the wars of the jews-第17章

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ars；　and　the　greatest　part　of　it　is　replenished　with　stags　and　wild　asses。　He　was　also　such　a　warrior　as　could　not　be　withstood：　many　men；　therefore；　there　are　who　have　stood　amazed　at　his　readiness　in　his　exercises；　when　they　saw　him　throw　the　javelin　directly　forward；　and　shoot　the　arrow　upon　the　mark。　And　then；　besides　these　performances　of　his　depending　on　his　own　strength　of　mind　and　body；　fortune　was　also　very　favorable　to　him；　for　he　seldom　failed　of　success　in　his　wars；　and　when　he　failed；　he　was　not　himself　the　occasion　of　such　failings；　but　he　either　vas　betrayed　by　some；　or　the　rashness　of　his　own　soldiers　procured　his　defeat。　　CHAPTER　22。

The　Murder　Of　Aristobulus　And　Hyrcanus；　The　High　Priests；　As　Also　Of　Mariamne　The　Queen。

1。　However；　fortune　was　avenged　on　Herod　in　his　external　great　successes；　by　raising　him　up　domestical　troubles；　and　he　began　to　have　wild　disorders　in　his　family；　on　account　of　his　wife；　of　whom　he　was　so　very　fond。　For　when　he　came　to　the　government；　he　sent　away　her　whom　he　had　before　married　when　he　was　a　private　person；　and　who　was　born　at　Jerusalem；　whose　name　was　Doris；　and　married　Mariamne；　the　daughter　of　Alexander；　the　son　of　Aristobulus；　on　whose　account　disturbances　arose　in　his　family；　and　that　in　part　very　soon；　but　chiefly　after　his　return　from　Rome。　For；　first　of　all；　he　expelled　Antipater　the　son　of　Doris；　for　the　sake　of　his　sons　by　Mariamne；　out　of　the　city；　and　permitted　him　to　come　thither　at　no　other　times　than　at　the　festivals。　After　this　he　slew　his　wife's　grandfather；　Hyrcanus；　when　he　was　returned　out　of　Parthin　to　him；　under　this　pretense；　that　he　suspected　him　of　plotting　against　him。　Now　this　Hyrcanus　had　been　carried　captive　to　Barzapharnes；　when　he　overran　Syria；　but　those　of　his　own　country　beyond　Euphrates　were　desirous　he　would　stay　with　them；　and　this　out　of　the　commiseration　they　had　for　his　condition；　and　had　he　complied　with　their　desires；　when　they　exhorted　him　not　to　go　over　the　river　to　lierod；　he　had　not　perished：　but　the　marriage　of　his　granddaughter　＇to　Herod＇　was　his　temptation；　for　as　he　relied　upon　him；　and　was　over…fond　of　his　own　country；　he　came　back　to　it。　Herod's　provocation　was　this；　…　not　that　Hyrcanus　made　any　attempt　to　gain　the　kingdom；　but　that　it　was　fitter　for　him　to　be　their　king　than　for　Herod。　　2。　Now　of　the　five　children　which　Herod　had　by　Mariamne；　two　of　them　were　daughters；　and　three　were　sons；　and　the　youngest　of　these　sons　was　educated　at　Rome；　and　there　died；　but　the　two　eldest　he　treated　as　those　of　royal　blood；　on　account　of　the　nobility　of　their　mother；　and　because　they　were　not　born　till　he　was　king。　But　then　what　was　stronger　than　all　this　was　the　love　that　he　bare　to　Mariamne；　and　which　inflamed　him　every　day　to　a　great　degree；　and　so　far　conspired　with　the　other　motives；　that　he　felt　no　other　troubles；　on　account　of　her　he　loved　so　entirely。　But　Mariamne's　hatred　to　him　was　not　inferior　to　his　love　to　her。　She　had　indeed　but　too　just　a　cause　of　indignation　from　what　he　had　done；　while　her　boldness　proceeded　from　his　affection　to　her；　so　she　openly　reproached　him　with　what　he　had　done　to　her　grandfather　Hyrcanus；　and　to　her　brother　Aristobulus；　for　he　had　not　spared　this　Aristobulus；　though　he　were　but　a　child；　for　when　he　had　given　him　the　high　priesthood　at　the　age　of　seventeen；　he　slew　him　quickly　after　he　had　conferred　that　dignity　upon　him；　but　when　Aristobulus　had　put　on　the　holy　vestments；　and　had　approached　to　the　altar　at　a　festival；　the　multitude；　in　great　crowds；　fell　into　tears；　whereupon　the　child　was　sent　by　night　to　Jericho；　and　was　there　dipped　by　the　Galls；　at　Herod's　command；　in　a　pool　till　he　was　drowned。

3。　For　these　reasons　Mariamne　reproached　Herod；　and　his　sister　and　mother；　after　a　most　contumelious　manner；　while　he　was　dumb　on　account　of　his　affection　for　her；　yet　had　the　women　great　indignation　at　her；　and　raised　a　calumny　against　her；　that　she　was　false　to　his　bed；　which　thing　they　thought　most　likely　to　move　Herod　to　anger。　They　also　contrived　to　have　many　other　circumstances　believed；　in　order　to　make　the　thing　more　credible；　and　accused　her　of　having　sent　her　picture　into　Egypt　to　Antony；　and　that　her　lust　was　so　extravagant；　as　to　have　thus　showed　herself；　though　she　was　absent；　to　a　man　that　ran　mad　after　women；　and　to　a　man　that　had　it　in　his　power　to　use　violence　to　her。　This　charge　fell　like　a　thunderbolt　upon　Herod；　and　put　him　into　disorder；　and　that　especially；　because　his　love　to　her　occasioned　him　to　be　jealous；　and　because　he　considered　with　himself　that　Cleopatra　was　a　shrewd　woman；　and　that　on　her　account　Lysanias　the　king　was　taken　off；　as　well　as　Malichus　the　Arabian；　for　his　fear　did　not　only　extend　to　the　dissolving　of　his　marriage；　but　to　the　danger　of　his　life。

4。　When　therefore　he　was　about　to　take　a　journey　abroad；　he　committed　his　wife　to　Joseph；　his　sister　Salome's　husband；　as　to　one　who　would　be　faithful　to　him；　and　bare　him　good…will　on　account　of　their　kindred；　he　also　gave　him　a　secret　injunction；　that　if　Antony　slew　him；　he　should　slay　her。　But　Joseph；　without　any　ill　design；　and　only　in　order　to　demonstrate　the　king's　love　to　his　wife；　how　he　could　not　bear　to　think　of　being　separated　from　her；　even　by　death　itself；　discovered　this　grand　secret　to　her；　upon　which；　when　Herod　was　come　back；　and　as　they　talked　together；　and　he　confirmed　his　love　to　her　by　many　oaths；　and　assured　her　that　he　had　never　such　an　affection　for　any　other　woman　as　he　had　for　her；　…　〃　Yes；〃　says　she；　〃thou　didst；　to　be　sure；　demonstrate　thy　love　to　me　by　the　injunctions　thou　gavest　Joseph；　when　thou　commandedst　him　to　kill　me。〃　（37）

5。　When　he　heard　that　this　grand　secret　was　discovered；　he　was　like　a　distracted　man；　and　said　that　Joseph　would　never　have　disclosed　that　injunction　of　his；　unless　he　had　debauched　her。　His　passion　also　made　him　stark　mad；　and　leaping　out　of　his　bed；　he　ran　about　the　palace　after　a　wild　manner；　at　which　time　his　sister　Salome　took　the　opportunity　also　to　blast　her　reputation；　and　confirmed　his　suspicion　about　Joseph；　whereupon；　out　of　his　ungovernable　jealousy　and　rage；　he　commanded　both　of　them　to　be　slain　immediately；　but　as　soon　as　ever　his　passion　was　over；　he　repented　of　what　he　had　done；　and　as　soon　as　his　anger　was　worn　off；　his　affections　were　kindled　again。　And　indeed　the　flame　of　his　desires　for　her　was　so　ardent；　that　he　could　not　think　she　was　dead；　but　would　appear；　under　his　disorders；　to　speak　to　her　as　if　she　were　still　alive；　till　he　were　better　instructed　by　time；　when　his　grief　and　trouble；　now　she　was　dead；　appeared　as　great　as　his　affection　had　been　for　her　while　she　was　living。　　CHAPTER　23。

Calumnies　Against　The　Sons　Of　Mariamne。　Antipateris　Preferred　Before　Them。　They　Are　Accused　Before　Caesar；　And　Herod　Is　Reconciled　To　Them。

1。　Now　Mariamne's　sons　were　heirs　to　that　hatred　which　had　been　borne　their　mother；　and　when　they　considered　the　greatness　of　Herod's　crime　towards　her；　they　were　suspicious　of　him　as　of　an　enemy　of　theirs；　and　this　first　while　they　were　educated　at　Rome；　but　still　more　when　they　were　returned　to　Judea。　This　temper　of　theirs　increased　upon　them　as　they　grew　up　to　be　men；　and　when　they　were　Come　to　an　age　fit　for　marriage；　the　one　of　them　married　their　aunt　Salome's　daughter；　which　Salome　had　been　the　accuser　of　their　mother；　the　other　married　the　daughter　of　Archclaus；　king　of　Cappadocia。　And　now　they　used　boldness　in　speaking；　as　well　as　bore　hatred　in　their　minds。　Now　those　that　calumniated　them　took　a　handle　from　such　their　boldness；　and　certain　of　them　spake　now　more　plainly　to　the　king　that　there　were　treacherous　designs　laid　against　him　by　both　his　sons；　and　he　that　was　son…in…law　to　Archelaus；　relying　upon　his　father…in…law；　was　preparing　to　fly　away；　in　order　to　accuse　Herod　before　Caesar；　and　when　Herod's　head　had　been　long　enough　filled　with　these　calumnies；　he　brought　Antipater；　whom　he　had　by　Doris；　into　favor　again；　as　a　defense　to　him　against　his　other　sons；　and　began　all　the　ways　he　possibly　could　to　prefer　him　before　them。

2。　But　these　sons　were　not　able　to　bear　this　change　in　their　affairs；　but　when　they　saw　him　that　was　born　of　a　mother　of　no　family；　the　nobility　of　their　birth　made　them　unable　to　contain　their　indignation；　but　whensoever　they　were　uneasy；　they　showed　the　anger　they　had　at　it。　And　as　these　sons　did　day　after　day　improve　in　that　their　anger；　Antipater　already　exercised　all　his　own　abilities；　which　were　very　great；　in　flattering　his　father；　and　in　contriving　many　sorts　of　calumnies　against　his　brethren；　while　he　told　some　stories　of　them　himself；　and　put　it　upon　other　proper　persons　to　raise　other　stories　against　them；　till　at　length　he　entirely　cut　his　brethren　off　from　all　hopes　of　succeeding　to　the　kingdom；　for　he　was　already　publicly　put　into　his　father's　will　as　his　successor。　Accordingly；　he　was　sent　with　royal　ornaments；　and　other　marks　of　royalty；　to　Caesar；　excepting　the　diadem。　He　was　also　able　in　time　to　introduce　his　mother　again　into　Mariamne's　bed。　The　two　sorts　of　weapons　he　made　use　of　against　his　brethren　were　flattery　and　calumny；　whereby　he　brought　matters　privately　to　such　a　pass；　that　the　king　had　thoughts　of　putting　his　sons　to　death。

3。　So　the　father　drew　Alexander　as　far　as　Rome；　and。　charged　him　with　an　attempt　of　poisoning　him　before　Caesar。　Alexander　could　hardly　speak　for　lamentation；　but　having　a　judge　that　was　more　skillful　than　Antipater；　and　more　wise　than　Herod；　he　modestly　avoided　laying　any　imputation　upon　his　father；　but　with　great　strength　of　reason　confuted　the　calumnies　laid　against　him；　and　when　he　had　demonstrated　the　innocency　of　his　brother；　who　was　in　the　like　danger　with　himself；　he　at　last　bewailed　the　craftiness　of　Antipater；　and　the　disgrace　they　were　under。　He　was　enabled　also　to　justify　himself；　not　only　by　a　clear　conscience；　which　he　carried　within　him；　but　by　his　eloquence；　for　he　was　a　shrewd　man　in　making　speeches。　And　upon　his　saying　at　last；　that　if　his　father　objected　this　crime　to　them；　it　was　in　his　power　to　put　them　to　death；　he　made　all　the　audience　weep；　and　he　brought　Caesar　to　that　pass；　as　to　reject　the　accusations；　and　to　reconcile　their　father　to　them　immediately。　But　the　conditions　of　this　reconciliation　were　these；　that　they　should　in　all　things　be　obedient　to　their　father；　and　that　he　should　have　power　to　leave　the　kingdom　to　which　of　them　he　pleased。

4。　After　this　the　king　came　back　from　Rome；　and　seemed　to　have　forgiven　his　sons　upon　these　accusations；　but　still　so　that　he　was　not　without　his　suspicions　of　them。　They　were　followed　by　Antipater；　who　was　the　fountain…head　of　those　accusations；　yet　did　not　he　openly　discover　his　hatred　to　them；　as　revering　him　that　had　reconciled　them。　But　as　Herod　sailed　by　Cilicia；　he　touched　at　Eleusa；　（38）　where　Archclaus　treated　them　in　the　most　obliging　manner；　and　gave　him　thanks　for　the　deliverance　of　his　son…in…law；　and　was　much　pleased　at　their　reconciliation；　and　this　the　more；　because　he　had　formerly　written　to　his　friends　at　Rome　that　they　should　be　assisting　to　Alexander　at　his　trial。　So　he　conducted　Herod　as　far　as　Zephyrium；　and　made　him　presents　to　the　value　of　thirty　talents。

5。　Now　when　Herod　was　come　to　Jerusalem；　he　gathered　the　people　together；