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Josephus on Titus pitying him

set in 67 CE, Judaea. His own words, about Titus and himself.

Where and when

set in 67 CEJudaea

1,959 years ago

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Josephus

, JudaeaHis own words, about Titus and himself

In plain words, ours

Above all, his own courage and the prisoner's patience made Titus pity him. Seeing a fighter suddenly a captive made him think how fast fortune turns in war, and that no one's place is safe.

Above all the rest, Titus's own valor, and Josephus's own patience under his afflictions, made him pity him, as did also the commiseration of his age, when he recalled to mind that but a little while ago he was fighting, but lay now in the hands of his enemies, which made him consider the power of fortune, and how quick is the turn of affairs in war, and how no state of men is sure;

Josephus, The Jewish War 3.392Translated by William Whiston (1737)Read the full passage (Josephus, The Jewish War 3.392, opens scaife.perseus.org)

What was going on, our summary

Judaea, 67 CE, during the revolt against Rome. Josephus, writing of himself by name, has just been captured and led to the Roman general Vespasian, while soldiers crowd round and some shout for his death. Titus is Vespasian's son.

Checked claim by claim against: Judaea rises against Rome, Titus takes Jerusalem and the Temple burns, the passage around the quote.

Why it matters

About the event it belongs to: Judaea rises against Rome

The first of three major Jewish rebellions against Rome, the revolt ended with Jerusalem and the Temple destroyed, mass displacement and the end of the Jewish polity.

Based on Wikipedia: First Jewish–Roman War

was the first of three major Jewish rebellions against the Roman Empire.

it resulted in the destruction of Jerusalem and the Jewish Temple, mass displacement, land appropriation, and the dissolution of the Jewish polity.

Wikipedia, First Jewish–Roman War (opens en.wikipedia.org), as of 2026-09-09. Text CC BY-SA 4.0. Our line is checked against these sentences only.

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  6. set in 67 CEThis momentJosephus on Titus pitying him
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Just before and after

The text around the quote, word for word from the same translation.

Show the passageHide the passage

Thus Josephus escaped in the war with the Romans, and in this his own war with his friends, and was led by Nicanor to Vespasian. But now all the Romans ran together to see him; and as the multitude pressed one upon another about their general, there was a tumult of a various kind; while some rejoiced that Josephus was taken, and some threatened him, and some crowded to see him very near; but those that were more remote cried out to have this their enemy put to death, while those that were near called to mind the actions he had done, and a deep concern appeared at the change of his fortune. Nor were there any of the Roman commanders, how much soever they had been enraged at him before, but relented when they came to the sight of him.

The quote: Above all the rest, Titus's own valor, and Josephus's own patience under his afflictions, made him pity him, as did also the commiseration of his age, when he recalled to mind that but a little while ago he was fighting, but lay now in the hands of his enemies, which made him consider the power of fortune, and how quick is the turn of affairs in war, and how no state of men is sure;

for which reason he then made a great many more to be of the same pitiful temper with himself, and induced them to commiserate Josephus. He was also of great weight in persuading his father to preserve him. However, Vespasian gave strict orders that he should be kept with great caution, as though he would in a very little time send him to Nero. When Josephus heard him give those orders, he said that he had somewhat in his mind that he would willingly say to himself alone.

Josephus, The Jewish War 3.392–399Translated by William Whiston (1737)Read the full passage (opens scaife.perseus.org)

When, and whose words

Date
set in 67 CE. Set at the fall of Jotapata in 67 CE; he wrote it in the 70s CE.
Whose words
His own words, about Titus and himself.
How this post was checked
  • The plain-words line was read against the quote alone by a second, independent pass, which found it adds no claim the quote does not make (2026-10-03).
  • Each claim in the summary was checked by an independent pass against only the material it cites.
  • The quote itself is checked by the build: word for word, once, at the cited section of the stored translation.

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