the antiquities of the jews-1-第189章

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persuaded　her　brother　to　put　away　the　wife　he　now　had；　and　to
take　the　king's　daughter；　it　was　no　wonder　if　she　were　hated　by
him。　As　she　said　this；　and　often　tore　her　hair；　and　often　beat
her　breast；　her　countenance　made　her　denial　to　be　believed；　but
the　peverseness　of　her　manners　declared　at　the　same　time　her
dissimulation　in　these　proceedings；　but　Pheroras　was　caught
between　them；　and　had　nothing　plausible　to　offer　in　his　own
defense；　while　he　confessed　that　he　had　said　what　was　charged
upon　him；　but　was　not　believed　when　he　said　he　had　heard　it　from
Salome；　so　the　confusion　among　them　was　increased；　and　their
quarrelsome　words　one　to　another。　At　last　the　king；　out　of　his
hatred　to　his　brother　and　sister；　sent　them　both　away；　and　when
he　had　commended　the　moderation　of　his　son；　and　that　he　had
himself　told　him　of　the　report；　he　went　in　the　evening　to　refresh
himself。　After　such　a　contest　as　this　had　fallen　out　among　them；
Salome's　reputation　suffered　greatly；　since　she　was　supposed　to
have　first　raised　the　calumny；　and　the　king's　wives　were　grieved
at　her；　as　knowing　she　was　a　very　ill…natured　woman；　and　would
sometimes　be　a　friend；　and　sometimes　an　enemy；　at　different
seasons：　so　they　perpetually　said　one　thing　or　another　against
her；　and　somewhat　that　now　fell　out　made　them　the　bolder　in
speaking　against　her。

6。　There　was　one　Obodas；　king　of　Arabia；　an　inactive　and　slothful
man　in　his　nature；　but　Sylleus　managed　most　of　his　affairs　for
him。　He　was　a　shrewd　man；　although　he　was　but　young；　and　was
handsome　withal。　This　Sylleus；　upon　some　occasion　coining　to
Herod；　and　supping　with　him；　saw　Salome；　and　set　his　heart　upon
her；　and　understanding　that　she　was　a　widow；　he　discoursed　with
her。　Now　because　Salome　was　at　this　time　less　in　favor　with　her
brother；　she　looked　upon　Sylleus　with　some　passion；　and　was　very
earnest　to　be　married　to　him；　and　on　the　days　following　there
appeared　many；　and　those　very　great；　indications　of　their
agreement　together。　Now　the　women　carried　this　news　to　the　king；
and　laughed　at　the　indecency　of　it；　whereupon　Herod　inquired
about　it　further　of　Pheroras；　and　desired　him　to　observe　them　at
supper；　how　their　behavior　was　one　toward　another；　who　told　him；
that　by　the　signals　which　came　from　their　heads　and　their　eyes；
they　both　were　evidently　in　love。　After　this；　Sylleus　the　Arabian
being　suspected；　went　away；　but　came　again　in　two　or　three　months
afterwards；　as　it　were　on　that　very　design；　and　spake　to　Herod
about　it；　and　desired　that　Salome　might　be　given　him　to　wife；　for
that　his　affinity　might　not　be　disadvantageous　to　his　affairs；　by
a　union　with　Arabia；　the　government　of　which　country　was　already
in　effect　under　his　power；　and　more　evidently　would　be　his
hereafter。　Accordingly；　when　Herod　discoursed　with　his　sister
about　it；　and　asked　her　whether　she　were　disposed　to　this　match；
she　immediately　agreed　to　it。　But　when　Sylleus　was　desired　to
come　over　to　the　Jewish　religion；　and　then　he　should　marry　her；
and　that　it　was　impossible　to　do　it　on　any　other　terms；　he　could
not　bear　that　proposal；　and　went　his　way；　for　he　said；　that　if　he
should　do　so；　he　should　be　stoned　by　the　Arabs。　Then　did　Pheroras
reproach　Salome　for　her　incontinency；　as　did　the　women　much　more；
and　said　that　Sylleus　had　debauched　her。　As　for　that　damsel　which
the　king　had　betrothed　to　his　brother　Pheroras；　but　he　had　not
taken　her；　as　I　have　before　related；　because　he　was　enamored　on
his　former　wife；　Salome　desired　of　Herod　she　might　be　given　to
her　son　by　Costobarus；　which　match　he　was　very　willing　to；　but
was　dissuaded　from　it　by　Pheroras；　who　pleaded　that　this　young
man　would　not　be　kind　to　her；　since　his　father　had　been　slain　by
him；　and　that　it　was　more　just　that　his　son；　who　was　to　be　his
successor　in　the　tetrarchy；　should　have　her。　So　he　begged　his
pardon；　and　persuaded　him　to　do　so。　Accordingly　the　damsel；　upon
this　change　of　her　espousals；　was　disposal　of　to　this　young　man；
the　son　of　Pheroras；　the　king　giving　for　her　portion　a　hundred
talents。

CHAPTER　8。

How　Herod　Took　Up　Alexander　And　Bound　Him；　Whom　Yet　Archelaus
King　Of　Cappadocia　Reconciled　To　His　Father　Herod　Again。

1。　But　still　the　affairs　of　Herod's　family　were　no　better；　but
perpetually　more　troublesome。　Now　this　accident　happened；　which
arose　from　no　decent　occasion；　but　proceeded　so　far　as　to　bring
great　difficulties　upon　him。　There　were　certain　eunuchs　which　the
king　had；　and　on　account　of　their　beauty　was　very　fond　of　them；
and　the　care　of　bringing　him　drink　was　intrusted　to　one　of　them；
of　bringing　him　his　supper；　to　another；　and　of　putting　him　to
bed；　to　the　third；　who　also　managed　the　principal　affairs　of　the
government；　and　there　was　one　told　the　king　that　these　eunuchs
were　corrupted　by　Alexander　the　king's　son　with　great　sums　of
money。　And　when　they　were　asked　whether　Alexander　had　had
criminal　conversation　with　them；　they　confessed　it；　but　said　they
knew　of　no　further　mischief　of　his　against　his　father；　but　when
they　were　more　severely　tortured；　and　were　in　the　utmost
extremity；　and　the　tormentors；　out　of　compliance　with　Antipater；
stretched　the　rack　to　the　very　utmost；　they　said　that　Alexander
bare　great　ill…will　and　innate　hatred　to　his　father；　and　that　he
told　them　that　Herod　despaired　to　live　much　longer；　and　that；　in
order　to　cover　his　great　age；　he　colored　his　hair　black；　and
endeavored　to　conceal　what　would　discover　how　old　he　was；　but
that　if　he　would　apply　himself　to　him；　when　he　should　attain　the
kingdom；　which；　in　spite　of　his　father；　could　come　to　no　one
else；　he　should　quickly　have　the　first　place　in　that　kingdom
under　him；　for　that　he　was　now　ready　to　take　the　kingdom；　not
only　as　his　birth…right；　but　by　the　preparations　he　had　made　for
obtaining　it；　because　a　great　many　of　the　rulers；　and　a　great
many　of　his　friends；　were　of　his　side；　and　those　no　ill　men
neither；　ready　both　to　do　and　to　suffer　whatsoever　should　come　on
that　account。

2。　When　Herod　heard　this　confession；　he　was　all　over　anger　and
fear；　some　parts　seeming　to　him　reproachful；　and　some　made　him
suspicious　of　dangers　that　attended　him；　insomuch　that　on　both
accounts　he　was　provoked；　and　bitterly　afraid　lest　some　more
heavy　plot　was　laid　against　him　than　he　should　be　then　able　to
escape　from；　whereupon　he　did　not　now　make　an　open　search；　but
sent　about　spies　to　watch　such　as　he　suspected；　for　he　was　now
overrun　with　suspicion　and　hatred　against　all　about　him；　and
indulging　abundance　of　those　suspicions；　in　order　to　his
preservation；　he　continued　to　suspect　those　that　were　guiltless；
nor　did　he　set　any　bounds　to　himself；　but　supposing　that　those
who　staid　with　him　had　the　most　power　to　hurt　him；　they　were　to
him　very　frightful；　and　for　those　that　did　not　use　to　come　to
him；　it　seemed　enough　to　name　them　＇to　make　them　suspected＇；　and
he　thought　himself　safer　when　they　were　destroyed。　And　at　last
his　domestics　were　come　to　that　pass；　that　being　no　way　secure　of
escaping　themselves；　they　fell　to　accusing　one　another；　and
imagining　that　he　who　first　accused　another　was　most　likely　to
save　himself；　yet　when　any　had　overthrown　others；　they　were
hated；　and　they　were　thought　to　suffer　justly　who　unjustly
accused　others；　and　they　only　thereby　prevented　their　own
accusation；　nay；　they　now　executed　their　own　private　enmities　by
this　means；　and　when　they　were　caught；　they　were　punished　in　the
same　way。　Thus　these　men　contrived　to　make　use　of　this
opportunity　as　an　instrument　and　a　snare　against　their　enemies；
yet　when　they　tried　it；　were　themselves　caught　also　in　the　same
snare　which　they　laid　for　others：　and　the　king　soon　repented　of
what　he　had　done；　because　he　had　no　clear　evidence　of　the　guilt
of　those　whom　he　had　slain；　and　yet　what　was　still　more　severe　in
him；　he　did　not　make　use　of　his　repentance；　in　order　to　leave　off
doing　the　like　again；　but　in　order　to　inflict　the　same　punishment
upon　their　accusers。

3。　And　in　this　state　of　disorder　were　the　affairs　of　the　palace；
and　he　had　already　told　many　of　his　friends　directly　that　they
ought　not　to　appear　before　him；　her　come　into　the　palace；　and　the
reason　of　this　injunction　was；　that　＇when　they　were　there＇；　he
had　less　freedom　of　acting；　or　a　greater　restraint　on　himself　on
their　account；　for　at　this　time　it　was　that　he　expelled
Andromachus　and　Gamellus；　men　who　had　of　old　been　his　friends；
and　been　very　useful　to　him　in　the　affairs　of　his　kingdom；　and
been　of　advantage　to　his　family；　by　their　embassages　and
counsels；　and　had　been　tutors　to　his　sons；　and　had　in　a　manner
the　first　degree　of　freedom　with　him。　He　expelled　Andromachus；
because　his　son　Demetrius　was　a　companion　to　Alexander；　and
Gamellus；　because　he　knew　that　he　wished　him　well；　which　arose
from　his　having　been　with　him　in　his　youth；　when　he　was　at
school；　and　absent　at　Rome。　These　he　expelled　out　of　his　palace；
and　was　willing　enough　to　have　done　worse　by　them；　but　that　he
might　not　seem　to　take　such　liberty　against　men　of　so　great
reputation；　he　contented　himself　with　depriving　them　of　their
dignity；　and　of　their　power　to　hinder　his　wicked　proceedings。

4。　Now　it　was　Antipater　who　was　the　cause　of　all　this；　who　when
he　knew　what　a　mad　and　licentious　way　of　acting　his　father　was
in；　and　had　been　a　great　while　one　of　his　counselors；　he　hurried
him　on；　and　then　thought　he　should　bring　him　to　do　somewhat　to
purpose；　when　every　one　that　could　oppose　him　was　taken　away。
When　therefore　Andromachus　and　his　friends　were　driven　away；　and
had　no　discourse　nor　freedom　with　the　king　any　longer；　the　king；
in　the　first　place；　examined　by　torture　all　whom　he　thought　to　be
faithful　to　Alexander；　Whether　they　knew　of　any　of　his　attempts
against　him；　but　these　died　without　having　any　thing　to　say　to
that　matter；　which　made　the　king　more　zealous　＇after
discoveries＇；　when　he　could　not　find　out　what　evil　proceedings　he
suspected　them　of。　As　for　Antipater；　he　was　very　sagacious　to
raise　a　calumny　against　those　that　were　really　innocent；　as　if
their　denial　was　only　their　constancy　and　fidelity　＇to
Alexander＇；　and　thereupon　provoked　Herod　to　discover　by　the
torture　of　great　numbers　what　attempts　were　still　concealed。　Now
there　was　a　certain　person　among　the　many　that　were　tortured；　who
said　that　he　knew　that　the　young　man　had　often　said；　that　when　he
was　commended　as　a　tall　man　in　his　body；　and　a　skillful　marksman；
and　that　in　his　other　commendable　exercises　he　exceeded　all　men；
these　qualifications　given　him　by　nature；　though　good　in
themselves；　were　not　advantageous　to　him；　because　his　father　was
grieved　at　them；　and　envied　him　for　them；　and　that　when　he　walked
along　with　his　father；　he　endeavored　to　depress　and　shorten
himself；　that　he　might　not　appear　too　tall；　and　that　when　he　shot
at　any　thing　as　he　was　hunting；　when　his　father　was　by；　he　missed
his　mark　on　purpose；　for　he　knew　how　ambitious　his　father　was　of
being　superior　in　such　exercises。　So　when　the　man　was　tormented
about　this　saying；　and　had　ease　given　his　body　after　it；　he
added；　that　he　had　his　brother　Aristobulus　for　his　assistance；
and　contrived　to　lie　in　wait　for　their　father；　as　they　were
hunting；　and　kill　him；　and　when　they　had　done　so　to　fly　to　Rome；
an