the antiquities of the jews-1-第242章

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belonging　to　the　kingdom：　but　Salome　and　her　party　labored　hard
to　have　the　woman　put　to　death；　and　they　prevailed　with　the　king
to　do　so；　and　advised　this　out　of　caution；　lest　the　multitude
should　be　tumultuous　if　she　were　suffered　to　live；　and　thus　was
Mariamne　led　to　execution。

5。　When　Alexandra　observed　how　things　went；　and　that　there　were
small　hopes　that　she　herself　should　escape　the　like　treatment
from　Herod；　she　changed　her　behavior　to　quite　the　reverse　of　what
might　have　been　expected　from　her　former　boldness；　and　this　after
a　very　indecent　manner；　for　out　of　her　desire　to　show　how
entirely　ignorant　she　was　of　the　crimes　laid　against　Mariamne；
she　leaped　out　of　her　place；　and　reproached　her　daughter　in　the
hearing　of　all　the　people；　and　cried　out　that　she　had　been　an　ill
woman；　and　ungrateful　to　her　husband；　and　that　her　punishment
came　justly　upon　her　for　such　her　insolent　behavior；　for　that　she
had　not　made　proper　returns　to　him　who　had　been　their　common
benefactor。　And　when　she　had　for　some　time　acted　after　this
hypocritical　manner；　and　been　so　outrageous　as　to　tear　her　hair；
this　indecent　and　dissembling　behavior；　as　was　to　be　expected；
was　greatly　condemned　by　the　rest　of　the　spectators；　as　it　was
principally　by　the　poor　woman　who　was　to　suffer；　for　at　the　first
she　gave　her　not　a　word；　nor　was　discomposed　at　her　peevishness；
and　only　looked　at　her；　yet　did　she　out　of　a　greatness　of　soul
discover　her　concern　for　her　mother's　offense；　and　especially　for
her　exposing　herself　in　a　manner　so　unbecoming　her；　but　as　for
herself；　she　went　to　her　death　with　an　unshaken　firmness　of　mind；
and　without　changing　the　color　of　her　face；　and　thereby　evidently
discovered　the　nobility　of　her　descent　to　the　spectators；　even　in
the　last　moments　of　her　life。

6。　And　thus　died　Mariamne；　a　woman　of　an　excellent　character；
both　for　chastity　and　greatness　of　soul；　but　she　wanted
moderation；　and　had　too　much　of　contention　in　her　nature；　yet　had
she　all　that　can　be　said　in　the　beauty　of　her　body；　and　her
majestic　appearance　in　conversation；　and　thence　arose　the
greatest　part　of　the　occasions　why　she　did　not　prove　so　agreeable
to　the　king；　nor　live　so　pleasantly　with　him；　as　she　might
otherwise　have　done；　for　while　she　was　most　indulgently　used　by
the　king；　out　of　his　fondness　for　her；　and　did　not　expect　that　he
could　do　any　hard　thing　to　her；　she　took　too　unbounded　a　liberty。
Moreover；　that　which　most　afflicted　her　was；　what　he　had　done　to
her　relations；　and　she　ventured　to　speak　of　all　they　had　suffered
by　him；　and　at　last　greatly　provoked　both　the　king's　mother　and
sister；　till　they　became　enemies　to　her；　and　even　he　himself　also
did　the　same；　on　whom　alone　she　depended　for　her　expectations　of
escaping　the　last　of　punishments。

7。　But　when　she　was　once　dead；　the　king's　affections　for　her　were
kindled　in　a　more　outrageous　manner　than　before；　whose　old
passion　for　her　we　have　already　described；　for　his　love　to　her
was　not　of　a　calm　nature；　nor　such　as　we　usually　meet　with　among
other　husbands；　for　at　its　commencement　it　was　of　an　enthusiastic
kind；　nor　was　it　by　their　long　cohabitation　and　free　conversation
together　brought　under　his　power　to　manage；　but　at　this　time　his
love　to　Mariamne　seemed　to　seize　him　in　such　a　peculiar　manner；
as　looked　like　Divine　vengeance　upon　him　for　the　taking　away　her
life；　for　he　would　frequently　call　for　her；　and　frequently　lament
for　her　in　a　most　indecent　manner。　Moreover；　he　bethought　him　of
every　thing　he　could　make　use　of　to　divert　his　mind　from　thinking
of　her；　and　contrived　feasts　and　assemblies　for　that　purpose；　but
nothing　would　suffice；　he　therefore　laid　aside　the　administration
of　public　affairs；　and　was　so　far　conquered　by　his　passion；　that
he　would　order　his　servants　to　call　for　Mariamne；　as　if　she　were
still　alive；　and　could　still　hear　them。　And　when　he　was　in　this
way；　there　arose　a　pestilential　disease；　and　carried　off　the
greatest　part　of　the　multitude；　and　of　his　best　and　most　esteemed
friends；　and　made　all　men　suspect　that　this　was　brought　upon　them
by　the　anger　of　God；　for　the　injustice　that　had　been　done　to
Mariamne。　This　circumstance　affected　the　king　still　more；　till　at
length　he　forced　himself　to　go　into　desert　places；　and　there；
under　pretense　of　going　a　hunting；　bitterly　afflicted　himself；
yet　had　he　not　borne　his　grief　there　many　days　before　he　fell
into　a　most　dangerous　distemper　himself：　he　had　an　inflammation
upon　him；　and　a　pain　in　the　hinder　part　of　his　head；　joined　with
madness；　and　for　the　remedies　that　were　used；　they　did　him　no
good　at　all；　but　proved　contrary　to　his　case；　and　so　at　length
brought　him　to　despair。　All　the　physicians　also　that　were　about
him；　partly　because　the　medicines　they　brought　for　his　recovery
could　not　at　all　conquer　the　disease；　and　partly　because　his　diet
could　be　no　other　than　what　his　disease　inclined　him　to；　desired
him　to　eat　whatever　he　had　a　mind　to；　and　so　left　the　small　hopes
they　had　of　his　recovery　in　the　power　of　that　diet；　and　committed
him　to　fortune。　And　thus　did　his　distemper　go　on；　while　he　was　at
Samaria；　now　called　Sebaste。

8。　Now　Alexandra　abode　at　this　time　at　Jerusalem；　and　being
informed　what　condition　Herod　was　in；　she　endeavored　to　get
possession　of　the　fortified　places　that　were　about　the　city；
which　were　two；　the　one　belonging　to　the　city　itself；　the　other
belonging　to　the　temple；　and　those　that　could　get　them　into　their
hands　had　the　whole　nation　under　their　power；　for　without　the
command　of　them　it　was　not　possible　to　offer　their　sacrifices；
and　to　think　of　leaving　on　those　sacrifices　is　to　every　Jew
plainly　impossible；　who　are　still　more　ready　to　lose　their　lives
than　to　leave　off　that　Divine　worship　which　they　have　been　wont
to　pay　unto　God。　Alexandra；　therefore；　discoursed　with　those　that
had　the　keeping　of　these　strong　holds；　that　it　was　proper　for
them　to　deliver　the　same　to　her；　and　to　Herod's　sons；　lest；　upon
his　death；　any　other　person　should　seize　upon　the　government；　and
that　upon　his　recovery　none　could　keep　them　more　safely　for　him
than　those　of　his　own　family。　These　words　were　not　by　them　at　all
taken　in　good　part；　and　as　they　had　been　in　former　times　faithful
＇to　Herod＇；　they　resolved　to　continue　so　more　than　ever；　both
because　they　hated　Alexandra；　and　because　they　thought　it　a　sort
of　impiety　to　despair　of　Herod's　recovery　while　he　was　yet　alive；
for　they　had　been　his　old　friends；　and　one　of　them；　whose　name
was　Achiabus；　was　his　cousin…german。　They　sent　messengers
therefore　to　acquaint　him　with　Alexandra's　design；　so　he　made　no
longer　delay；　but　gave　orders　to　have　her　slain；　yet　was　it　still
with　difficulty；　and　after　he　had　endured　great　pain；　that　he　got
clear　of　his　distemper。　He　was　still　sorely　afflicted；　both　in
mind　and　body；　and　made　very　uneasy；　and　readier　than　ever　upon
all　occasions　to　inflict　punishment　upon　those　that　fell　under
his　hand。　He　also　slew　the　most　intimate　of　his　friends；
Costobarus；　and　Lysimachus；　and　Cadias；　who　was　also　called
Antipater；　as　also　Dositheus；　and　that　upon　the　following
occasion。

9。　Costobarus　was　an　Idumean　by　birth；　and　one　of　principal
dignity　among　them；　and　one　whose　ancestors　had　been　priests　to
the　Koze；　whom　the　Idumeans　had　＇formerly＇　esteemed　as　a　god；　but
after　Hyrcanus　had　made　a　change　in　their　political　government；
and　made　them　receive　the　Jewish　customs　and　law；　Herod　made
Costobarus　governor　of　Idumea　and　Gaza；　and　gave　him　his　sister
Salome　to　wife；　and　this　was　upon　the　slaughter　of　＇his　uncle＇
Joseph；　who　had　that　government　before；　as　we　have　related
already。　When　Costobarus　had　gotten　to　be　so　highly　advanced；　it
pleased　him　and　was　more　than　he　hoped　for；　and　he　was　more　and
more　puffed　up　by　his　good　success；　and　in　a　little　while　he
exceeded　all　bounds；　and　did　not　think　fit　to　obey　what　Herod；　as
their　ruler；　commanded　him；　or　that　the　Idumeans　should　make　use
of　the　Jewish　customs；　or　be　subject　to　them。　He　therefore　sent
to　Cleopatra；　and　informed　her　that　the　Idumeans　had　been　always
under　his　progenitors；　and　that　for　the　same　reason　it　was　but
just　that　she　should　desire　that　country　for　him　of　Antony