the author [of their revolts]. And pray, O Justus! who was that
author afterwards? For thou knowest that I was in the power of
the Romans before Jerusalem was besieged, and before the same
time Jotapata was taker by force, as well as many other
fortresses, and a great many of the Galileans fell in the war. It
was therefore then a proper time, when you were certainly freed
from any fear on my account, to throw away your weapons, and to
demonstrate to the king and to the Romans, that it was not of
choice, but as forced by necessity, that you fell into the war
against them; but you staid till Vespasian came himself as far as
your walls, with his whole army; and then you did indeed lay
aside your weapons out of fear, and your city had for certain
been taken by force, unless Vespasian had complied with the
king's supplication for you, and had excused your madness. It was
not I, therefore, who was the author of this, but your own
inclinations to war. Do not you remember how often I got you
under my power, and yet put none of you to death? Nay, you once
fell into a tumult one against another, and slew one hundred and
eighty-five of your citizens, not on account of your good-will to
the king and to the Romans, but on account of your own
wickedness, and this while I was besieged by the Romans in
Jotapata. Nay, indeed, were there not reckoned up two thousand of
the people of Tiberias during the siege of Jerusalem, some of
whom were slain, and the rest caught and carried captives? But
thou wilt pretend that thou didst not engage in the war, since
thou didst flee to the king. Yes, indeed, thou didst flee to him;
but I say it was out of fear of me. Thou sayest, indeed, that it
is I who am a wicked man. But then, for what reason was it that
king Agrippa, who procured thee thy life when thou wast condemned
to die by Vespian, and who bestowed so much riches upon thee, did