§94ἡμᾶς δὲ τί τοιοῦτον ἔδει παθεῖν;
But why did we have to suffer such things?
πότε γὰρ εἰς ἀπόστασιν ὑπωπτεύθημεν;
For when were we ever suspected of rebellion?
πότε δ’ οὐκ εἰρηνικοὶ πᾶσιν ἐνομίσθημεν;
And when were we not considered peaceable by all?
τὰ δ’ ἐπιτηδεύματα, οἷς καθ’ ἑκάστην ἡμέραν χρώμεθα, οὐκ ἀνεπίληπτα, οὐ συντείνοντα πρὸς εὐνομίαν πόλεως καὶ εὐστάθειαν;
Are not our daily practices blameless and conducive to the good order and stability of the city?
εἴ γε μὴν εἶχον ὅπλα Ἰουδαῖοι παρ’ αὑτοῖς, ὑπὲρ τετρακοσίας ἀφῃρέθησαν ἂν οἰκίας, ἐξ ὧν μετανάσται ἐγένοντο, φυγαδευθέντες πρὸς τῶν τὰς οὐσίας ἁρπασάντων;
Indeed, if the Jews had weapons in their possession, would they not have been deprived of them from the more than four hundred houses from which they were expelled, having been driven into exile by those who plundered their property?
διὰ τί οὖν οὐχὶ καὶ τὰ παρὰ τούτοις ἠρεύνησέ τις, τοῖς εἰ καὶ μὴ ἴδια ὅπλα, ὅσα γοῦν ἥρπασαν, ἔχουσιν;
Why then did no one search the houses of these people, who, even if they do not have weapons of their own, have at least as many as they plundered?
§95ἀλλ’ ἦν, ὡς ἔφην, ὅλον τὸ πρᾶγμα ἐπιβουλὴ τῆς ἀποτομίας Φλάκκου καὶ τῶν ὄχλων, ὧν ἀπέλαυσαν καὶ γυναῖκες.
But, as I said, the whole matter was a conspiracy of the cruelty of Flaccus and of the crowds, from which even the women suffered.
οὐκ ἐν ἀγορᾷ γὰρ μόνον ἀλλὰ καὶ ἐν μέσῳ τῷ θεάτρῳ καθάπερ αἰχμάλωτοι συνηρπάζοντο καὶ ἐπὶ τὴν σκηνὴν ἐφ’ ὅτῳ δήποτε συκοφαντούμεναι παρήγοντο μετά τινος ἀφορήτου καὶ ἀργαλεωτάτης ὕβρεως·
For not only in the market-place but also in the middle of the theatre they were seized like captives, and were brought onto the stage under whatever fabricated charge with unbearable and most grievous insult.
§96εἶτ’ ἐπειδὴ μὲν ἐγνωρίσθησαν ἑτέρου γένους, ἀπελύοντο — πολλὰς γὰρ ὡς Ἰουδαίας ἀκριβῆ μὴ ποιούμενοι τῆς ἀληθείας τὴν ἔρευναν συνελάμβανον —, εἰ δ’ ἐφάνησαν ἡμέτεραι, προσέταττον οἱ ἀντὶ θεατῶν τύραννοι καὶ δεσπόται γεγονότες κρέα χοίρεια διδόναι κομίζοντας.
Then, when they were recognized as being of another race, they were released—for they arrested many women as Jewish, without making an accurate investigation of the truth—but if they appeared to be ours, those who had become tyrants and masters instead of spectators ordered people to bring and give them swine's flesh.
ὅσαι μὲν οὖν φόβῳ κολάσεως ἀπεγεύσαντο, μηδὲν ἔτι δεινὸν προσυπομείνασαι ἀπελύοντο· αἱ δ’ ἐγκρατέστεραι βασανισταῖς παρεδίδοντο πρὸς αἰκίας ἀνηκέστους, ὅπερ τοῦ μηδὲν ἀδικεῖν αὐτὰς σαφεστάτη πίστις ἐστί.
Those, therefore, who tasted it through fear of punishment were released, without undergoing any further dread; but the more self-controlled among them were delivered to torturers for incurable outrages, which is the clearest proof that they had done no wrong.
§97Πρὸς τοῖς εἰρημένοις οὐ δι’ ἑαυτοῦ μόνον ἀλλ’ ἤδη καὶ διὰ τοῦ αὐτοκράτορος ἐζήτει καὶ ἐπενόει κακοῦν ἡμᾶς.
In addition to what has been said, he sought and devised to harm us not only through himself but already also through the emperor.
τιμὰς γάρ, ὅσας οἷόν τε ἦν καὶ ἐπέτρεπον οἱ νόμοι, πάσας Γαΐῳ ψηφισάμενοι καὶ ἐπιτελέσαντες ἔργοις ἀνέδομεν τὸ ψήφισμα αὐτῷ, δεηθέντες, ἐπειδὴ πρεσβείαν αἰτησαμένοις οὐκ ἂν ἐπέτρεψεν, ἵνα διαπέμψηται δι’ αὑτοῦ.
For having decreed all the honors for Gaius that were possible and that the laws permitted, and having fulfilled them in deeds, we presented the decree to him, entreating him, since he would not have permitted us had we requested an embassy, that it might be transmitted through him.
§98ἀναγνοὺς δὲ καὶ ἑκάστῳ τῶν ἐν τῷ ψηφίσματι πολλάκις τῇ κεφαλῇ συνεπινεύσας, ὑπομειδιῶν καὶ γεγανωμένος ἢ προσποιούμενος τὸν ἡδόμενον, "ἀποδέχομαι πάντας ὑμᾶς" ἔφη „τῆς εὐσεβείας καὶ πέμψω, καθάπερ αἰτεῖσθε, ἢ πρεσβευτοῦ τάξιν ἐκπλήσω, ἵν’ αἴσθηται Γάιος τῆς ὑμετέρας εὐχαριστίας.
And having read it and nodded assent with his head many times at each of the items in the decree, smiling and rejoicing, or pretending to be pleased, he said, "I approve of you all for your piety, and I will send it, as you request, or I will fulfill the office of an ambassador myself, so that Gaius may perceive your gratitude.
§99μαρτυρήσω δὲ καὶ αὐτὸς ὅσα σύνοιδα τῷ πλήθει τῶν εἰς κοσμιότητα καὶ εἰς εὐπείθειαν προστιθεὶς οὐδέν· ἡ γὰρ ἀλήθεια αὐταρκέστατος ἔπαινος“. ἐπὶ ταύταις ταῖς ὑποσχέσεσι γεγηθότες εὐχαριστοῦμεν, ὡς ἤδη ταῖς ἐλπίσι παρανεγνωσμένου Γαΐῳ τοῦ ψηφίσματος.
And I myself will testify to all that I know of the multitude, adding nothing to their decency and obedience; for the truth is the most self-sufficient praise." Rejoicing at these promises, we were thankful, as if by our hopes the decree had already been read to Gaius.
§100καὶ γὰρ ἦν εἰκός, ἐπειδὴ πάνθ’ ὅσα διὰ τῶν ὑπάρχων πέμπεται μετὰ σπουδῆς ἀνυπέρθετον ἔχει τὴν παρ’ ἡγεμόνι διάγνωσιν.
And indeed this was natural, since everything sent through governors with speed has its examination by the emperor without delay.
ὁ δὲ πολλὰ χαίρειν φράσας οἷς διενοήθημεν, οἷς εἶπεν, οἷς ὡμολόγησε, τὸ ψήφισμα παρ’ ἑαυτῷ παρακατέσχεν, ἵνα μόνοι τῶν ὑφ’ ἥλιον ἀνθρώπων ἐχθροὶ νομισθῶμεν.
But he, bidding a long farewell to what we intended, what he said, and what he promised, kept the decree in his own possession, so that we alone of all people under the sun might be regarded as enemies.
§101ταῦτ’ οὐ διηγρυπνηκότος ἦν ἐκ πολλοῦ καὶ περιεσκεμμένου τὴν καθ’ ἡμῶν ἐπιβουλήν, ἀλλὰ μὴ κατ’ ἀπόνοιαν αὐτοσχεδιάζοντος ἀκαίρῳ φορᾷ καὶ παραγωγῇ τινὶ λογισμοῦ;
Were these things not the work of one who had been long awake and circumspect in his plot against us, rather than of one improvising in madness by an untimely impulse and some deviation of reason?
§102θεὸς δ’ ὡς ἔοικεν, ᾧ μέλει τῶν ἀνθρωπείων πραγμάτων, τοὺς θῶπας αὐτοῦ λόγους καὶ κεκομψευμένους ἐπὶ φενακισμῷ καὶ τὸ τῆς ἐκνόμου διανοίας βουλευτήριον, ἐν ᾧ κατεστρατήγει, προβαλλόμενος, λαβὼν οἶκτον ἡμῶν, ἀφορμὴν οὐκ εἰς μακρὰν ἐμπαρέσχε τοῦ μὴ ψευσθῆναι τῆς ἐλπίδος.
But God, as it seems, who cares for human affairs, rejecting his flattering words and those dressed up for deception, and the council-chamber of his lawless mind in which he outmaneuvered us, taking pity on us, provided before long an opportunity for our hope not to be frustrated.
§103Ἀγρίππας γὰρ ἐπιδημήσας ὁ βασιλεὺς διηγησαμένοις ἡμῖν τὴν ἐκ Φλάκκου γενομένην ἐπιβουλὴν ἐπανορθοῦται τὸ πρᾶγμα καὶ ὑποσχόμενος τὸ ψήφισμα διαπέμψεσθαι λαβὼν ὡς ἀκούομεν ἔπεμψεν, ἀπολογησάμενος καὶ περὶ τοῦ χρόνου, ὡς οὐκ ὀψὲ μαθόντων εὐσεβεῖν εἰς τὸν εὐεργέτην οἶκον, ἀλλ’ ἐξ ἀρχῆς μὲν σπουδασάντων, ἐπηρείᾳ δὲ τοῦ προεστῶτος τὴν καίριον ἐπίδειξιν ἀφαιρεθέντων.
For King Agrippa, having arrived, when we related to him the plot that had been made by Flaccus, corrected the matter and, promising to transmit the decree, having received it, as we hear, he sent it, making an apology also concerning the time, showing that we had not been slow to learn piety toward the beneficent house, but had been zealous from the beginning, though deprived of the timely display of it by the malice of the governor.
§104ἐπὶ δὴ τούτοις ἤρξατο κονίεσθαι κατ’ αὐτοῦ ἡ ὑπέρμαχος μὲν καὶ παραστάτις ἀδικουμένων τιμωρὸς δ’ ἀνοσίων καὶ ἔργων καὶ ἀνθρώπων δίκη.
Upon these events indeed, Justice, the champion and helper of the injured, and the avenger of unholy deeds and men, began to prepare herself for battle against him.
πρῶτον μὲν γὰρ καινοτάτην ὑπέμεινεν ὕβριν καὶ συμφορὰν οὐδενὶ τῶν πάλαι γενομένην ὑπάρχων, ἀφ’ οὗ τὴν ἡγεμονίαν ὁ Σεβαστὸς οἶκος ἀνήψατο γῆς καὶ θαλάττης.
For first, he underwent a most novel insult and calamity, such as had happened to none of the former governors since the Augustan house assumed the sovereignty of land and sea.