the wars of the jews-第28章

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w　appease　the　ghosts　of　Hyrcanus　and　Mariamne；　by　taking　vengeance　on　him；　for　that　it　was　not　fit　for　him　to　take　the　succession　to　the　government　from　such　a　father　without　bloodshed：　that　many　things　happen　every　day　to　provoke　him　so　to　do；　insomuch　that　he　can　say　nothing　at　all；　but　it　affords　occasion　for　calumny　against　him；　for　that　if　any　mention　be　made　of　nobility　of　birth；　even　in　other　cases；　he　is　abused　unjustly；　while　his　father　would　say　that　nobody；　to　be　sure；　is　of　noble　birth　but　Alexander；　and　that　his　father　was　inglorious　for　want　of　such　nobility。　If　they　be　at　any　time　hunting；　and　he　says　nothing；　he　gives　offense；　and　if　he　commends　any　body；　they　take　it　in　way　of　jest。　That　they　always　find　their　father　unmercifully　severe；　and　have　no　natural　affection　for　any　of　them　but　for　Antipater；　on　which　accounts；　if　this　plot　does　not　take；　he　is　very　willing　to　die；　but　that　in　case　he　kill　his　father；　he　hath　sufficient　opportunities　for　saving　himself。　In　the　first　place；　he　hath　Archelaus　his　father…in…law　to　whom　he　can　easily　fly；　and　in　the　next　place；　he　hath　Caesar；　who　had　never　known　Herod's　character　to　this　day；　for　that　he　shall　not　appear　then　before　him　with　that　dread　he　used　to　do　when　his　father　was　there　to　terrify　him；　and　that　he　will　not　then　produce　the　accusations　that　concerned　himself　alone；　but　would；　in　the　first　place；　openly　insist　on　the　calamities　of　their　nation；　and　how　they　are　taxed　to　death；　and　in　what　ways　of　luxury　and　wicked　practices　that　wealth　is　spent　which　was　gotten　by　bloodshed；　what　sort　of　persons　they　are　that　get　our　riches；　and　to　whom　those　cities　belong　upon　whom　he　bestows　his　favors；　that　he　would　have　inquiry　made　what　became　of　his　grandfather　＇Hyrcanus＇；　and　his　mother　＇Mariamne＇；　and　would　openly　proclaim　the　gross　wickedness　that　was　in　the　kingdom；　on　which　accounts　he　should　not　be　deemed　a　parricide。

3。　When　Eurycles　had　made　this　portentous　speech；　he　greatly　commended　Antipater；　as　the　only　child　that　had　an　affection　for　his　father；　and　on　that　account　was　an　impediment　to　the　other's　plot　against　him。　Hereupon　the　king；　who　had　hardly　repressed　his　anger　upon　the　former　accusations；　was　exasperated　to　an　incurable　degree。　At　which　time　Antipater　took　another　occasion　to　send　in　other　persons　to　his　father　to　accuse　his　brethren；　and　to　tell　him　that　they　had　privately　discoursed　with　Jucundus　and　Tyrannus；　who　had　once　been　masters　of　the　horse　to　the　king；　but　for　some　offenses　had　been　put　out　of　that　honorable　employment。　Herod　was　in　a　very　great　rage　at　these　informations；　and　presently　ordered　those　men　to　be　tortured；　yet　did　not　they　confess　any　thing　of　what　the　king　had　been　informed；　but　a　certain　letter　was　produced；　as　written　by　Alexander　to　the　governor　of　a　castle；　to　desire　him　to　receive　him　and　Aristobulus　into　the　castle　when　he　had　killed　his　father；　and　to　give　them　weapons；　and　what　other　assistance　he　could；　upon　that　occasion。　Alexander　said　that　this　letter　was　a　forgery　of　Diophantus。　This　Diophantus　was　the　king's　secretary；　a　bold　man；　and　cunning　in　counterfeiting　any　one's　hand；　and　after　he　had　counterfeited　a　great　number；　he　was　at　last　put　to　death　for　it。　Herod　did　also　order　the　governor　of　the　castle　to　be　tortured；　but　got　nothing　out　of　him　of　what　the　accusations　suggested。　　4。　However；　although　Herod　found　the　proofs　too　weak；　he　gave　order　to　have　his　sons　kept　in　custody；　for　till　now　they　had　been　at　liberty。　He　also　called　that　pest　of　his　family；　and　forger　of　all　this　vile　accusation；　Eurycles；　his　savior　and　benefactor；　and　gave　him　a　reward　of　fifty　talents。　Upon　which　he　prevented　any　accurate　accounts　that　could　come　of　what　he　had　done；　by　going　immediately　into　Cappadocia；　and　there　he　got　money　of　Archelaus；　having　the　impudence　to　pretend　that　he　had　reconciled　Herod　to　Alexander。　He　thence　passed　over　into　Greece；　and　used　what　he　had　thus　wickedly　gotten　to　the　like　wicked　purposes。　Accordingly；　he　was　twice　accused　before　Caesar；　that　he　had　filled　Achaia　with　sedition；　and　had　plundered　its　cities；　and　so　he　was　sent　into　banishment。　And　thus　was　he　punished　for　what　wicked　actions　he　had　been　guilty　of　about　Aristobulus　and　Alexander。

5。　But　it　will　now　be　worth　while　to　put　Euaratus　of　Cos　in　opposition　to　this　Spartan；　for　as　he　was　one　of　Alexander's　most　intimate　friends；　and　came　to　him　in　his　travels　at　the　same　time　that　Eurycles　came；　so　the　king　put　the　question　to　him；　whether　those　things　of　which　Alexander　was　accused　were　true？　He　assured　him　upon　oath　that　he　had　never　heard　any　such　things　from　the　young　men；　yet　did　this　testimony　avail　nothing　for　the　clearing　those　miserable　creatures；　for　Herod　was　only　disposed　and　most　ready　to　hearken　to　what　made　against　them；　and　every　one　was　most　agreeable　to　him　that　would　believe　they　were　guilty；　and　showed　their　indignation　at　them。

CHAPTER　27。

Herod　By　Caesars　Direction　Accuses　His　Sons　At　Eurytus。　They　Are　Not　Produced　Before　The　Courts　But　Yet　Are　Condemned；　And　In　A　Little　Time　They　Are　Sent　To　Sebaste；　And　Strangled　There。　　1。　Moreover；　Salome　exasperated　Herod's　cruelty　against　his　sons；　for　Aristobulus　was　desirous　to　bring　her；　who　was　his　mother…in…law　and　his　aunt；　into　the　like　dangers　with　themselves；　so　he　sent　to　her　to　take　care　of　her　own　safety；　and　told　her　that　the　king　was　preparing　to　put　her　to　death；　on　account　of　the　accusation　that　was　laid　against　her；　as　if　when　she　formerly　endeavored　to　marry　herself　to　Sylleus　the　Arabian；　she　had　discovered　the　king's　grand　secrets　to　him；　who　was　the　king's　enemy；　and　this　it　was　that　came　as　the　last　storm；　and　entirely　sunk　the　young　men　when　they　were　in　great　danger　before。　For　Salome　came　running　to　the　king；　and　informed　him　of　what　admonition　had　been　given　her；　whereupon　he　could　bear　no　longer；　but　commanded　both　the　young　men　to　be　bound；　and　kept　the　one　asunder　from　the　other。　He　also　sent　Volumnius；　the　general　of　his　army；　to　Caesar　immediately；　as　also　his　friend　Olympus　with　him；　who　carried　the　informations　in　writing　along　with　them。　Now　as　soon　as　they　had　sailed　to　Rome；　and　delivered　the　king's　letters　to　Caesar；　Caesar　was　mightily　troubled　at　the　case　of　the　young　men；　yet　did　not　he　think　he　ought　to　take　the　power　from　the　father　of　condemning　his　sons；　so　he　wrote　back　to　him；　and　appointed　him　to　have　the　power　over　his　sons；　but　said　withal；　that　he　would　do　well　to　make　an　examination　into　this　matter　of　the　plot　against　him　in　a　public　court；　and　to　take　for　his　assessors　his　own　kindred；　and　the　governors　of　the　province。　And　if　those　sons　be　found　guilty；　to　put　them　to　death；　but　if　they　appear　to　have　thought　of　no　more　than　flying　away　from　him；　that　he　should　moderate　their　punishment。

2。　With　these　directions　Herod　complied；　and　came　to　Berytus；　where　Caesar　had　ordered　the　court　to　be　assembled；　and　got　the　judicature　together。　The　presidents　sat　first；　as　Caesar's　letters　had　appointed；　who　were　Saturninus　and　Pedanius；　and　their　lieutenants　that　were　with　them；　with　whom　was　the　procurator　Volumnius　also；　next　to　them　sat　the　king's　kinsmen　and　friends；　with　Salome　also；　and　Pheroras；　after　whom　sat　the　principal　men　of　all　Syria；　excepting　Archelaus；　for　Herod　had　a　suspicion　of　him；　because　he　was　Alexander's　father…in…law。　Yet　did　not　he　produce　his　sons　in　open　court；　and　this　was　done　very　cunningly；　for　he　knew　well　enough　that　had　they　but　appeared　only；　they　would　certainly　have　been　pitied；　and　if　withal　they　had　been　suffered　to　speak；　Alexander　would　easily　have　answered　what　they　were　accused　of；　but　they　were　in　custody　at　Platane；　a　village　of　the　Sidontans。

3。　So　the　king　got　up；　and　inveighed　against　his　sons；　as　if　they　were　present；　and　as　for　that　part　of　the　accusation　that　they　had　plotted　against　him；　he　urged　it　but　faintly；　because　he　was　destitute　of　proofs；　but　he　insisted　before　the　assessors　on　the　reproaches；　and　jests；　and　injurious　carriage；　and　ten　thousand　the　like　offenses　against　him；　which　were　heavier　than　death　itself；　and　when　nobody　contradicted　him；　he　moved　them　to　pity　his　case；　as　though　he　had　been　condemned　himself；　now　he　had　gained　a　bitter　victory　ag