the antiquities of the jews-1-第264章

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rulers　under　him。　So　Herod；　being　desirous　to　show　Archelaus's
ill…will　to　him；　called　for　Alexander；　as　he　was　in　his　bonds；
and　asked　him　again　concerning　his　fight；　whether　and　how　they
had　resolved　to　retire　Alexander　replied；　To　Archclaus；　who　had
promised　to　send　them　away　to　Rome；　but　that　they　had　no　wicked
nor　mischievous　designs　against　their　father；　and　that　nothing　of
that　nature　which　their　adversaries　had　charged　upon　them　was
true；　and　that　their　desire　was；　that　he　might　have　examined
Tyrannus　and　Jucundus　more　strictly；　but　that　they　had　been
suddenly　slain　by　the　means　of　Antipater；　who　put　his　own　friends
among　the　multitude　＇for　that　purpose＇。

7。　When　this　was　said；　Herod　commanded　that　both　Alexander　and
Melas　should　be　carried　to　Glaphyra；　Archelaus's　daughter；　and
that　she　should　be　asked；　whether　she　did　not　know　somewhat　of
Alexander's　treacherous　designs　against　Herod？　Now　as　soon　as
they　were　come　to　her；　and　she　saw　Alexander　in　bonds；　she　beat
her　head；　and　in　a　great　consternation　gave　a　deep　and　moving
groan。　The　young　man　also　fell　into　tears。　This　was　so　miserable
a　spectacle　to　those　present；　that；　for　a　great　while；　they　were
not　able　to　say　or　to　do　any　thing；　but　at　length　Ptolemy；　who
was　ordered　to　bring　Alexander；　bid　him　say　whether　his　wife　was
conscious　of　his　actions。　He　replied；　〃How　is　it　possible　that
she；　whom　I　love　better　than　my　own　soul；　and　by　whom　I　have　had
children；　should　not　know　what　I　do？〃　Upon　which　she　cried　out
that　she　knew　of　no　wicked　designs　of　his；　but　that　yet；　if　her
accusing　herself　falsely　would　tend　to　his　preservation；　she
would　confess　it　all。　Alexander　replied；　〃There　is　no　such
wickedness　as　those　（who　ought　the　least　of　all　so　to　do）
suspect；　which　either　I　have　imagined；　or　thou　knowest　of；　but
this　only；　that　we　had　resolved　to　retire　to　Archelaus；　and　from
thence　to　Rome。〃　Which　she　also　confessed。　Upon　which　Herod；
supposing　that　Archelaus's　ill…will　to　him　was　fully　proved；　sent
a　letter　by　Olympus　and　Volumnius；　and　bid　them；　as　they　sailed
by；　to　touch　at　Eleusa　of　Cilicia；　and　give　Archelaus　the　letter。
And　that　when　they　had　ex…postulated　with　him；　that　he　had　a　hand
in　his　son's　treacherous　design　against　him；　they　should　from
thence　sail　to　Rome；　and　that；　in　case　they　found　Nicolaus　had
gained　any　ground；　and　that　Caesar　was　no　longer　displeased　at
him；　he　should　give　him　his　letters；　and　the　proofs　which　he　had
ready　to　show　against　the　young　men。　As　to　Archelaus；　he　made　his
defense　for　himself；　that　he　had　promised　to　receive　the　young
men；　because　it　was　both　for　their　own　and　their　father's
advantage　so　to　do；　lest　some　too　severe　procedure　should　be　gone
upon　in　that　anger　and　disorder　they　were　in　on　occasion　of　the
present　suspicions；　but　that　still　he　had　not　promised　to　send
them　to　Caesar；　and　that　he　had　not　promised　any　thing　else　to
the　young　men　that　could　show　any　ill…will　to　him。

8。　When　these　ambassadors　were　come　to　Rome；　they　had　a　fit
opportunity　of　delivering　their　letters　to　Caesar；　because　they
found　him　reconciled　to　Herod；　for　the　circumstances　of
Nicolaus's　embassage　had　been　as　follows：　As　soon　as　he　was　come
to　Rome；　and　was　about　the　court；　he　did　not　first　of　all　set
about　what　he　was　come　for　only；　but　he　thought　fit　also　to
accuse　Sylleus。　Now　the　Arabians；　even　before　he　came　to　talk
with　them；　were　quarrelling　one　with　another；　and　some　of　them
left　Sylleus's　party；　and　joining　themselves　to　Nicolaus；
informed　him　of　all　the　wicked　things　that　had　been　done；　and
produced　to　him　evident　demonstrations　of　the　slaughter　of　a
great　number　of　Obodas's　friends　by　Sylleus；　for　when　these　men
left　Sylleus；　they　had　carried　off　with　them　those　letters
whereby　they　could　convict　him。　When　Nicolaus　saw　such　an
opportunity　afforded　him；　he　made　use　of　it；　in　order　to　gain　his
own　point　afterward；　and　endeavored　immediately　to　make　a
reconciliation　between　Caesar　and　Herod；　for　he　was　fully
satisfied；　that　if　he　should　desire　to　make　a　defense　for　Herod
directly；　he　should　not　be　allowed　that　liberty；　but　that　if　he
desired　to　accuse　Sylleus；　there　would　an　occasion　present　itself
of　speaking　on　Herod's　behalf。　So　when　the　cause　was　ready　for　a
hearing；　and　the　day　was　appointed；　Nicolaus；　while　Aretas's
ambassadors　were　present；　accused　Sylleus；　and　said　that　he
imputed　to　him　the　destruction　of　the　king　＇Obodas＇；　and　of　many
others　of　the　Arabians；　that　he　had　borrowed　money　for　no　good
design；　and　he　proved　that　he　had　been　guilty　of　adultery；　not
only　with　the　Arabian；　but　Reinan　women　also。　And。　he　added；　that
above　all　the　rest　he　had　alienated　Caesar　from　Herod；　and　that
all　that　he　had　said　about　the　actions　of　Herod　were　falsities。
When　Nicolaus　was　come　to　this　topic；　Caesar　stopped　him　from
going　on；　and　desired　him　only　to　speak　to　this　affair　of　Herod；
and　to　show　that　he　had　not　led　an　army　into　Arabia；　nor　slain
two　thousand　five　hundred　men　there；　nor　taken　prisoners；　nor
pillaged　the　country。　To　which　Nicolaus　made　this　answer：　〃I
shall　principally　demonstrate；　that　either　nothing　at　all；　or　but
a　very　little；　of　those　imputations　are　true；　of　which　thou　hast
been　informed；　for　had　they　been　true；　thou　mightest　justly　have
been　still　more　angry　at　Herod。〃　At　this　strange　assertion　Caesar
was　very　attentive；　and　Nicolaus　said　that　there　was　a　debt　due
to　Herod　of　five　hundred　talents；　and　a　bond；　wherein　it　was
written；　that　if　the　time　appointed　be　lapsed；　it　should　be
lawful　to　make　a　seizure　out　of　any　part　of　his　country。　〃As　for
the　pretended　army；〃　he　said；　〃it　was　no　army；　but　a　party　sent
out　to　require　the　just　payment　of　the　money；　that　this　was　not
sent　immediately；　nor　so　soon　as　the　bond　allowed；　but　that
Sylleus　had　frequently　come　before　Saturninus　and　Volumnius；　the
presidents　of　Syria；　and　that　at　last　he　had　sworn　at　Berytus；　by
thy　fortune；　（13）　that　he　would　certainly　pay　the　money　within
thirty　days；　and　deliver　up　the　fugitives　that　were　under　his
dominion。　And　that　when　Sylleus　had　performed　nothing　of　this；
Herod　came　again　before　the　presidents；　and　upon　their　permission
to　make　a　seizure　for　his　money；　he；　with　difficulty；　went　out　of
his　country　with　a　party　of　soldiers　for　that　purpose。　And　this
is　all　the　war　which　these　men　so　tragically　describe；　and　this
is　the　affair　of　the　expedition　into　Arabia。　And　how　can　this　be
called　a　war；　when　thy　presidents　permitted　it；　the　covenants
allowed　it；　and　it　was　not　executed　till　thy　name；　O　Caesar；　as
well　as　that　of　the　other　gods；　had　been　profaned？　And　now　I　must
speak　in　order　about　the　captives。　There　were　robbers　that　dwelt
in　Trachonitis；　at　first　their　number　was　no　more　than　forty；　but
they　became　more　afterwards；　and　they　escaped　the　punishment
Herod　would　have　inflicted　on　them；　by　making　Arabia　their
refuge。　Sylleus　received　them；　and　supported　them　with　food；　that
they　might　be　mischievous　to　all　mankind；　and　gave　them　a　country
to　inhabit；　and　himself　received　the　gains　they　made　by　robbery；
yet　did　he　promise　that　he　would　deliver　up　these　men；　and　that
by　the　same　oaths　and　same　time　that　he　sware　and　fixed　for
payment　of　his　debt：　nor　can　he　by　any　means　show　that　any　other
persons　have　at　this　time　been　taken　out　of　Arabia　besides　these；
and　indeed　not　all　these　neither；　but　only　so　many　as　could　not
conceal　themselves。　And　thus　does　the　calumny　of　the　captives；
which　hath　been　so　odiously　represented；　appear　to　be　no　better
than　a　fiction　and　a　lie；　made　on　purpose　to　provoke　thy
indignation；　for　I　venture　to　affirm　that　when　the　forces　of　the
Arabians　came　upon　us；　and　one　or　two　of　Herod's　party　fell；　he
then　only　defended　himself；　and　there　fell　Nacebus　their　general；
and　in　all　about　twenty…five　others；　and　no　more；　whence　Sylleus；
by　multiplying　every　single　soldier　to　a　hundred；　he　reckons　the
slain　to　have　been　two　thousand　five　hundred。〃

9。　This　provoked　Caesar　more　than　ever。　So　he　turned　to　Sylleus
full　of　rage；　and　asked　him　how　many　of　the　Arabians　were　slain。
Hereupon　he　hesitated；　and　said　he　had　been　imposed　upon。　The
covenants　also　were　read　about　the　money　he　had　borrow