the wars of the jews-第39章

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y；　the　brother　of　Nicolaus；　who　seemed　one　of　great　weight；　on　account　of　the　great　trust　Herod　put　in　him；　he　having　been　one　of　his　most　honored　friends。　However；　Antipas　depended　chiefly　upon　Ireneus；　the　orator；　upon　whose　authority　he　had　rejected　such　as　advised　him　to　yield　to　Archelaus；　because　he　was　his　elder　brother；　and　because　the　second　testament　gave　the　kingdom　to　him。　The　inclinations　also　of　all　Archelaus's　kindred；　who　hated　him；　were　removed　to　Antipas；　when　they　came　to　Rome；　although　in　the　first　place　every　one　rather　desired　to　live　under　their　own　laws　＇without　a　king＇；　and　to　be　under　a　Roman　governor；　but　if　they　should　fail　in　that　point；　these　desired　that　Antipas　might　be　their　king。

4。　Sabinus　did　also　afford　these　his　assistance　to　the　same　purpose　by　letters　he　sent；　wherein　he　accused　Archelaus　before　Caesar；　and　highly　commended　Antipas。　Salome　also；　and　those　with　her；　put　the　crimes　which　they　accused　Archelaus　of　in　order；　and　put　them　into　Caesar's　hands；　and　after　they　had　done　that；　Archelaus　wrote　down　the　reasons　of　his　claim；　and；　by　Ptolemy；　sent　in　his　father's　ring；　and　his　father's　accounts。　And　when　Caesar　had　maturely　weighed　by　himself　what　both　had　to　allege　for　themselves；　as　also　had　considered　of　the　great　burden　of　the　kingdom；　and　largeness　of　the　revenues；　and　withal　the　number　of　the　children　Herod　had　left　behind　him；　and　had　moreover　read　the　letters　he　had　received　from　Varus　and　Sabinus　on　this　occasion；　he　assembled　the　principal　persons　among　the　Romans　together；　（in　which　assembly　Caius；　the　son　of　Agrippa；　and　his　daughter　Julias；　but　by　himself　adopted　for　his　own　son；　sat　in　the　first　seat；）　and　gave　the　pleaders　leave　to　speak。

5。　Then　stood　up　Salome's　son；　Antipater；　（who　of　all　Archelaus's　antagonists　was　the　shrewdest　pleader；）　and　accused　him　in　the　following　speech：　That　Archelaus　did　in　words　contend　for　the　kingdom；　but　that　in　deeds　he　had　long　exercised　royal　authority；　and　so　did　but　insult　Caesar　in　desiring　to　be　now　heard　on　that　account；　since　he　had　not　staid　for　his　determination　about　the　succession；　and　since　he　had　suborned　certain　persons；　after　Herod's　death；　to　move　for　putting　the　diadem　upon　his　head；　since　he　had　set　himself　down　in　the　throne；　and　given　answers　as　a　king；　and　altered　the　disposition　of　the　army；　and　granted　to　some　higher　dignities；　that　he　had　also　complied　in　all　things　with　the　people　in　the　requests　they　had　made　to　him　as　to　their　king；　and　had　also　dismissed　those　that　had　been　put　into　bonds　by　his　father　for　most　important　reasons。　Now；　after　all　this；　he　desires　the　shadow　of　that　royal　authority；　whose　substance　he　had　already　seized　to　himself；　and　so　hath　made　Caesar　lord；　not　of　things；　but　of　words。　He　also　reproached　him　further；　that　his　mourning　for　his　father　was　only　pretended；　while　he　put　on　a　sad　countenance　in　the　day　time；　but　drank　to　great　excess　in　the　night；　from　which　behavior；　he　said；　the　late　disturbance　among　the　multitude　came；　while　they　had　an　indignation　thereat。　And　indeed　the　purport　of　his　whole　discourse　was　to　aggravate　Archelaus's　crime　in　slaying　such　a　multitude　about　the　temple；　which　multitude　came　to　the　festival；　but　were　barbarously　slain　in　the　midst　of　their　own　sacrifices；　and　he　said　there　was　such　a　vast　number　of　dead　bodies　heaped　together　in　the　temple；　as　even　a　foreign　war；　that　should　come　upon　them　＇suddenly＇；　before　it　was　denounced；　could　not　have　heaped　together。　And　he　added；　that　it　was　the　foresight　his　father　had　of　that　his　barbarity　which　made　him　never　give　him　any　hopes　of　the　kingdom；　but　when　his　mind　was　more　infirm　than　his　body；　and　he　was　not　able　to　reason　soundly；　and　did　not　well　know　what　was　the　character　of　that　son；　whom　in　his　second　testament　he　made　his　successor；　and　this　was　done　by　him　at　a　time　when　he　had　no　complaints　to　make　of　him　whom　he　had　named　before；　when　he　was　sound　in　body；　and　when　his　mind　was　free　from　all　passion。　That；　however；　if　any　one　should　suppose　Herod's　judgment；　when　he　was　sick；　was　superior　to　that　at　another　time；　yet　had　Archelaus　forfeited　his　kingdom　by　his　own　behavior；　and　those　his　actions；　which　were　contrary　to　the　law；　and　to　its　disadvantage。　Or　what　sort　of　a　king　will　this　man　be；　when　he　hath　obtained　the　government　from　Caesar；　who　hath　slain　so　many　before　he　hath　obtained　it！　　6。　When　Antipater　had　spoken　largely　to　this　purpose；　and　had　produced　a　great　number　of　Archelaus's　kindred　as　witnesses；　to　prove　every　part　of　the　accusation；　he　ended　his　discourse。　Then　stood　up　Nicolaus　to　plead　for　Archelaus。　He　alleged　that　the　slaughter　in　the　temple　could　not　be　avoided；　that　those　that　were　slain　were　become　enemies　not　to　Archelaus's　kingdom；　only；　but　to　Caesar；　who　was　to　determine　about　him。　He　also　demonstrated　that　Archelaus's　accusers　had　advised　him　to　perpetrate　other　things　of　which　he　might　have　been　accused。　But　he　insisted　that　the　latter　testament　should；　for　this　reason；　above　all　others；　be　esteemed　valid；　because　Herod　had　therein　appointed　Caesar　to　be　the　person　who　should　confirm　the　succession；　for　he　who　showed　such　prudence　as　to　recede　from　his　own　power；　and　yield　it　up　to　the　lord　of　the　world；　cannot　be　supposed　mistaken　in　his　judgment　about　him　that　was　to　be　his　heir；　and　he　that　so　well　knew　whom　to　choose　for　arbitrator　of　the　succession　could　not　be　unacquainted　with　him　whom　he　chose　for　his　successor。

7。　When　Nicolaus　had　gone　through　all　he　had　to　say；　Archelaus　came；　and　fell　down　before　Caesar's　knees；　without　any　noise；　…　upon　which　he　raised　him　up；　after　a　very　obliging　manner；　and　declared　that　truly　he　was　worthy　to　succeed　his　father。　However；　he　still　made　no　firm　determination　in　his　case；　but　when　he　had　dismissed　those　assessors　that　had　been　with　him　that　day；　he　deliberated　by　himself　about　the　allegations　which　he　had　heard；　whether　it　were　fit　to　constitute　any　of　those　named　in　the　testaments　for　Herod's　successor；　or　whether　the　government　should　be　parted　among　all　his　posterity；　and　this　because　of　the　number　of　those　that　seemed　to　stand　in　need　of　support　therefrom。

CHAPTER　3。

The　Jews　Fight　A　Great　Battle　With　Sabinus's　Soldiers；　And　A　Great　Destruction　Is　Made　At　Jerusalem。

1。　Now　before　Caesar　had　determined　any　thing　about　these　affairs；　Malthace；　Arehelaus's　mother；　fell　sick　and　died。　Letters　also　were　brought　out　of　Syria　from　Varus；　about　a　revolt　of　the　Jews。　This　was　foreseen　by　Varus；　who　accordingly；　after　Archelaus　was　sailed；　went　up　to　Jerusalem　to　restrain　the　promoters　of　the　sedition；　since　it　was　manifest　that　the　nation　would　not　he　at　rest；　so　he　left　one　of　those　legions　which　he　brought　with　him　out　of　Syria　in　the　city；　and　went　himself　to　Antioch。　But　Sabinus　came；　after　he　was　gone；　and　gave　them　an　occasion　of　making　innovations；　for　he　compelled　the　keepers　of　the　citadels　to　deliver　them　up　to　him；　and　made　a　bitter　search　after　the　king's　money；　as　depending　not　only　on　the　soldiers　which　were　left　by　Varus；　but　on　the　multitude　of　his　own　servants；　all　which　he　armed　and　used　as　the　instruments　of　his　covetousness。　Now　when　that　feast；　which　was　observed　after　seven　weeks；　and　which　the　Jews　called　Pentecost；　（i。　e。　the　50th　day；）　was　at　hand；　its　name　being　taken　from　the　number　of　the　days　＇after　the　passover＇；　the　people　got　together；　but　not　on　account　of　the　accustomed　Divine　worship；　but　of　the　indignation　they　had　＇'at　the　present　state　of　affairs'＇。　Wherefore　an　immense　multitude　ran　together；　out　of　Galilee；　and　Idumea；　and　Jericho；　and　Perea；　that　was　beyond　Jordan；　but　the　people　that　naturally　belonged　to　Judea　itself　were　above　the　rest；　both　in　number；　and　in　the　alacrity　of　the　men。　So　they　distributed　themselves　into　three　parts；　and　pitched　their　camps　in　three　places；　one　at　the　north　side　of　the　temple；　another　at　the　south　side；　by　the　Hippodrome；　and　the　third　part　were　at　the　palace　on　the　west。　So　they　lay　round　about　the　Romans　on　every　side；　and　besieged　them。　　2。　Now　Sabinus　was　aftrighted；　both　at　their　multitude；　and　at　their　courage；　and　sent　messengers　to　Varus　continually；　and　besought　him　to　come　to　his　succor　quickly；　for　that　if　he　delayed；　his　leg