the wars of the jews-第22章

按键盘上方向键 ← 或 → 可快速上下翻页，按键盘上的 Enter 键可回到本书目录页，按键盘上方向键 ↑ 可回到本页顶部！
————未阅读完？加入书签已便下次继续阅读！


own　with　eyes　more　serene　upon　them　than　he　looked　upon　their　fathers。〃

3。　While　he　spake　these　words　he　wept；　and　joined　the　children's　fight　hands　together；　after　which　he　embraced　them　every　one　after　an　affectionate　manner；　and　dismissed　the　assembly。　Upon　this；　Antipater　was　in　great　disorder　immediately；　and　lamented　publicly　at　what　was　done；　for　he　supposed　that　this　dignity　which　was　conferred　on　these　orphans　was　for　his　own　destruction；　even　in　his　father's　lifetime；　and　that　he　should　run　another　risk　of　losing　the　government；　if　Alexander's　sons　should　have　both　Archelaus　＇a　king＇；　and　Pheroras　a　tetrarch；　to　support　them。　He　also　considered　how　he　was　himself　hated　by　the　nation；　and　how　they　pitied　these　orphans；　how　great　affection　the　Jews　bare　to　those　brethren　of　his　when　they　were　alive；　and　how　gladly　they　remembered　them　now　they　had　perished　by　his　means。　So　he　resolved　by　all　the　ways　possible　to　get　these　espousals　dissolved。

4。　Now　he　was　afraid　of　going　subtlely　about　this　matter　with　his　father；　who　was　hard　to　be　pleased；　and　was　presently　moved　upon　the　least　suspicion：　so　he　ventured　to　go　to　him　directly；　and　to　beg　of　him　before　his　face　not　to　deprive　him　of　that　dignity　which　he　had　been　pleased　to　bestow　upon　him；　and　that　he　might　not　have　the　bare　name　of　a　king；　while　the　power　was　in　other　persons；　for　that　he　should　never　be　able　to　keep　the　government；　if　Alexander's　son　was　to　have　both　his　grandfather　Archelaus　and　Pheroras　for　his　curators；　and　he　besought　him　earnestly；　since　there　were　so　many　of　the　royal　family　alive；　that　he　would　change　those　＇intended＇　marriages。　Now　the　king　had　nine　wives；　（42）　and　children　by　seven　of　them；　Antipater　was　himself　born　of　Doris；　and　Herod　Philip　of　Mariamne；　the　high　priest's　daughter；　Antipas　also　and　Archelaus　were　by　Malthace；　the　Samaritan；　as　was　his　daughter　Olympias；　which　his　brother　Joseph's　（43）　son　had　married。　By　Cleopatra　of　Jerusalem　he　had　Herod　and　Philip；　and　by　Pallas；　Phasaelus；　he　had　also　two　daughters；　Roxana　and　Salome；　the　one　by　Phedra；　and　the　other　by　Elpis；　he　had　also　two　wives　that　had　no　children；　the　one　his　first　cousin；　and　the　other　his　niece；　and　besides　these　he　had　two　daughters；　the　sisters　of　Alexander　and　Aristobulus；　by　Mariamne。　Since；　therefore；　the　royal　family　was　so　numerous；　Antipater　prayed　him　to　change　these　intended　marriages。

5。　When　the　king　perceived　what　disposition　he　was　in　towards　these　orphans；　he　was　angry　at　it；　and　a　suspicion　came　into　his　mind　as　to　those　sons　whom　he　had　put　to　death；　whether　that　had　not　been　brought　about　by　the　false　tales　of　Antipater；　so　that　at　that　time　he　made　Antipater　a　long　and　a　peevish　answer；　and　bid　him　begone。　Yet　was　he　afterwards　prevailed　upon　cunningly　by　his　flatteries；　and　changed　the　marriages；　he　married　Aristobulus's　daughter　to　him；　and　his　son　to　Pheroras's　daughter。

6。　Now　one　may　learn；　in　this　instance；　how　very　much　this　flattering　Antipater　could　do；　…　even　what　Salome　in　the　like　circumstances　could　not　do；　for　when　she；　who　was　his　sister；　and　who；　by　the　means　of　Julia；　Caesar's　wife；　earnestly　desired　leave　to　be　married　to　Sylleus　the　Arabian；　Herod　swore　he　would　esteem　her　his　bitter　enemy；　unless　she　would　leave　off　that　project：　he　also　caused　her；　against　her　own　consent；　to　be　married　to　Alexas；　a　friend　of　his；　and　that　one　of　her　daughters　should　be　married　to　Alexas's　son；　and　the　other　to　Antipater's　uncle　by　the　mother's　side。　And　for　the　daughters　the　king　had　by　Mariamne；　the　one　was　married　to　Antipater；　his　sister's　son；　and　the　other　to　his　brother's　son；　Phasaelus。

CHAPTER　29。

Antipater　Becomes　Intolerable。　He　Is　Sent　To　Rome；　And　Carries　Herod's　Testament　With　Him；　Pheroras　Leaves　His　Brother；　That　He　May　Keep　His　Wife。　He　Dies　At　Home。

1。　Now　when　Antipater　had　cut　off　the　hopes　of　the　orphans；　and　had　contracted　such　affinities　as　would　be　most　for　his　own　advantage；　he　proceeded　briskly；　as　having　a　certain　expectation　of　the　kingdom；　and　as　he　had　now　assurance　added　to　his　wickedness；　he　became　intolerable；　for　not　being　able　to　avoid　the　hatred　of　all　people；　he　built　his　security　upon　the　terror　he　struck　into　them。　Pheroras　also　assisted　him　in　his　designs；　looking　upon　him　as　already　fixed　in　the　kingdom。　There　was　also　a　company　of　women　in　the　court；　which　excited　new　disturbances；　for　Pheroras's　wife；　together　with　her　mother　and　sister；　as　also　Antipater's　mother；　grew　very　impudent　in　the　palace。　She　also　was　so　insolent　as　to　affront　the　king's　two　daughters；　（44）　on　which　account　the　king　hated　her　to　a　great　degree；　yet　although　these　women　were　hated　by　him；　they　domineered　over　others：　there　was　only　Salome　who　opposed　their　good　agreement；　and　informed　the　king　of　their　meetings；　as　not　being　for　the　advantage　of　his　affairs。　And　when　those　women　knew　what　calumnies　she　had　raised　against　them；　and　how　much　Herod　was　displeased；　they　left　off　their　public　meetings；　and　friendly　entertainments　of　one　another；　nay；　on　the　contrary；　they　pretended　to　quarrel　one　with　another　when　the　king　was　within　hearing。　The　like　dissimulation　did　Antipater　make　use　of；　and　when　matters　were　public；　he　opposed　Pheroras；　but　still　they　had　private　cabals　and　merry　meetings　in　the　night　time；　nor　did　the　observation　of　others　do　any　more　than　confirm　their　mutual　agreement。　However；　Salome　knew　every　thing　they　did；　and　told　every　thing　to　Herod。

2。　But　he　was　inflamed　with　anger　at　them；　and　chiefly　at　Pheroras's　wife；　for　Salome　had　principally　accused　her。　So　he　got　an　assembly　of　his　friends　and　kindred　together；　and　there　accused　this　woman　of　many　things；　and　particularly　of　the　affronts　she　had　offered　his　daughters；　and　that　she　had　supplied　the　Pharisees　with　money；　by　way　of　rewards　for　what　they　had　done　against　him；　and　had　procured　his　brother　to　become　his　enemy；　by　giving　him　love　potions。　At　length　he　turned　his　speech　to　Pheroras；　and　told　him　that　he　would　give　him　his　choice　of　these　two　things：　Whether　he　would　keep　in　with　his　brother；　or　with　his　wife？　And　when　Pheroras　said　that　he　would　die　rather　than　forsake　his　wife？　Herod；　not　knowing　what　to　do　further　in　that　matter；　turned　his　speech　to　Antipater；　and　charged　him　to　have　no　intercourse　either　with　Pheroras's　wife；　or　with　Pheroras　himself；　or　with　any　one　belonging　to　her。　Now　though　Antipater　did　not　transgress　that　his　injunction　publicly；　yet　did　he　in　secret　come　to　their　night　meetings；　and　because　he　was　afraid　that　Salome　observed　what　he　did；　he　procured；　by　the　means　of　his　Italian　friends；　that　he　might　go　and　live　at　Rome；　for　when　they　wrote　that　it　was　proper　for　Antipater　to　be　sent　to　Caesar　for　some　time；　Herod　made　no　delay；　but　sent　him；　and　that　with　a　splendid　attendance；　and　a　great　deal　of　money；　and　gave　him　his　testament　to　carry　with　him；　…　wherein　Antipater　had　the　kingdom　bequeathed　to　him；　and　wherein　Herod　was　named　for　Antipater's　successor；　that　Herod；　I　mean；　who　was　the　son　of　Mariarmne；　the　high　priest's　daughter。

3。　Sylleus　also；　the　Arabian；　sailed　to　Rome；　without　any　regard　to　Caesar's　injunctions；　and　this　in　order　to　oppose　Antipater　with　all　his　might；　as　to　that　law…suit　which　Nicolaus　had　with　him　before。　This　Sylleus　had　also　a　great　contest　with　Aretas　his　own　king；　for　he　had　slain　many　others　of　Aretas's　friends；　and　particularly　Sohemus；　the　most　potent　man　in　the　city　Petra。　Moreover；　he　had　prevailed　with　Phabatus；　who　was　Herod's　steward；　by　giving　him　a　great　sum　of　money；　to　assist　him　against　Herod；　but　when　Herod　gave　him　more；　he　induced　him　to　leave　Syllcus；　and　by　this　means　he　demanded　of　him　all　that　Caesar　had　required　of　him　to　pay。　But　when　Sylleus　paid　nothing　of　what　he　was　to　pay；　and　did　also　accuse　Phabatus　to　Caesar；　and　said　that　he　was　not　a　steward　for　Caesar's　advantage；　but　for　Herod's；　Phabatus　was　angry　at　him　on　that　account；　but　was　still　in　very　great　esteem　with　Herod；　and　discovered　Sylleus's　grand　secrets；　and　told　the　king　that　Sylleus　had　corrupted　Corinthus；　one　of　the　guards　of　his　body；　by　bribing　him；　and　of　whom　he　must　therefore　have　a　care。　Accordingly；　the　king　complied；　for　this　Corinthus；　though　he　was　brought　up　in　Herod's　kingdom；　yet　was　he　by　birth　an　Arabian；　so　the　king　ordered　him　to　be　taken　up　immediately；　and　not　only　him；　but　two　other　Arabians；　who　were　caught　with　him；　the　one　of　them　was　Sylleus's　friend；　the　other　the　head　of　a　tribe。　These　last；　being　put　to　the　torture；　confessed　that　they　had　prevailed　with　Corinthus；　for　a　large　sum　of　money；　to　kill　Herod；　and　when　they　had　been　further　examined　before　Saturninus；　the　president　of　Syria；　they　were　sent　to　Rome。

4。　However；　Herod　did　not　leave　off　importuning　Pheroras；　but　proceeded　to　force　him　to　put　away　his　wife；　（45）　yet　could　he　not　devise　any　way　by　which　he　could　bring　the　woman　herself　to　punishment；　although　he　had　many　causes　of　hatred　to　her；　till　at　length　he　was　in　such　great　uneasiness　at　her；　that　he　cast　both　her　and　his　brother　out　of　his　kingdom。　Pheroras　took　this　injury　very　patiently；　and　went　away　into　his　own　tetrarchy；　＇Perea　beyond　Jordan；＇　and　sware　that　there　should　be　but　one　end　put　to　his　flight；　and　that　should　be　Herod's　death；　and　that　he　would　never　return　while　he　was　alive。　Nor　indeed　would　he　return　when　his　brother　was　sick；　although　he　earnestly　sent　for　him　to　come　to　him；　because　he　had　a　mind　to　leave　some　injunctions　with　him　before　he　died；　but　Herod　unexpectedly　recovered。　A　little　afterward　Pheroras　himself　fell　sick；　when　Herod　showed　great　moderation；　for　he　came　to　him；　and　pitied　his　case；　and　took　care　of　him；　but　his　affection　for　him　did　him　no　good；　for　Pheroras　died　a　little　afterward。　Now　though　Herod　had　so　great　an　affection　for　him　to　the　last　day　of　his　life；　yet　was　a　report　spread　abroad　that　he　had　killed　him　by　poison。　However；　he　took　care　to　have　his　dead　body　carried　to　Jerusalem；　and　appointed　a　very　great　mourning　to　the　whole　nation　for　him；　and　bestowed　a　most　pompous　funeral　upon　him。　And　this　was　the　end　that　one　of　Alexander's　and　Aristobulus's　murderers　came　to。　　CHAPTER　30。

When　Herod　Made　Inquiry　About　Pheroras's　Death　A　Discovery　Was　Made　That　Antipater　Had　Prepared　A　Poisonous　Draught　For　Him。　Herod　Casts　Doris　And　Her　Accomplices；　As　Also　Mariamne；　Out　Of　The　Palace　And　Blots　Her　Son　Herod　Out　Of　His　Testament。

1。　But　now　the　punishment　was　transferred　unto　the　original　author；　Antipater；　and　took　its　rise　from　the　death　of　Pheroras；　for　certain　of　his　freed…men　came　with　a　sad　countenance　to　the　king；　and　told　him　that　his　brother　had　been　destroyed　by　poison；　and　that　his　wife　had　brought　him　somewhat　that　was　prepared　after　an　unusual　manner；　and　that；　upon　his　eating　it；　he　presently　fell　into　his　distemper；　that　Antipater's　mother　and　sister；　two　days　before；　brought　a　woman　out　of　Arabia　that　was　skillful　in　mixing　such　drugs；　that　she　might　prepare　a　love　potion　for　Pheroras；　and　that　instead　of　a　love　potion；　she　had　given　him　deadly　poison；　and　that　this　was　done　by　the　management　of　Sylleus；　who　was　acquainted　with　that　woman。

2。　The　king　was　deeply　affected　with　so　many　suspicions；　and　had　the　maid…servants　and　some　of　the　free　women　also　tortured；　one　o