the antiquities of the jews-1-第266章

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rendered　the　excess　of　their　sorrow　very　irksome；　but　very　silent
yet　was　there　an　old　soldier　of　Herod's；　whose　name　was　Tero；　who
had　a　son　of　the　same　age　with　Alexander；　and　his　friend；　who　was
so　very　free　as　openly　to　speak　out　what　others　silently　thought
about　that　matter；　and　was　forced　to　cry　out　often　among　the
multitude；　and　said；　in　the　most　unguarded　manner；　that　truth　was
perished；　and　justice　taken　away　from　men；　while　lies　and
ill…will　prevailed；　and　brought　such　a　mist　before　public
affairs；　that　the　offenders　were　not　able　to　see　the　greatest
mischiefs　that　can　befall　men。　And　as　he　was　so　bold；　he　seemed
not　to　have　kept　himself　out　of　danger；　by　speaking　so　freely；
but　the　reasonableness　of　what　he　said　moved　men　to　regard　him　as
having　behaved　himself　with　great　manhood；　and　this　at　a　proper
time　also；　for　which　reason　every　one　heard　what　he　said　with
pleasure；　and　although　they　first　took　care　of　their　own　safety
by　keeping　silent　themselves；　yet　did　they　kindly　receive　the
great　freedom　he　took；　for　the　expectation　they　were　in　of　so
great　an　affliction；　put　a　force　upon　them　to　speak　of　Tero
whatsoever　they　pleased。

5。　This　man　had　thrust　himself　into　the　king's　presence　with　the
greatest　freedom；　and　desired　to　speak　with　him　by　himself　alone；
which　the　king　permitted　him　to　do；　where　he　said　this：　〃Since　I
am　not　able；　O　king；　to　bear　up　under　so　great　a　concern　as　I　am
under；　I　have　preferred　the　use　of　this　bold　liberty　that　I　now
take；　which　may　be　for　thy　advantage；　if　thou　mind　to　get　any
profit　by　it；　before　my　own　safety。　Whither　is　thy　understanding
gone；　and　left　thy　soul　empty？　Whither　is　that　extraordinary
sagacity　of　thine　gone　whereby　thou　hast　performed　so　many　and
such　glorious…actions？　Whence　comes　this　solitude；　and　desertion
of　thy　friends　and　relations？　Of　which　I　cannot　but　determine
that　they　are　neither　thy　friends　nor　relations；　while　they
overlook　such　horrid　wickedness　in　thy　once　happy　kingdom。　Dost
not　thou　perceive　what　is　doing？　Wilt　thou　slay　these　two　young
men；　born　of　thy　queen；　who　are　accomplished　with　every　virtue　in
the　highest　degree；　and　leave　thyself　destitute　in　thy　old　age；
but　exposed　to　one　son；　who　hath　very　ill　managed　the　hopes　thou
hast　given　him；'　and　to　relations；　whose　death　thou　hast　so　often
resolved　on　thyself？　Dost　not　thou　take　notice；　that　the　very
silence　of　the　multitude　at　once　sees　the　crime；　and　abhors　the
fact？　The　whole　army　and　the　officers　have　commiseration　on　the
poor　unhappy　youths；　and　hatred　to　those　that　are　the　actors　in
this　matter。〃　These　words　the　king　heard；　and　for　some　time　with
good　temper。　But　what　can　one　say？　When　Tero　plainly　touched　upon
the　bad　behavior　and　perfidiousness　of　his　domestics；　he　was
moved　at　it；　but　Tero　went　on　further；　and　by　degrees　used　an
unbounded　military　freedom　of　speech；　nor　was　he　so　well
disciplined　as　to　accommodate　himself　to　the　time。　So　Herod　was
greatly　disturbed；　and　seeming　to　be　rather　reproached　by　this
speech；　than　to　be　hearing　what　was　for　his　advantage；　while　he
learned　thereby　that　both　the　soldiers　abhorred　the　thing　he　was
about；　and　the　officers　had　indignation　at　it；　he　gave　order　that
all　whom　Tero　had　named；　and　Tero　himself；　should　be　bound　and
kept　in　prison。

6。　When　this　was　over；　one　Trypho；　who　was　the　king's　barber；
took　the　opportunity；　and　came　and　told　the　king；　that　Tero　would
often　have　persuaded　him；　when　he　trimmed　him　with　a　razor；　to
cut　his　throat；　for　that　by　this　means　he　should　be　among　the
chief　of　Alexander's　friends；　and　receive　great　rewards　from　him。
When　he　had　said　this；　the　king　gave　order　that　Tero；　and　his
son；　and　the　barber　should　be　tortured；　which　was　done
accordingly；　but　while　Tero　bore　up　himself；　his　son　seeing　his
father　already　in　a　sad　case；　and　had　no　hope　of　deliverance；　and
perceiving　what　would　be　the　consequence　of　his　terrible
sufferings；　said；　that　if　the　king　would　free　him　and　his　father
from　these　torments　for　what　he　should　say；　he　would　tell　the
truth。　And　when　the　king　had　given　his　word　to　do　so；　he　said
that　there　was　an　agreement　made；　that　Tero　should　lay　violent
hands　on　the　king；　because　it　was　easy　for　him　to　come　when　he
was　alone；　and　that　if；　when　he　had　done　the　thing；　he　should
suffer　death　for　it；　as　was　not　unlikely；　it　would　be　an　act　of
generosity　done　in　favor　of　Alexander。　This　was　what　Tero's　son
said；　and　thereby　freed　his　father　from　the　distress　he　was　in；
but　uncertain　it　is　whether　he　had　been　thus　forced　to　speak　what
was　true；　or　whether　it　were　a　contrivance　of　his；　in　order　to
procure　his　own　and　his　father's　deliverance　from　their　miseries。

7。　As　for　Herod；　if　he　had　before　any　doubt　about　the　slaughter
of　his　sons；　there　was　now　no　longer　any　room　left　in　his　soul
for　it；　but　he　had　banished　away　whatsoever　might　afford　him　the
least　suggestion　of　reasoning　better　about　this　matter；　so　he
already　made　haste　to　bring　his　purpose　to　a　conclusion。　He　also
brought　out　three　hundred　of　the　officers　that　were　under　an
accusation；　as　also　Tero　and　his　son；　and　the　barber　that　accused
them　before　an　assembly；　and　brought　an　accusation　against　them
all；　whom　the　multitude　stoned　with　whatsoever　came　to　hand；　and
thereby　slew　them。　Alexander　also　and　Aristobulus　were　brought　to
Sebaste；　by　their　father's　command；　and　there　strangled；　but
their　dead　bodies　were　in　the　night　time　carried　to　Alexandraum；
where　their　uncle　by　the　mother's　side；　and　the　greatest　part　of
their　ancestors；　had　been　deposited。

8。　（15）　And　now　perhaps　it　may　not　seem　unreasonable　to　some；
that　such　an　inveterate　hatred　might　increase　so　much　＇on　both
sides＇；　as　to　proceed　further；　and　overcome　nature；　but　it　may
justly　deserve　consideration；　whether　it　be　to　be　laid　to　the
charge　of　the　young　men；　that　they　gave　such　an　occasion　to　their
father's　anger；　and　led　him　to　do　what　he　did；　and　by　going　on
long　in　the　same　way　put　things　past　remedy；　and　brought　him　to
use　them　so　unmercifully；　or　whether　it　be　to　be　laid　to　the
father's　charge；　that　he　was　so　hard…hearted；　and　so　very　tender
in　the　desire　of　government；　and　of　other　things　that　would　tend
to　his　glory；　that　tae　would　take　no　one　into　a　partnership　with
him；　that　so　whatsoever　he　would　have　done　himself　might　continue
immovable；　or；　indeed；　whether　fortune　have　not　greater　power
than　all　prudent　reasonings；　whence　we　are　persuaded　that　human
actions　are　thereby　determined　beforehand　by　an　inevitable
necessity；　and　we　call　her　Fate；　because　there　is　nothing　which
is　not　done　by　her；　wherefore　I　suppose　it　will　be　sufficient　to
compare　this　notion　with　that　other；　which　attribute　somewhat　to
ourselves；　and　renders　men　not　unaccountable　for　the　different
conducts　of　their　lives；　which　notion　is　no　other　than　the
philosophical　determination　of　our　ancient　law。　Accordingly；　of
the　two　other　causes　of　this　sad　event；　any　body　may　lay　the
blame　on　the　young　men；　who　acted　by　youthful　vanity；　and　pride
of　their　royal　birth；　that　they　should　bear　to　hear　the　calumnies
that　were　raised　against　their　father；　while　certainly　they　were
not　equitable　judges　of　the　actions　of　his　life；　but　ill…natured
in　suspecting；　and　intemperate　in　speaking　of　it；　and　on　both
accounts　easily　caught　by　those　that　observed　them；　and　revealed
them　to　gain　favor；　yet　cannot　their　father　be　thought　worthy
excuse；　as　to　that　horrid　impiety　which　he　was　guilty　of　about
them；　while　he　ventured；　without　any　certain　evidence　of　their
treacherous　designs　against　him；　and　without　any　proofs　that　they
had　made　preparations　for　such　attempt；　to　kill　his　own　sons；　who
were　of　very　comely　bodies；　and　the　great　darlings　of　other　men；
and　no　way　deficient　in　their　conduct；　whether　it　were　in
hunting；　or　in　warlike　exercises；　or　in　speaking　upon　occasional
topics　of　discourse；　for　in　all　these　they　were　skillful；　and
especially　Alexander；　who　was　the　eldest；　for　certainly　it　had
been　sufficient；　even　though　he　had　condemned　them；　to　have　kept
them　alive　in　bonds；　or　to　let　them　live　at　a　distance　from　his
dominions　in　banishment；　while　he　was　surrounded　by　the　Roman
forces；　which　were