the antiquities of the jews-1-第240章

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the　kingdom　for　his　sons；　and　for　his　brother　Pheroras。

6。　When　he　had　given　them　this　charge；　he　made　haste　to　Rhodes；
to　meet　Caesar；　and　when　he　had　sailed　to　that　city；　he　took　off
his　diadem；　but　remitted　nothing　else　of　his　usual　dignity。　And
when；　upon　his　meeting　him；　he　desired　that　he　would　let　him
speak　to　him；　he　therein　exhibited　a　much　more　noble　specimen　of
a　great　soul；　for　he　did　not　betake　himself　to　supplications；　as
men　usually　do　upon　such　occasions；　nor　offered　him　any　petition；
as　if　he　were　an　offender；　but；　after　an　undaunted　manner；　gave
an　account　of　what　he　had　done；　for　he　spake　thus　to　Caesar：　That
he　had　the　greatest　friendship　for　Antony；　and　did　every　thing　he
could　that　he　might　attain　the　government；　that　he　was　not　indeed
in　the　army　with　him；　because　the　Arabians　had　diverted　him；　but
that　he　had　sent　him　both　money　and　corn；　which　was　but　too
little　in　comparison　of　what　he　ought　to　have　done　for　him；　〃for
if　a　man　owns　himself　to　be　another's　friend；　and　knows　him　to　be
a　benefactor；　he　is　obliged　to　hazard　every　thing；　to　use　every
faculty　of　his　soul；　every　member　of　his　body；　and　all　the　wealth
he　hath；　for　him；　in　which　I　confess　I　have　been　too　deficient。
However；　I　am　conscious　to　myself；　that　so　far　I　have　done　right；
that　I　have　not　deserted　him　upon　his　defeat　at　Actium；　nor　upon
the　evident　change　of　his　fortune　have　I　transferred　my　hopes
from　him　to　another；　but　have　preserved　myself；　though　not　as　a
valuable　fellow　soldier；　yet　certainly　as　a　faithful　counselor；
to　Antony；　when　I　demonstrated　to　him　that　the　only　way　that　he
had　to　save　himself；　and　not　to　lose　all　his　authority；　was　to
slay　Cleopatra；　for　when　she　was　once　dead；　there　would　be　room
for　him　to　retain　his　authority；　and　rather　to　bring　thee　to　make
a　composition　with　him；　than　to　continue　at　enmity　any　longer。
None　of　which　advises　would　he　attend　to；　but　preferred　his　own
rash　resolution　before　them；　which　have　happened　unprofitably　for
him；　but　profitably　for　thee。　Now；　therefore；　in　case　thou
determinest　about　me；　and　my　alacrity　in　serving　Antony；
according　to　thy　anger　at　him；　I　own　there　is　no　room　for　me　to
deny　what　I　have　done；　nor　will　I　be　ashamed　to　own；　and　that
publicly　too；　that　I　had　a　great　kindness　for　him。　But　if　thou
wilt　put　him　out　of　the　case；　and　only　examine　how　I　behave
myself　to　my　benefactors　in　general；　and　what　sort　of　friend　I
am；　thou　wilt　find　by　experience　that　we　shall　do　and　be　the　same
to　thyself；　for　it　is　but　changing　the　names；　and　the　firmness　of
friendship　that　we　shall　bear　to　thee　will　not　be　disapproved　by
thee。〃

7。　By　this　speech；　and　by　his　behavior；　which　showed　Caesar　the
frankness　of　his　mind；　he　greatly　gained　upon　him；　who　was
himself　of　a　generous　and　magnificent　temper；　insomuch　that　those
very　actions；　which　were　the　foundation　of　the　accusation　against
him；　procured　him　Caesar's　good…will。　Accordingly；　he　restored
him　his　diadem　again；　and　encouraged　him　to　exhibit　himself　as
great　a　friend　to　himself　as　he　had　been　to　Antony；　and　then　had
him　in　great　esteem。　Moreover；　he　added　this；　that　Quintus　Didius
had　written　to　him　that　Herod　had　very　readily　assisted　him　in
the　affair　of　the　gladiators。　So　when　he　had　obtained　such　a　kind
reception；　and　had；　beyond　all　his　hopes；　procured　his　crown　to
be　more　entirely　and　firmly　settled　upon　him　than　ever　by
Caesar's　donation；　as　well　as　by　that　decree　of　the　Romans；　which
Caesar　took　care　to　procure　for　his　greater　security；　he
conducted　Caesar　on　his　way　to　Egypt；　and　made　presents；　even
beyond　his　ability；　to　both　him　and　his　friends；　and　in　general
behaved　himself　with　great　magnanimity。　He　also　desired　that
Caesar　would　not　put　to　death　one　Alexander；　who　had　been　a
companion　of　Antony；　but　Caesar　had　sworn　to　put　him　to　death；
and　so　he　could　not　obtain　that　his　petition。　And　now　he　returned
to　Judea　again　with　greater　honor　and　assurance　than　ever；　and
affrighted　those　that　had　expectations　to　the　contrary；　as　still
acquiring　from　his　very　dangers　greater　splendor　than　before；　by
the　favor　of　God　to　him。　So　he　prepared　for　the　reception　of
Caesar；　as　he　was　going　out　of　Syria　to　invade　Egypt；　and　when　he
came；　he　entertained　him　at　Ptolemais　with　all　royal
magnificence。　He　also　bestowed　presents　on　the　army；　and　brought
them　provisions　in　abundance。　He　also　proved　to　be　one　of
Caesar's　most　cordial　friends；　and　put　the　army　in　array；　and
rode　along　with　Caesar；　and　had　a　hundred　and　fifty　men；　well
appointed　in　all　respects；　after　a　rich　and　sumptuous　manner；　for
the　better　reception　of　him　and　his　friends。　He　also　provided
them　with　what　they　should　want；　as　they　passed　over　the　dry
desert；　insomuch　that　they　lacked　neither　wine　nor　water；　which
last　the　soldiers　stood　in　the　greatest　need　of；　and　besides；　he
presented　Caesar　with　eight　hundred　talents；　and　procured　to
himself　the　good…will　of　them　all；　because　he　was　assisting　to
them　in　a　much　greater　and　more　splendid　degree　than　the　kingdom
he　had　obtained　could　afford；　by　which　means　he　more　and　more
demonstrated　to　Caesar　the　firmness　of　his　friendship；　and　his
readiness　to　assist　him；　and　what　was　of　the　greatest　advantage
to　him　was　this；　that　his　liberality　came　at　a　seasonable　time
also。　And　when　they　returned　again　out　of　Egypt；　his　assistances
were　no　way　inferior　to　the　good　offices　he　had　formerly　done
them。

CHAPTER　7。

How　Herod　Slew　Sohemus　And　Mariamne　And　Afterward　Alexandra　And
Costobarus；　And　His　Most　Intimate　Friends；　And　At　Last　The　Sons
Of　Babbas　Also。

1。　However；　when　he　came　into　his　kingdom　again；　he　found　his
house　all　in　disorder；　and　his　wife　Mariamne　and　her　mother
Alexandra　very　uneasy；　for　as　they　supposed　（what　was　easy　to　be
supposed）　that　they　were　not　put　into　that　fortress　＇Alexandrium＇
for　the　security　of　their　persons；　but　as　into　a　garrison　for
their　imprisonment；　and　that　they　had　no　power　over　any　thing；
either　of　others　or　of　their　own　affairs；　they　were　very　uneasy；
and　Mariamne　supposing　that　the　king's　love　to　her　was　but
hypocritical；　and　rather　pretended　（as　advantageous　to　himself）
than　real；　she　looked　upon　it　as　fallacious。　She　also　was　grieved
that　he　would　not　allow　her　any　hopes　of　surviving　him；　if　he
should　come　to　any　harm　himself。　She　also　recollected　what
commands　he　had　formerly　given　to　Joseph；　insomuch　that　she
endeavored　to　please　her　keepers；　and　especially　Sohemus；　as　well
apprized　how　all　was　in　his　power。　And　at　the　first　Sohemus　was
faithful　to　Herod；　and　neglected　none　of　the　things　he　had　given
him　in　charge；　but　when　the　women；　by　kind　words　and　liberal
presents；　had　gained　his　affections　over　to　them；　he　was　by
degrees　overcome；　and　at　length　discovered　to　them　all　the　king's
injunctions；　and　this　on　that　account　principally；　that　he　did
not　so　much　as　hope　he　would　come　back　with　the　same　authority　he
had　before；　so　that　he　thought　he　should　both　escape　any　danger
from　him；　mid　supposed　that　he　did　hereby　much　gratify　the　women；
who　were　likely　not　to　be　overlooked　in　the　settling　of　the
government；　nay；　that　they　would　be　able　to　make　him　abundant
recompense；　since　they　must　either　reign　themselves；　or　be　very
near　to　him　that　should　reign。　He　had　a　further　ground　of　hope
also；　that　though　Herod　should　have　all　the　success　he　could　wish
for；　and　should　return　again；　he　could　not　contradict　his　wife　in
what　she　desired；　for　he　knew　that　the　king's　fondness　for　his
wife　was　inexpressible。　These　were　the　motives　that　drew　Sohemus
to　discover　what　injunctions　had　been　given　him。　So　Mariamne　was
greatly　displeased　to　hear　that　there　was　no　end　of　the　dangers
she　was　under　from　Herod；　and　was　greatly　uneasy　at　it；　and
wished　that　he　might　obtain　no　favors　＇from　Caesar＇；　and　esteemed
it　almost　an　insupportable　task　to　live　with　him　any　longer；　and
this　she　afterward　openly　declared；　without　concealing　her
resentment。

2。　And　now　Herod　sailed　home　with　joy；　at　the　unexpected　good
success　he　had　had；　and　went　first　of　all；　as　was　proper；　to　this
his　wife；　and　told　her；　and　her　only；　the　good　news；　as
preferring　her　before　the　rest；　on　account　of　his　fondness　f