02-12-2004, 10:36 AM
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#11
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Contributor
Join Date: Mar 2002
Location: nowhere
Posts: 15,747
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Quote:
Originally posted by Shulammit
Slavery is not a great way to live; but where there is life; there is hope. That has been at the core of Hebraic belief, I believe from quite some time ago.
And actually, my original question was were there any other groups prior to the Hebrews that ended in this way?
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It seems I misunderstood you. I thought you were asking about any group other than that at Masada, not any group other than the Jews. That's why I mentioned another group of Jews who chose to die by their own hands, because I work in Jewish ancient history.
Quote:
Justin 16
(He = Clearchus)
5 Learning, soon after, that war was prepared against him by those who had made their escape (several cities being moved by pity to espouse their cause), he gave freedom to their slaves; and that no affliction might be wanting to distress the most honourable families, he obliged their wives and daughters to marry their slaves, threatening death to such as refused, that he might thus render the slaves more attached to himself, and less reconcilable to their masters. But such marriages were more intolerable to the women than immediate death; and many, in consequence, killed themselves before the nuptial rites were celebrated, and many in the midst of them, first killing their new husbands, and delivering themselves from dishonourable sufferings by a spirit of noble virtue.
Cassius Dio - Book XXXIX
(A battle by Caesar against pirates)
When the remaining crews saw this, some killed themselves to avoid being captured alive and others leapt into the sea with the idea that they would thus either board the hostile ships or in any event not perish at the hands of the Romans.
Appian, Iberike
(During a war between the Romans and the Iberians)
"the women bore arms with the men, who died with a will, not a man of them showing his back, or uttering a cry. Of the women who were captured some killed themselves, others slew their children also with their own hands, considering death preferable to captivity."
Pausanius (Guide for Greece 10.19.4-23.9)
(Of the sack of the town of Kallion)
"... the most horrifying wickednesses I have ever heard of... they butchered every male of that entire race, and the Gauls drank the blood and ate the flesh of the slaughtered babies. Any woman with a spark of pride killed themselves as soon as the city fell...Women who came on a Gaulish sword committed suicide with their own hands... they mated with the dying: they mated with the already dead."
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