the antiquities of the jews-1-第273章

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Antipater　deserved　the　greatest　punishment；　and　indeed　not　so
much　for　Herod's　safety；　as　on　account　of　the　man's　own
wickedness。　Many　things　were　also　said；　and　those　by　a　great
number　of　persons；　who　were　no　way　obliged　to　say　them；　insomuch
that　Antipater；　who　used　generally　to　be　very　shrewd　in　his　lies
and　impudence；　was　not　able　to　say　one　word　to　the　contrary。　When
Nicolaus　had　left　off　speaking；　and　had　produced　the　evidence；
Varus　bid　Antipater　to　betake　himself　to　the　making　his　defense；
if　he　had　prepared　any　thing　whereby　it　might　appear　that　he　was
not　guilty　of　the　crimes　he　was　accused　of；　for　that；　as　he　was
himself　desirous；　so　did　he　know　that　his　father　was　in　like
manner　desirous　also；　to　have　him　found　entirely　innocent。　But
Antipater　fell　down　on　his　face；　and　appealed　to　God　and　to　all
men　for　testimonials　of　his　innocency；　desiring　that　God　would
declare；　by　some　evident　signals；　that　he　had　not　laid　any　plot
against　his　father。　This　being　the　usual　method　of　all　men
destitute　of　virtue；　that　when　they　set　about　any　wicked
undertakings；　they　fall　to　work　according　to　their　own
inclinations；　as　if　they　believed　that　God　was　unconcerned　in
human　affairs；　but　when　once　they　are　found　out；　and　are　in
danger　of　undergoing　the　punishment　due　to　their　crimes；　they
endeavor　to　overthrow　all　the　evidence　against　them　by　appealing
to　God；　which　was　the　very　thing　which　Antipater　now　did；　for
whereas　he　had　done　everything　as　if　there　were　no　God　in　the
world；　when　he　was　on　all　sides　distressed　by　justice；　and　when
he　had　no　other　advantage　to　expect　from　any　legal　proofs；　by
which　he　might　disprove　the　accusations　laid　against　him；　he
impudently　abused　the　majesty　of　God；　and　ascribed　it　to　his
power　that　he　had　been　preserved　hitherto；　and　produced　before
them　all　what　difficulties　he　had　ever　undergone　in　his　bold
acting　for　his　father's　preservation。

7。　So　when　Varus；　upon　asking　Antipater　what　he　had　to　say　for
himself；　found　that　he　had　nothing　to　say　besides　his　appeal　to
God；　and　saw　that　there　was　no　end　of　that；　he　bid　them　bring　the
potion　before　the　court；　that　he　might　see　what　virtue　still
remained　in　it；　and　when　it　was　brought；　and　one　that　was
condemned　to　die　had　drank　it　by　Varus's　command；　he　died
presently。　Then　Varus　got　up；　and　departed　out　of　the　court；　and
went　away　the　day　following　to　Antioch；　where　his　usual　residence
was；　because　that　was　the　palace　of　the　Syrians；　upon　which　Herod
laid　his　son　in　bonds。　But　what　were　Varus's　discourses　to　Herod
was　not　known　to　the　generality；　and　upon　what　words　it　was　that
he　went　away；　though　it　was　also　generally　supposed　that
whatsoever　Herod　did　afterward　about　his　son　was　done　with　his
approbation。　But　when　Herod　had　bound　his　son；　he　sent　letters　to
Rome　to　Caesar　about　him；　and　such　messengers　withal　as　should；
by　word　of　mouth；　inform　Caesar　of　Antipater's　wickedness。　Now　at
this　very　time　there　was　seized　a　letter　of　Antiphilus；　written
to　Antipater　out　of　Egypt　（for　he　lived　there）；　and　when　it　was
opened　by　the　king；　it　was　found　to　contain　what　follows：　〃I　have
sent　thee　Acme's　letter；　and　hazarded　my　own　life；　for　thou
knowest　that　I　am　in　danger　from　two　families；　if　I　be
discovered。　I　wish　thee　good　success　in　thy　affair。〃　These　were
the　contents　of　this　letter；　but　the　king　made　inquiry　about　the
other　letter　also；　for　it　did　not　appear；　and　Antiphilus's　slave；
who　brought　that　letter　which　had　been　read；　denied　that　he　had
received　the　other。　But　while　the　king　was　in　doubt　about　it；　one
of　Herod's　friends　seeing　a　seam　upon　the　inner　coat　of　the
slave；　and　a　doubling　of　the　cloth；　（for　he　had　two　coats　on；）　he
guessed　that　the　letter　might　be　within　that　doubling；　which
accordingly　proved　to　be　true。　So　they　took　out　the　letter；　and
its　contents　were　these：　〃Acme　to　Antipater。　I　have　written　such
a　letter　to　thy　father　as　thou　desiredst　me。　I　have　also　taken　a
copy　and　sent　it；　as　if　it　came　from　Salome；　to　my　lady　＇Livia＇；
which；　when　thou　readest；　I　know　that　Herod　Will　punish　Salome；
as　plotting　against　him？'　Now　this　pretended　letter　of　Salome　to
her　lady　was　composed　by　Antipater；　in　the　name　of　Salome；　as　to
its　meaning；　but　in　the　words　of　Acme。　The　letter　was　this：　〃Acme
to　king　Herod。　I　have　done　my　endeavor　that　nothing　that　is　done
against　thee　should　be　concealed　from　thee。　So；　upon　my　finding　a
letter　of　Salome　written　to　my　lady　against　thee；　I　have　written
out　a　copy；　and　sent　it　to　thee；　with　hazard　to　myself；　but　for
thy　advantage。　The　reason　why　she　wrote　it　was　this；　that　she　had
a　mind　to　be　married　to　Sylleus。　Do　thou　therefore　tear　this
letter　in　pieces；　that　I　may　not　come　into　danger　of　my　life。〃
Now　Acme　had　written　to　Antipater　himself；　and　informed　him；
that；　in　compliance　with　his　command；　she　had　both　herself
written　to　Herod；　as　if　Salome　had　laid　a　sudden　plot　entirely
against　him；　and　had　herself　sent　a　copy　of　an　epistle；　as　coming
from　Salome　to　her　lady。　Now　Acme　was　a　Jew　by　birth；　and　a
servant　to　Julia；　Caesar's　wife；　and　did　this　out　of　her
friendship　for　Antipater；　as　having　been　corrupted　by　him　with　a
large　present　of　money；　to　assist　in　his　pernicious　designs
against　his　father　and　his　aunt。

8。　Hereupon　Herod　was　so　amazed　at　the　prodigious　wickedness　of
Antipater；　that　he　was　ready　to　have　ordered　him　to　be　slain
immediately；　as　a　turbulent　person　in　the　most　important
concerns；　and　as　one　that　had　laid　a　plot　not　only　against
himself；　but　against　his　sister　also；　and　even　corrupted　Caesar's
own　domestics。　Salome　also　provoked　him　to　it；　beating　her
breast；　and　bidding　him　kill　her；　if　he　could　produce　any
credible　testimony　that　she　had　acted　in　that　manner。　Herod　also
sent　for　his　son；　and　asked　him　about　this　matter；　and　bid　him
contradict　if　he　could；　and　not　suppress　any　thing　he　had　to　say
for　himself；　and　when　he　had　not　one　word　to　say；　he　asked　him；
since　he　was　every　way　caught　in　his　villainy；　that　he　would　make
no　further　delay；　but　discover　his　associates　in　these　his　wicked
designs。　So　he　laid　all　upon　Antiphilus；　but　discovered　nobody
else。　Hereupon　Herod　was　in　such　great　grief；　that　he　was　ready
to　send　his　son　to　Rome　to　Caesar；　there　to　give　an　account　of
these　his　wicked　contrivances。　But　he　soon　became　afraid；　lest　he
might　there；　by　the　assistance　of　his　friends；　escape　the　danger
he　was　in；　so　he　kept　him　bound　as　before；　and　sent　more
ambassadors　and　letters　＇to　Rome＇　to　accuse　his　son；　and　an
account　of　what　assistance　Acme　had　given　him　in　his　wicked
designs；　with　copies　of　the　epistles　before　mentioned。

CHAPTER　6。

Concerning　The　Disease　That　Herod　Fell　Into　And　The　Sedition
Which　The　Jews　Raised　Thereupon；　With　The　Punishment　Of　The
Seditious。

1。　Now　Herod's　ambassadors　made　haste　to　Rome；　but　sent；　as
instructed　beforehand；　what　answers　they　were　to　make　to　the
questions　put　to　them。　They　also　carried　the　epistles　with　them。
But　Herod　now　fell　into　a　distemper；　and　made　his　will；　and
bequeathed　his　kingdom　to　＇Antipas＇；　his　youngest　son；　and　this
out　of　that　hatred　to　Archclaus　and　Philip；　which　the　calumnies
of　Antipater　had　raised　against　them。　He　also　bequeathed　。a
thousand　talents　to　Caesar；　and　five　hundred　to　Julia；　Caesar's
wife；　to　Caesar's　children；　and　friends　and　freed…men。　He　also
distributed　among　his　sons　and　their　sons　his　money；　his
revenues；　and　his　lands。　He　also　made　Salome　his　sister　very
rich；　because　she　had　continued　faithful　to　him　in　all　his
circumstances；　and　was　never　so　rash　as　to　do　him　any　harm；　and
as　he　despaired　of　recovering；　for　he　was　about　the　seventieth
year　of　his　age；　he　grew　fierce；　and　indulged　the　bitterest　anger
upon　all　occasions；　the　cause　whereof　was　this；　that　he　thought
himself　despised；　and　that　the　nation　was　pleased　with　his
misfortunes；　besides　which；　he　resented　a　sedition　which　some　of
the　lower　sort　of　men　excited　against　him；　the　occasion　of　which
was　as　follows。

2。　There　was　one　Judas；　the　son　of　Saripheus；　and　Mattbias；　the
son　of　Margalothus；　two　of　the　most　eloquent　men　among　the　Jews；
and　the　most　celebrated　interpreters　of　the　Jewish　laws；　and　men
well　beloved　by