The Jewish War: First half of Book 6

[cahn]

Last week: Sieges are awful. Josephus tells us that Titus really totally felt bad about all the awfulness (even though he didn't stop them) and there is a theory that maybe by "us" he meant "Berenice." Titus had dancing boys?? (Josephus does not mention any, sadly.) Does Samuel the Lamanite in the Book of Mormon owe anything to Josephus speaking truth to the wicked? Unclear. Talmud on the Sages vs. the Zealots as an interesting correlated story to Josephus. Poppea's complexity including both an interest in (conversion to?) Judaism as well as being ruthless; comparison to Constantine's much better press.

This week: The temple is destroyed.

Next week: End of Book 6.

Comments

Re: Recap

[cahn]

Brushing up my Suetonius has also reminded me that people at the time when Titus post victory at Jerusalem made a little detour to Egypt before heading home to Italy were wildly speculating whether he's going to turn this into the era of the Five Emperors and make his own bid for the throne.

Oh wow, that would be an interesting dark AU, though...

Domitian keeps this tax when the Jupiter Temple has finished rebuilding - of course he does - but he also introduces the novelty of people suspected of being undercover Judeans tax evaders having to show their penises to prove they aren't (because of circumsision), and Suetonius comments he can still renember that from being a boy.

Uh. Well. Okay then.