Dolesus

Family: Gadara · Role: leading citizen of Gadara · First appears: Book IV, Chapter 7

Life events

Dolesus was seized and killed for arranging Gadara’s surrender.(Book IV, Chapter 7 · 📍 Gadara)
- “so they seized upon Dolesus, [a person not only the first in rank and family in that city, but one that seemed the occasion of sending such an embassy,] and slew him, and treated his dead body after a barbarous manner, so very violent was their anger at him, and then ran out of the city.”

with Vespasian (Dolesus was regarded as connected with the embassy sent to Vespasian to negotiate Gadara's surrender.) “Accordingly, he marched against Gadara, the metropolis of Perea, which was a place of strength, and entered that city on the fourth day of the month Dystrus [Adar]; for the men of power had sent an embassage to him, without the knowledge of the seditious, to treat about a surrender; which they did out of the desire they had of peace, and for saving their effects, because many of the citizens of Gadara were rich men. This embassy the opposite party knew nothing of, but discovered it as Vespasian was approaching near the city. However, they despaired of keeping possession of the city, as being inferior in number to their enemies who were within the city, and seeing the Romans very near to the city; so they resolved to fly, but thought it dishonorable to do it without shedding some blood, and revenging themselves on the authors of this surrender; so they seized upon Dolesus, [a person not only the first in rank and family in that city, but one that seemed the occasion of sending such an embassy,] and slew him”

Extracted from the original text of The Wars of the Jews; Or, The History of the Destruction of Jerusalem. Made with Rho MD.