the antiquities of the jews-1-第211章

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family　should　be　under　the　power　of　the　Pharisees；　for　he　saw　the
inability　of　his　brother；　who　was　to　succeed　in　the　government；
nor　was　any　one　conscious　of　what　he　was　doing　but　only　his　wife；
whom　he　left　at　Jerusalem　with　their　children。　He　first　of　all
came　to　Agaba；　where　was　Galestes；　one　of　the　potent　men　before
mentioned；　and　was　received　by　him。　When　it　was　day；　the　queen
perceived　that　Aristobulus　was　fled；　and　for　some　time　she
supposed　that　his　departure　was　not　in　order　to　make　any
innovation；　but　when　messengers　came　one　after　another　with　the
news　that　he　had　secured　the　first　place；　the　second　place；　and
all　the　places；　for　as　soon　as　one　had　begun　they　all　submitted
to　his　disposal；　then　it　was　that　the　queen　and　the　nation　were
in　the　greatest　disorder；　for　they　were　aware　that　it　would　not
be　long　ere　Aristobulus　would　be　able　to　settle　himself　firmly　in
the　government。　What　they　were　principally　afraid　of　was　this；
that　he　would　inflict　punishment　upon　them　for　the　mad　treatment
his　house　had　had　from　them。　So　they　resolved　to　take　his　wife
and　children　into　custody；　and　keep　them　in　the　fortress　that　was
over　the　temple。　（46）　Now　there　was　a　mighty　conflux　of　people
that　came　to　Aristobulus　from　all　parts；　insomuch　that　he　had　a
kind　of　royal　attendants　about　him；　for　in　a　little　more　than
fifteen　days　he　got　twenty…two　strong　places；　which　gave　him　the
opportunity　of　raising　an　army　from　Libanus　and　Trachonitis；　and
the　monarchs；　for　men　are　easily　led　by　the　greater　number；　and
easily　submit　to　them。　And　besides　this；　that　by　affording　him
their　assistance；　when　he　could　not　expect　it；　they；　as　well　as
he；　should　have　the　advantages　that　would　come　by　his　being　king；
because　they　had　been　the　occasion　of　his　gaining　the　kingdom。
Now　the　eiders　of　the　Jews；　and　Hyrcanus　with　them；　went　in　unto
the　queen；　and　desired　that　she　would　give　them　her　sentiments
about　the　present　posture　of　affairs；　for　that　Aristobulus　was　in
effect　lord　of　almost　all　the　kingdom；　by　possessing　of　so　many
strong　holds；　and　that　it　was　absurd　for　them　to　take　any　counsel
by　themselves；　how　ill　soever　she　were；　whilst　she　was　alive；　and
that　the　danger　would　be　upon　them　in　no　long　time。　But　she　bid
them　do　what　they　thought　proper　to　be　done；　that　they　had　many
circumstances　in　their　favor　still　remaining；　a　nation　in　good
heart；　an　army；　and　money　in　their　several　treasuries；　for　that
she　had　small　concern　about　public　affairs　now；　when　the　strength
of　her　body　already　failed　her。

6。　Now　a　little　while　after　she　had　said　this　to　them；　she　died；
when　she　had　reigned　nine　years；　and　had　in　all　lived
seventy…three。　A　woman　she　was　who　showed　no　signs　of　the
weakness　of　her　sex；　for　she　was　sagacious　to　the　greatest　degree
in　her　ambition　of　governing；　and　demonstrated　by　her　doings　at
once；　that　her　mind　was　fit　for　action；　and　that　sometimes　men
themselves　show　the　little　understanding　they　have　by　the
frequent　mistakes　they　make　in　point　of　government；　for　she
always　preferred　the　present　to　futurity；　and　preferred　the　power
of　an　imperious　dominion　above　all　things；　and　in　comparison　of
that　had　no　regard　to　what　was　good；　or　what　was　right。　However；
she　brought　the　affairs　of　her　house　to　such　an　unfortunate
condition；　that　she　was　the　occasion　of　the　taking　away　that
authority　from　it；　and　that　in　no　long　time　afterward；　which　she
had　obtained　by　a　vast　number　of　hazards　and　misfortunes；　and
this　out　of　a　desire　of　what　does　not　belong　to　a　woman；　and　all
by　a　compliance　in　her　sentiments　with　those　that　bare　ill…will
to　their　family；　and　by　leaving　the　administration　destitute　of　a
proper　support　of　great　men；　and；　indeed；　her　management　during
her　administration　while　she　was　alive；　was　such　as　filled　the
palace　after　her　death　with　calamities　and　disturbance。　However；
although　this　had　been　her　way　of　governing；　she　preserved　the
nation　in　peace。　And　this　is　the　conclusion　of　the　affairs　of；
Alexandra。

BOOK　XIV。

Containing　The　Interval　Of　Thirty…Two　Years。

From　The　Death　Of　Queen　Alexandra　To　The　Death　Of　Antigonus。

CHAPTER　1。

The　War　Between　Aristobulus　And　Hyrcanus　About　The　Kingdom；　And
How　They　Made　Anagreement　That　Aristobulus　Should　Be　King；　And
Hyrcanus　Live　A　Private　Life；　As　Also　How　Hyrcanus　A　Little
Afterward　Was　Persuaded　By　Antipater　To　Fly　To　Aretas。

1。　We　have　related　the　affairs　of　queen　Alexandra；　and　her　death；
in　the　foregoing　book　and　will　now　speak　of　what　followed；　and
was　connected　with　those　histories；　declaring；　before　we　proceed；
that　we　have　nothing　so　much　at　heart　as　this；　that　we　may　omit
no　facts；　either　through　ignorance　or　laziness；　（1）　for　we　are
upon　the　history　and　explication　of　such　things　as　the　greatest
part　are　unacquainted　withal；　because　of　their　distance　from　our
times；　and　we　aim　to　do　it　with　a　proper　beauty　of　style；　so　far
as　that　is　derived　from　proper　words　harmonically　disposed；　and
from　such　ornaments　of　speech　also　as　may　contribute　to　the
pleasure　of　our　readers；　that　they　may　entertain　the　knowledge　of
what　we　write　with　some　agreeable　satisfaction　and　pleasure。　But
the　principal　scope　that　authors　ought　to　aim　at　above　all　the
rest；　is　to　speak　accurately；　and　to　speak　truly；　for　the
satisfaction　of　those　that　are　otherwise　unacquainted　with　such
transactions；　and　obliged　to　believe　what　these　writers　inform
them　of。

2。　Hyrcanus　then　began　his　high　priesthood　on　the　third　year　of
the　hundred　and　seventy…seventh　olympiad；　when　Quintus　Hortensius
and　Quintus　Metellus；　who　was　called　Metellus　of　Crete；　were
consuls　at　Rome；　when　presently　Aristobulus　began　to　make　war
against　him；　and　as　it　came　to　a　battle　with　Hyrcanus　at　Jericho；
many　of　his　soldiers　deserted　him；　and　went　over　to　his　brother；
upon　which　Hyrcanus　fled　into　the　citadel；　where　Aristobulus's
wife　and　children　were　imprisoned　by　their　mother；　as　we　have
said　already；　and　attacked　and　overcame　those　his　adversaries
that　had　fled　thither；　and　lay　within　the　walls　of　the　temple。　So
when　he　had　sent　a　message　to　his　brother　about　agreeing　the
matters　between　them；　he　laid　aside　his　enmity　to　him　on　these
conditions；　that　Aristobulus　should　be　king；　that　he　should　live
without　intermeddling　with　public　affairs；　and　quietly　enjoy　the
estate　he　had　acquired。　When　they　had　agreed　upon　these　terms　in
the　temple；　and　had　confirmed　the　agreement　with　oaths；　and　the
giving　one　an。　other　their　right　hands；　and　embracing　one　another
in　the　sight　of　the　whole　multitude；　they　departed；　the　one；
Aristobulus；　to　the　palace；　and　Hyrcanus；　as　a　private　man；　to
the　former　house　of　Aristobulus。

3。　But　there　was　a　certain　friend　of　Hyrcanus；　an　Idumean；　called
Antipater；　who　was　very　rich；　and　in　his　nature　an　active　and　a
seditious　man；　who　was　at　enmity　with　Aristobulus；　and　had
differences　with　him　on　account　of　his　good…will　to　Hyrcanus。　It
is　true　that　Nicolatls　of　Damascus　says；　that　Antipater　was　of
the　stock　of　the　principal　Jews　who　came　out　of　Babylon　into
Judea；　but　that　assertion　of　his　was　to　gratify　Herod；　who　was
his　son；　and　who；　by　certain　revolutions　of　fortune；　came
afterward　to　be　king　of　the　Jews；　whose　history　we　shall　give　you
in　its　proper　place　hereafter。　However；　this　Antipater　was　at
first　called　Antipas；　（2）　and　that　was　his　father's　name　also；　of
whom　they　relate　this：　That　king　Alexander　and　his　wife　made　him
general　of　all　Idumea；　and　that　he　made　a　league　of　friendship
with　those　Arabians；　and　Gazites；　and　Ascalonites；　that　were　of
his　own　party；　and　had；　by　many　and　large　presents；　made　them　his
fast　friends。　But　now　this　younger　Antipater　was　suspicious　of
the　power　of　Aristobulus；　and　was　afraid　of　some　mischief　he
might　do　him；　because　of　his　hatred　to　him；　so　he　stirred　up　the
most　powerful　of　the　Jews；　and　talked　against　him　to　them
privately；　and　said　that　it　was　unjust　to　overlook　the　conduct　of
Aristobulus；　who　had　gotten　the　government　unrighteously；　and
ejected　his　brother　out　of　it；　who　was　the　elder；　and　ought　to
retain　what　belonged　to　him　by　prerogative　of　his　birth。　And　the
same　speeches　he　perpetually　made　to　Hyrcanus；　and　told　him　that