. πολλὰ μὲν γὰρ οἱ ̔Ρωμαῖοι ἀνέσκαπτον, τὰ πλείω δὲ οἱ αἰχμάλωτοι ὑπεδείκνυον, απερ οἱ κεκτημένοι πρὸς τὰς ἀδήλους τοῦ πολέμου ῥοπὰς κατὰ γῆς ἐθησαύριζον. Τίτος δ' ἐπ' Αιγυπτον πορευθεὶς καὶ καταντήσας εἰς ̓Αλεξάνδρειαν, κἀκεῖθεν πλεῖν ἐπὶ τὴν ̓Ιταλίαν μέλλων, τῶν αἰχμαλώτων τοὺς ἡγεμόνας ̓Ιωάννην καὶ Σίμωνα, καὶ αλλους ανδρας ἑπτακοσίους μεγέθει τε καὶ κάλλει σώματος διαπρέποντας εἰς τὴν ̓Ιταλίαν αὐτίκα μάλα ἐκέλευσεν αγεσθαι, ιν' ἐν τῷ θριάμβῳ πληρώσωσι τὴν πομπήν. Μετὰ δὲ τὴν εἰς ̔Ρώμην τοῦ Τίτου αφιξιν πεμφθεὶς στρατηγὸς εἰς ̓Ιουδαίαν Λούκιος Βάσσος τὸ μὲν ἐν τῷ ̔Ηρωδίῳ φρούριον μετὰ τῶν κατεχόντων αὐτὸ προσηγάγετο· ειτα πᾶν οσον ην ἐκεῖ στρατιωτικὸν συναγαγὼν ἐπὶ Μαχαιροῦντα στρατεύει. ην δὲ τὸ φρούριον τοῦτο λίαν δυσάλωτον, πετρώδης ων οχθος τετειχισμένος· ουτω δ' ὑπὸ τῆς φύσεως κατεσκεύαστο ὡς μηδὲ προσιτὸς ειναι· φάραγξι γὰρ πάντοθεν βαθείαις ἐτετάφρευτο. ουτω δ' ὀχυρότητος 2.78 εχον καὶ βασίλειον ειχεν ἐντὸς μεγέθει τε καὶ κάλλει τῶν οἰκήσεων θαυμαστόν, πολλὰς