the wars of the jews-第32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！



7。　When　she　had　said　this；　she　brought　the　box；　which　had　a　small　quantity　of　this　potion　in　it：　but　the　king　let　her　alone；　and　transferred　the　tortures　to　Antiphilus's　mother　and　brother；　who　both　confessed　that　Antiphilus　brought　the　box　out　of　Egypt；　and　that　they　had　received　the　potion　from　a　brother　of　his；　who　was　a　physician　at　Alexandria。　Then　did　the　ghosts　of　Alexander　and　Aristobulus　go　round　all　the　palace；　and　became　the　inquisitors　and　discoverers　of　what　could　not　otherwise　have　been　found　out　and　brought　such　as　were　the　freest　from　suspicion　to　be　examined；　whereby　it　was　discovered　that　Mariamne；　the　high　priest's　daughter；　was　conscious　of　this　plot；　and　her　very　brothers；　when　they　were　tortured；　declared　it　so　to　be。　Whereupon　the　king　avenged　this　insolent　attempt　of　the　mother　upon　her　son；　and　blotted　Herod；　whom　he　had　by　her；　out　of　his　treament；　who　had　been　before　named　therein　as　successor　to　Antipater。

CHAPTER　31。

Antipater　Is　Convicted　By　Bathyllus　；　But　He　Still　Returns　From　Rome　Without　Knowing　It。　Herod　Brings　Him　To　His　Trial。

1。　After　these　things　were　over；　Bathyllus　came　under　examination；　in　order　to　convict　Antipater；　who　proved　the　concluding　attestation　to　Antipater's　designs；　for　indeed　he　was　no　other　than　his　freed…man。　This　man　came；　and　brought　another　deadly　potion；　the　poison　of　asps；　and　the　juices　of　other　serpents；　that　if　the　first　potion　did　not　do　the　business；　Pheroras　and　his　wife　might　be　armed　with　this　also　to　destroy　the　king。　He　brought　also　an　addition　to　Antipater's　insolent　attempt　against　his　father；　which　was　the　letters　which　he　wrote　against　his　brethren；　Archelaus　and　Philip；　which　were　the　king's　sons；　and　educated　at　Rome；　being　yet　youths；　but　of　generous　dispositions。　Antipater　set　himself　to　get　rid　of　these　as　soon　as　he　could；　that　they　might　not　be　prejudicial　to　his　hopes；　and　to　that　end　he　forged　letters　against　them　in　the　name　of　his　friends　at　Rome。　Some　of　these　he　corrupted　by　bribes　to　write　how　they　grossly　reproached　their　father；　and　did　openly　bewail　Alexander　and　Aristobulus；　and　were　uneasy　at　their　being　recalled；　for　their　father　had　already　sent　for　them；　which　was　the　very　thing　that　troubled　Antipater。

2。　Nay；　indeed；　while　Antipater　was　in　Judea；　and　before　he　was　upon　his　journey　to　Rome；　he　gave　money　to　have　the　like　letters　against　them　sent　from　Rome；　and　then　came　to　his　father；　who　as　yet　had　no　suspicion　of　him；　and　apologized　for　his　brethren；　and　alleged　on　their　behalf　that　some　of　the　things　contained　in　those　letters　were　false；　and　others　of　them　were　only　youthful　errors。　Yet　at　the　same　time　that　he　expended　a　great　deal　of　his　money；　by　making　presents　to　such　as　wrote　against　his　brethren；　did　he　aim　to　bring　his　accounts　into　confusion；　by　buying　costly　garments；　and　carpets　of　various　contextures；　with　silver　and　gold　cups；　and　a　great　many　more　curious　things；　that　so；　among　the　view　great　expenses　laid　out　upon　such　furniture；　he　might　conceal　the　money　he　had　used　in　hiring　men　＇to　write　the　letters＇；　for　he　brought　in　an　account　of　his　expenses；　amounting　to　two　hundred　talents；　his　main　pretense　for　which　was　file　law…suit　he　had　been　in　with　Sylleus。　So　while　all　his　rogueries；　even　those　of　a　lesser　sort　also；　were　covered　by　his　greater　villainy；　while　all　the　examinations　by　torture　proclaimed　his　attempt　to　murder　his　father；　and　the　letters　proclaimed　his　second　attempt　to　murder　his　brethren；　yet　did　no　one　of　those　that　came　to　Rome　inform　him　of　his　misfortunes　in　Judea；　although　seven　months　had　intervened　between　his　conviction　and　his　return；　so　great　was　the　hatred　which　they　all　bore　to　him。　And　perhaps　they　were　the　ghosts　of　those　brethren　of　his　that　had　been　murdered　that　stopped　the　mouths　of　those　that　intended　to　have　told　him。　He　then　wrote　from　Rome；　and　informed　his　＇friends＇　that　he　would　soon　come　to　them；　and　how　he　was　dismissed　with　honor　by　Caesar。

3。　Now　the　king；　being　desirous　to　get　this　plotter　against　him　into　his　hands；　and　being　also　afraid　lest　he　should　some　way　come　to　the　knowledge　how　his　affairs　stood；　and　be　upon　his　guard；　he　dissembled　his　anger　in　his　epistle　to　him；　as　in　other　points　he　wrote　kindly　to　him；　and　desired　him　to　make　haste；　because　if　he　came　quickly；　he　would　then　lay　aside　the　complaints　he　had　against　his　mother；　for　Antipater　was　not　ignorant　that　his　mother　had　been　expelled　out　of　the　palace。　However；　he　had　before　received　a　letter；　which　contained　an　account　of　the　death　of　Pheroras；　at　Tarentum；　（46）　and　made　great　lamentations　at　it；　for　which　some　commended　him；　as　being　for　his　own　uncle；　though　probably　this　confusion　arose　on　account　of　his　having　thereby　failed　in　his　plot　＇on　his　father's　life＇；　and　his　tears　were　more　for　the　loss　of　him　that　was　to　have　been　subservient　therein；　than　for　＇an　uncle＇　Pheroras：　moreover；　a　sort　of　fear　came　upon　him　as　to　his　designs；　lest　the　poison　should　have　been　discovered。　However；　when　he　was　in　Cilicia；　he　received　the　forementioned　epistle　from　his　father；　and　made　great　haste　accordingly。　But　when　he　had　sailed　to　Celenderis；　a　suspicion　came　into　his　mind　relating　to　his　mother's　misfortunes；　as　if　his　soul　foreboded　some　mischief　to　itself。　Those　therefore　of　his　friends　which　were　the　most　considerate　advised　him　not　rashly　to　go　to　his　father；　till　he　had　learned　what　were　the　occasions　why　his　mother　had　been　ejected；　because　they　were　afraid　that　he　might　be　involved　in　the　calumnies　that　had　been　cast　upon　his　mother：　but　those　that　were　less　considerate；　and　had　more　regard　to　their　own　desires　of　seeing　their　native　country；　than　to　Antipater's　safety；　persuaded　him　to　make　haste　home；　and　not；　by　delaying　his　journey；　afford　his　father　ground　for　an　ill　suspicion；　and　give　a　handle　to　those　that　raised　stories　against　him；　for　that　in　case　any　thing　had　been　moved　to　his　disadvantage；　it　was　owing　to　his　absence；　which　durst　not　have　been　done　had　he　been　present。　And　they　said　it　was　absurd　to　deprive　himself　of　certain　happiness；　for　the　sake　of　an　uncertain　suspicion；　and　not　rather　to　return　to　his　father；　and　take　the　royal　authority　upon　him；　which　was　in　a　state　of　fluctuation　on　his　account　only。　Antipater　complied　with　this　last　advice；　for　Providence　hurried　him　on　＇to　his　destruction＇。　So　he　passed　over　the　sea；　and　landed　at　Sebastus；　the　haven　of　Cesarea。

4。　And　here　he　found　a　perfect　and　unexpected　solitude；　while　ever　body　avoided　him；　and　nobody　durst　come　at　him；　for　he　was　equally　hated　by　all　men；　and　now　that　hatred　had　liberty　to　show　itself；　and　the　dread　men　were　in　at　the　king's　anger　made　men　keep　from　him；　for　the　whole　city　＇of　Jerusalem＇　was　filled　with　the　rumors　about　Antipater；　and　Antipater　himself　was　the　only　person　who　was　ignorant　of　them；　for　as　no　man　was　dismissed　more　magnificently　when　he　began　his　voyage　to　Rome　so　was　no　man　now　received　back　with　greater　ignominy。　And　indeed　he　began　already　to　suspect　what　misfortunes　there　were　in　Herod's　family；　yet　did　he　cunningly　conceal　his　suspicion；　and　while　he　was　inwardly　ready　to　die　for　fear；　he　put　on　a　forced　boldness　of　countenance。　Nor　could　he　now　fly　any　whither；　nor　had　he　any　way　of　emerging　out　of　the　difficulties　which　encompassed　him；　nor　indeed　had　he　even　there　any　certain　intelligence　of　the　affairs　of　the　royal　family；　by　reason　of　the　threats　the　king　had　given　out：　yet　had　he　some　small　hopes　of　better　tidings；　for　perhaps　nothing　had　been　discovered；　or　if　any　discovery　had　been　made；　perhaps　he　should　be　able　to　clear　himself　by　impudence　and　artful　tricks；　which　were　the　only　things　he　relied　upon　for　his　deliverance。

5。　And　with　these　hopes　did　he　screen　himself；　till　he　came　to　the　palace；　without　any　friends　with　him；　for　these　were　affronted；　and　shut　out　at　the　first　gate。　Now　Varus；　the　president　of　Syria；　happened　to　be　in　the　palace　＇at　this　juncture＇；　so　Antipater　went　in　to　his　father；　and；　putting　on　a　bold　face；　he　came　near　to　salute　him。　But　Herod　Stretched　out　his　hands；　and　turned　his　head　away　from　him；　and　cried　out；　〃Even　this　is　an　indication　of　a　parricide；　to　be　desirous　to　get　me　into　his　arms；　when　he　is　under　such　heinous