the wars of the jews-第25章

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　acquaintance；　to　spy　out　what　they　did。　Now　every　thing　that　was　said　by　Alexander　was　presently　brought　to　Antipater；　and　from　Antipater　it　was　brought　to　Herod　with　additions。　Nor　could　the　young　man　say　any　thing　in　the　simplicity　of　his　heart；　without　giving　offense；　but　what　he　said　was　still　turned　to　calumny　against　him。　And　if　he　had　been　at　any　time　a　little　free　in　his　conversation；　great　imputations　were　forged　from　the　smallest　occasions。　Antipater　also　was　perpetually　setting　some　to　provoke　him　to　speak；　that　the　lies　he　raised　of　him　might　seem　to　have　some　foundation　of　truth；　and　if；　among　the　many　stories　that　were　given　out；　but　one　of　them　could　be　proved　true；　that　was　supposed　to　imply　the　rest　to　be　true　also。　And　as　to　Antipater's　friends；　they　were　all　either　naturally　so　cautious　in　speaking；　or　had　been　so　far　bribed　to　conceal　their　thoughts；　that　nothing　of　these　grand　secrets　got　abroad　by　their　means。　Nor　should　one　be　mistaken　if　he　called　the　life　of　Antipater　a　mystery　of　wickedness；　for　he　either　corrupted　Alexander's　acquaintance　with　money；　or　got　into　their　favor　by　flatteries；　by　which　two　means　he　gained　all　his　designs；　and　brought　them　to　betray　their　master；　and　to　steal　away；　and　reveal　what　he　either　did　or　said。　Thus　did　he　act　a　part　very　cunningly　in　all　points；　and　wrought　himself　a　passage　by　his　calumnies　with　the　greatest　shrewdness；　while　he　put　on　a　face　as　if　he　were　a　kind　brother　to　Alexander　and　Aristobulus；　but　suborned　other　men　to　inform　of　what　they　did　to　Herod。　And　when　any　thing　was　told　against　Alexander；　he　would　come　in；　and　pretend　＇to　be　of　his　side＇；　and　would　begin　to　contradict　what　was　said；　but　would　afterward　contrive　matters　so　privately；　that　the　king　should　have　an　indignation　at　him。　His　general　aim　was　this；　…　to　lay　a　plot；　and　to　make　it　believed　that　Alexander　lay　in　wait　to　kill　his　father；　for　nothing　afforded　so　great　a　confirmation　to　these　calumnies　as　did　Antipater's　apologies　for　him。

2。　By　these　methods　Herod　was　inflamed；　and　as　much　as　his　natural　affection　to　the　young　men　did　every　day　diminish；　so　much　did　it　increase　towards　Antipater。　The　courtiers　also　inclined　to　the　same　conduct；　some　of　their　own　accord；　and　others　by　the　king's　injunction；　as　particularly　did　Ptolemy；　the　king's　dearest　friend；　as　also　the　king's　brethren；　and　all　his　children；　for　Antipater　was　all　in　all；　and　what　was　the　bitterest　part　of　all　to　Alexander；　Antipater's　mother　was　also　all　in　all；　she　was　one　that　gave　counsel　against　them；　and　was　more　harsh　than　a　step…mother；　and　one　that　hated　the　queen's　sons　more　than　is　usual　to　hate　sons…in…law。　All　men　did　therefore　already　pay　their　respects　to　Antipater；　in　hopes　of　advantage；　and　it　was　the　king's　command　which　alienated　every　body　＇from　the　brethren＇；　he　having　given　this　charge　to　his　most　intimate　friends；　that　they　should　not　come　near；　nor　pay　any　regard；　to　Alexander；　or　to　his　friends。　Herod　was　also　become　terrible；　not　only　to　his　domestics　about　the　court；　but　to　his　friends　abroad；　for　Caesar　had　given　such　a　privilege　to　no　other　king　as　he　had　given　to　him；　which　was　this；　…　that　he　might　fetch　back　any　one　that　fled　from　him；　even　out　of　a　city　that　was　not　under　his　own　jurisdiction。　Now　the　young　men　were　not　acquainted　with　the　calumnies　raised　against　them；　for　which　reason　they　could　not　guard　themselves　against　them；　but　fell　under　them；　for　their　father　did　not　make　any　public　complaints　against　either　of　them；　though　in　a　little　time　they　perceived　how　things　were　by　his　coldness　to　them；　and　by　the　great　uneasiness　he　showed　upon　any　thing　that　troubled　him。　Antipater　had　also　made　their　uncle　Pheroras　to　be　their　enemy；　as　well　as　their　aunt　Salome；　while　he　was　always　talking　with　her；　as　with　a　wife；　and　irritating　her　against　them。　Moreover；　Alexander's　wife；　Glaphyra；　augmented　this　hatred　against　them；　by　deriving　her　nobility　and　genealogy　＇from　great　persons＇；　and　pretending　that　she　was　a　lady　superior　to　all　others　in　that　kingdom；　as　being　derived　by　her　father's　side　from　Temenus；　and　by　her　mother's　side　from　Darius；　the　son　of　Hystaspes。　She　also　frequently　reproached　Herod's　sister　and　wives　with　the　ignobility　of　their　descent；　and　that　they　were　every　one　chosen　by　him　for　their　beauty；　but　not　for　their　family。　Now　those　wives　of　his　were　not　a　few；　it　being　of　old　permitted　to　the　Jews　to　marry　many　wives；　（39）　and　this　king　delighting　in　many；　all　which　hated　Alexander；　on　account　of　Glaphyra's　boasting　and　reproaches。

3。　Nay；　Aristobulus　had　raised　a　quarrel　between　himself　and　Salome；　who　was　his　mother…in…law；　besides　the　anger　he　had　conceived　at　Glaphyra's　reproaches；　for　he　perpetually　upbraided　his　wife　with　the　meanness　of　her　family；　and　complained；　that　as　he　had　married　a　woman　of　a　low　family；　so　had　his　brother　Alexander　married　one　of　royal　blood。　At　this　Salome's　daughter　wept；　and　told　it　her　with　this　addition；　that　Alexander　threatened　the　mothers　of　his　other　brethren；　that　when　he　should　come　to　the　crown；　he　would　make　them　weave　with　their　maidens；　and　would　make　those　brothers　of　his　country　schoolmasters；　and　brake　this　jest　upon　them；　that　they　had　been　very　carefully　instructed；　to　fit　them　for　such　an　employment。　Hereupon　Salome　could　not　contain　her　anger；　but　told　all　to　Herod；　nor　could　her　testimony　be　suspected；　since　it　was　against　her　own　son…in…law　There　was　also　another　calumny　that　ran　abroad　and　inflamed　the　king's　mind；　for　he　heard　that　these　sons　of　his　were　perpetually　speaking　of　their　mother；　and；　among　their　lamentations　for　her；　did　not　abstain　from　cursing　him；　and　that　when　he　made　presents　of　any　of　Mariamne's　garments　to　his　later　wives；　these　threatened　that　in　a　little　time；　instead　of　royal　garments；　they　would　clothe　theft　in　no　better　than　hair…cloth。

4。　Now　upon　these　accounts；　though　Herod　was　somewhat　afraid　of　the　young　men's　high　spirit；　yet　did　he　not　despair　of　reducing　them　to　a　better　mind；　but　before　he　went　to　Rome；　whither　he　was　now　going　by　sea；　he　called　them　to　him；　and　partly　threatened　them　a　little；　as　a　king；　but　for　the　main；　he　admonished　them　as　a　father；　and　exhorted　them　to　love　their　brethren；　and　told　them　that　he　would　pardon　their　former　offenses；　if　they　would　amend　for　the　time　to　come。　But　they　refuted　the　calumnies　that　had　been　raised　of　them；　and　said　they　were　false；　and　alleged　that　their　actions　were　sufficient　for　their　vindication；　and　said　withal；　that　he　himself　ought　to　shut　his　ears　against　such　tales；　and　not　be　too　easy　in　believing　them；　for　that　there　would　never　be　wanting　those　that　would　tell　lies　to　their　disadvantage；　as　long　as　any　would　give　ear　to　them。

5。　When　they　had　thus　soon　pacified　him；　as　being　their　father；　they　got　clear　of　the　present　fear　they　were　in。　Yet　did　they　see　occasion　for　sorrow　in　some　time　afterward；　for　they　knew　that　Salome；　as　well　as　their　uncle　Pheroras；　were　their　enemies；　who　were　both　of　them　heavy　and　severe　persons；　and　especially　Pheroras；　who　was　a　partner　with　Herod　in　all　the　affairs　of　the　kingdom；　excepting　his　diadem。　He　had　also　a　hundred　talents　of　his　own　revenue；　and　enjoyed　the　advantage　of　all　the　land　beyond　Jordan；　which　he　had　received　as　a　gift　from　his　brother；　who　had　asked　of　Caesar　to　make　him　a　tetrarch；　as　he　was　made　accordingly。　Herod　had　also　given　him　a　wife　out　of　the　royal　family；　who　was　no　other　than　his　own　wife's　sister；　and　after　her　death　had　solemnly　espoused　to　him　his　own　eldest　daughter；　with　a　dowry　of　three　hundred　talents；　but　Pheroras　refused　to　consummate　this　royal　marriage；　out　of　his　affection　to　a　maidservant　of　his。　Upon　which　account　Herod　was　very　angry；　and　gave　that　daughter　in　marriage　to　a　brother's　son　of　his；　＇Joseph；＇　who　was　slain　afterward　by　the　Parthians；　but　in　some　time　he　laid　aside　his　anger　against　Pheroras；　and　pardoned　him；　as　one　not　able　to　overcome　his　foolish　passion　for　the　maid…servant。

6。　Nay；　Pheroras　had　been　accused　long　before；　while　the　queen　＇Mariamne＇　was　alive；　as　if　he　were　in　a　plot　to　poison　Herod；　and　there　came　then　so　great　a　number　of　informers；　that　Herod　himself；　though　he　was　an　exceeding　lover　of　his　brethren；