|
1. Now Titus Caesar tarried some time at Berytus, as we told you
before. He thence removed, and exhibited magnificent shows in all
those cities of Syria through which he went, and made use of the
captive Jews as public instances of the destruction of that
nation. He then saw a river as he went along, of such a nature as
deserves to be recorded in history; it runs in the middle between
Arcea, belonging to Agrippa's kingdom, and Raphanea. It hath
somewhat very peculiar in it; for when it runs, its current is
strong, and has plenty of water; after which its springs fail for
six days together, and leave its channel dry, as any one may see;
after which days it runs on the seventh day as it did before, and
as though it had undergone no change at all; it hath also been
observed to keep this order perpetually and exactly; whence it is
that they call it the Sabbatic River that name being taken
from the sacred seventh day among the Jews.
2. But when the people of Antioch were informed that Titus was
approaching, they were so glad at it, that they could not keep
within their walls, but hasted away to give him the meeting; nay,
they proceeded as far as thirty furlongs, and more, with that
intention. These were not the men only, but a multitude of women
also with their children did the same; and when they saw him
coming up to them, they stood on both sides of the way, and
stretched out their right hands, saluting him, and making all
sorts of acclamations to him, and turned back together with him.
They also, among all the acclamations they made to him, besought
him all the way they went to eject the Jews out of their city;
yet did not Titus at all yield to this their petition, but gave
them the bare hearing of it quietly. However, the Jews were in a
great deal of terrible fear, under the uncertainty they were in
what his opinion was, and what he would do to them. For Titus did
not stay at Antioch, but continued his progress immediately to
Zeugma, which lies upon the Euphrates, whither came to him
messengers from Vologeses king of Parthia, and brought him a
crown of gold upon the victory he had gained over the Jews; which
he accepted of, and feasted the king's messengers, and then came
back to Antioch. And when the senate and people of Antioch
earnestly entreated him to come upon their theater, where their
whole multitude was assembled, and expected him, he complied with
great humanity; but when they pressed him with much earnestness,
and continually begged of him that he would eject the Jews out of
their city, he gave them this very pertinent answer: How can this
be done, since that country of theirs, whither the Jews must be
obliged then to retire, is destroyed, and no place will receive
them besides?" Whereupon the people of Antioch, when they had
failed of success in this their first request, made him a second;
for they desired that he would order those tables of brass to be
removed on which the Jews' privileges were engraven. However,
Titus would not grant that neither, but permitted the Jews of
Antioch to continue to enjoy the very same privileges in that
city which they had before, and then departed for Egypt; and as
he came to Jerusalem in his progress, and compared the melancholy
condition he saw it then in, with the ancient glory of the city,
and called to mind the greatness of its present ruins, as well as
its ancient splendor, he could not but pity the destruction of
the city, so far was he from boasting that so great and goodly a
city as that was had been by him taken by force; nay, he
frequently cursed those that had been the authors of their
revolt, and had brought such a punishment upon the city; insomuch
that it openly appeared that he did not desire that such a
calamity as this punishment of theirs amounted to should be a
demonstration of his courage. Yet was there no small quantity of
the riches that had been in that city still found among its
ruins, a great deal of which the Romans dug up; but the greatest
part was discovered by those who were captives, and so they
carried it away; I mean the gold and the silver, and the rest of
that most precious furniture which the Jews had, and which the
owners had treasured up under ground, against the uncertain
fortunes of war.
3. So Titus took the journey he intended into Egypt, and passed
over the desert very suddenly, and came to Alexandria, and took
up a resolution to go to Rome by sea. And as he was accompanied
by two legions, he sent each of them again to the places whence
they had before come; the fifth he sent to Mysia, and the
fifteenth to Pannonia: as for the leaders of the captives, Simon
and John, with the other seven hundred men, whom he had selected
out of the rest as being eminently tall and handsome of body, he
gave order that they should be soon carried to Italy, as
resolving to produce them in his triumph. So when he had had a
prosperous voyage to his mind, the city of Rome behaved itself in
his reception, and their meeting him at a distance, as it did in
the case of his father. But what made the most splendid
appearance in Titus's opinion was, when his father met him, and
received him; but still the multitude of the citizens conceived
the greatest joy when they saw them all three together, as
they did at this time; nor were many days overpast when they
determined to have but one triumph, that should be common to both
of them, on account of the glorious exploits they had performed,
although the senate had decreed each of them a separate triumph
by himself. So when notice had been given beforehand of the day
appointed for this pompous solemnity to be made, on account of
their victories, not one of the immense multitude was left in the
city, but every body went out so far as to gain only a station
where they might stand, and left only such a passage as was
necessary for those that were to be seen to go along it.
4. Now all the soldiery marched out beforehand by companies, and
in their several ranks, under their several commanders, in the
night time, and were about the gates, not of the upper palaces,
but those near the temple of Isis; for there it was that the
emperors had rested the foregoing night. And as soon as ever it
was day, Vespasian and Titus came out crowned with laurel, and
clothed in those ancient purple habits which were proper to their
family, and then went as far as Octavian's Walks; for there it
was that the senate, and the principal rulers, and those that had
been recorded as of the equestrian order, waited for them. Now a
tribunal had been erected before the cloisters, and ivory chairs
had been set upon it, when they came and sat down upon them.
Whereupon the soldiery made an acclamation of joy to them
immediately, and all gave them attestations of their valor; while
they were themselves without their arms, and only in their silken
garments, and crowned with laurel: then Vespasian accepted of
these shouts of theirs; but while they were still disposed to go
on in such acclamations, he gave them a signal of silence. And
when every body entirely held their peace, he stood up, and
covering the greatest part of his head with his cloak, he put up
the accustomed solemn prayers; the like prayers did Titus put up
also; after which prayers Vespasian made a short speech to all
the people, and then sent away the
soldiers to a dinner prepared for them by the emperors. Then did
he retire to that gate which was called the Gate of the Pomp,
because pompous shows do always go through that gate; there it
was that they tasted some food, and when they had put on their
triumphal garments, and had offered sacrifices to the gods that
were placed at the gate, they sent the triumph forward, and
marched through the theatres, that they might be the more easily
seen by the multitudes.
5. Now it is impossible to describe the multitude of the shows as
they deserve, and the magnificence of them all; such indeed as a
man could not easily think of as performed, either by the labor
of workmen, or the variety of riches, or the rarities of nature;
for almost all such curiosities as the most happy men ever get by
piece-meal were here one heaped on another, and those both
admirable and costly in their nature; and all brought together on
that day demonstrated the vastness of the dominions of the
Romans; for there was here to be seen a mighty quantity of
silver, and gold, and ivory, contrived into all sorts of things,
and did not appear as carried along in pompous show only, but, as
a man may say, running along like a river. Some parts were
composed of the rarest purple hangings, and so carried along; and
others accurately represented to the life what was embroidered by
the arts of the Babylonians. There were also precious stones that
were transparent, some set in crowns of gold, and some in other
ouches, as the workmen pleased; and of these such a vast number
were brought, that we could not but thence learn how vainly we
imagined any of them to be rarities. The images of the gods were
also carried, being as well wonderful for their largeness, as
made very artificially, and with great skill of the workmen; nor
were any of these images of any other than very costly
materials; and many species of animals were brought, every one in
their own natural ornaments. The men also who brought every one
of these shows were great multitudes, and adorned with purple
garments, all over interwoven with gold; those that were chosen
for carrying these pompous shows having also about them such
magnificent ornaments as were both extraordinary and surprising.
Besides these, one might see that even the great number of the
captives was not
unadorned, while the variety that was in their garments, and
their fine texture, concealed from the sight the deformity of
their bodies. But what afforded the greatest surprise of all was
the structure of the pageants that were borne along; for indeed
he that met them could not but be afraid that the bearers would
not be able firmly enough to support them, such was their
magnitude; for many of them were so made, that they were on three
or even four stories, one above another. The magnificence also of
their structure afforded one both pleasure and surprise; for upon
many of them were laid carpets of gold. There was also wrought
gold and ivory fastened about them all; and many resemblances of
the war, and those in several ways, and variety of contrivances,
affording a most lively portraiture of itself. For there was to
be seen a happy country laid waste, and entire squadrons of
enemies slain; while some of them ran away, and some were carried
into captivity; with walls of great altitude and magnitude
overthrown and ruined by machines; with the strongest
fortifications taken, and the walls of most populous cities upon
the tops of hills seized on, and an army pouring itself within
the walls; as also every place full of slaughter, and
supplications of the enemies, when they were no longer able to
lift up their hands in way of opposition. Fire also sent upon
temples was here represented, and houses overthrown, and falling
upon their owners: rivers also, after they came out of a large
and melancholy desert, ran down, not into a land cultivated, nor
as drink for men, or for cattle, but through a land still on fire
upon every side; for the Jews related that such a thing they had
undergone during this war. Now the workmanship of these
representations was so magnificent and lively in the construction
of the things, that it exhibited what had been done to such as
did not see it, as if they had been there really present. On the
top of every one of these pageants was placed the commander of
the city that was taken, and the manner wherein he was taken.
Moreover, there followed those pageants a great number of ships;
and for the other spoils, they were carried in great plenty. But
for those that were taken in the temple of Jerusalem, they
made the greatest figure of them all; that is, the golden table,
of the weight of many talents; the candlestick also, that was
made of gold, though its
construction were now changed from that which we made use of; for
its middle shaft was fixed upon a basis, and the small branches
were produced out of it to a great length, having the likeness of
a trident in their position, and had every one a socket made of
brass for a lamp at the tops of them. These lamps were in number
seven, and represented the dignity of the number seven among the
Jews; and the last of all the spoils, was carried the Law of the
Jews. After these spoils passed by a great many men, carrying the
images of Victory, whose structure was entirely either of ivory
or of gold. After which Vespasian marched in the first place, and
Titus followed him; Domitian also rode along with them, and made
a glorious appearance, and rode on a horse that was worthy of
admiration.
6. Now the last part of this pompous show was at the temple of
Jupiter Capitolinus, whither when they were come, they stood
still; for it was the Romans' ancient custom to stay till
somebody brought the news that the general of the enemy was
slain. This general was Simon, the son of Gioras, who had then
been led in this triumph among the captives; a rope had also been
put upon his head, and he had been drawn into a proper place in
the forum, and had withal been tormented by those that drew him
along; and the law of the Romans required that malefactors
condemned to die should be slain there. Accordingly, when it was
related that there was an end of him, and all the people had set
up a shout for joy, they then began to offer those sacrifices
which they had consecrated, in the prayers used in such
solemnities; which when they had finished, they went away to the
palace. And as for some of the spectators, the emperors
entertained them at their own feast; and for all the rest there
were noble preparations made for feasting at home; for this was a
festival day to the city of Rome, as celebrated for the victory
obtained by their army over their enemies, for the end that was
now put to their civil miseries, and for the commencement of
their hopes of future prosperity and happiness.
7. After these triumphs were over, and after the affairs of the
Romans were settled on the surest foundations, Vespasian resolved
to build a temple to Peace, which was finished in so short a
time, and in so glorious a manner, as was beyond all human
expectation and opinion: for he having now by Providence a vast
quantity of wealth, besides what he had formerly gained in his
other exploits, he had this temple adorned with pictures and
statues; for in this temple were collected and deposited all such
rarities as men aforetime used to wander all over the habitable
world to see, when they had a desire to see one of them after
another; he also laid up therein those golden vessels and
instruments that were taken out of the Jewish temple, as ensigns
of his glory. But still he gave order that they should lay up
their Law, and the purple veils of the holy place, in the royal
palace itself, and keep them there.
|
|