the antiquities of the jews-1-第278章

按键盘上方向键 ← 或 → 可快速上下翻页，按键盘上的 Enter 键可回到本书目录页，按键盘上方向键 ↑ 可回到本页顶部！
————未阅读完？加入书签已便下次继续阅读！


already　settled　in　the　kingdom　by　Caesar。　He　also　ascribed　to　him
the　releasing　of　the　prisoners　that　were　in　the　hippodrome；　and
many　other　things；　that　either　had　been　certainly　done　by　him；　or
were　believed　to　be　done；　and　easily　might　be　believed　to　have
been　done；　because　they　were　of　such　a　nature　as　to　be　usually
done　by　young　men；　and　by　such　as；　out　of　a　desire　of　ruling；
seize　upon　the　government　too　soon。　He　also　charged　him　with　his
neglect　of　the　funeral　mourning　for　his　father；　and　with　having
merry　meetings　the　very　night　in　which　he　died；　and　that　it　was
thence　the　multitude　took　the　handle　of　raising　a　tumult：　and　if
Archelaus　could　thus　requite　his　dead　father；　who　had　bestowed
such　benefits　upon　him；　and　bequeathed　such　great　things　to　him；
by　pretending　to　shed　tears　for　him　in　the　day　time；　like　an
actor　on　the　stage；　but　every　night　making　mirth　for　having
gotten　the　government；　he　would　appear　to　be　the　same　Archelaus
with　regard　to　Caesar；　if　he　granted　him　the　kingdom；　which　he
hath　been　to　his　father；　since　he　had　then　dancing　and　singing；
as　though　an　enemy　of　his　were　fallen；　and　not　as　though　a　man
were　carried　to　his　funeral；　that　was　so　nearly　related；　and　had
been　so　great　a　benefactor　to　him。　But　he　said　that　the　greatest
crime　of　all　was　this；　that　he　came　now　before　Caesar　to　obtain
the　government　by　his　grant；　while　he　had　before　acted　in　all
things　as　he　could　have　acted　if　Caesar　himself；　who　ruled　all；
had　fixed　him　firmly　in　the　government。　And　what　he　most
aggravated　in　his　pleading　was　the　slaughter　of　those　about　the
temple；　and　the　impiety　of　it；　as　done　at　the　festival；　and　how
they　were　slain　like　sacrifices　themselves；　some　of　whom　were
foreigners；　and　others　of　their　own　country；　till　the　temple　was
full　of　dead　bodies：　and　all　this　was　done；　not　by　an　alien；　but
by　one　who　pretended　to　the　lawful　title　of　a　king；　that　he　might
complete　the　wicked　tyranny　which　his　nature　prompted　him　to；　and
which　is　hated　by　all　men。　On　which　account　his　father　never　so
much　as　dreamed　of　making　him　his　successor　in　the　kingdom；　when
he　was　of　a　sound　mind；　because　he　knew　his　disposition；　and　in
his　former　and　more　authentic　testament；　he　appointed　his
antagonist　Antipas　to　succeed；　but　that　Archelaus　was　called　by
his　father　to　that　dignity　when　he　was　in　a　dying　condition；　both
of　body　and　mind；　while　Antipas　was　called　when　he　was　ripest　in
his　judgment；　and　of　such　strength　of　body　as　made　him　capable　of
managing　his　own　affairs：　and　if　his　father　had　the　like　notion
of　him　formerly　that　he　hath　now　showed；　yet　hath　he　given　a
sufficient　specimen　what　a　king　he　is　likely　to　be；　when　he　hath
＇in　effect＇　deprived　Caesar　of　that　power　of　disposing　of　the
kingdom；　which　he　justly　hath；　and　hath　not　abstained　from　making
a　terrible　slaughter　of　his　fellow　citizens　in　the　temple；　while
lie　was　but　a　private　person。

6。　So　when　Antipater　had　made　this　speech；　and　had　confirmed　what
he　had　said　by　producing　many　witnesses　from　among　Archelaus's
own　relations；　he　made　an　end　of　his　pleading。　Upon　which
Nicolaus　arose　up　to　plead　for　Archelaus；　and　said；　〃That　what
had　been　done　at　the　temple　was　rather　to　be　attributed　to　the
mind　of　those　that　had　been　killed；　than　to　the　authority　of
Archelaus；　for　that　those　who　were　the　authors　of　such　things　are
not　only　wicked　in　the　injuries　they　do　of　themselves；　but　in
forcing　sober　persons　to　avenge　themselves　upon　them。　Now　it　is
evident　that　what　these　did　in　way　of　opposition　was　done　under
pretense；　indeed；　against　Archelaus；　but　in　reality　against
Caesar　himself；　for　they；　after　an　injurious　manner；　attacked　and
slew　those　who　were　sent　by　Archelaus；　and　who　came　only　to　put　a
stop　to　their　doings。　They　had　no　regard；　either　to　God　or　to　the
festival；　whom　Antipater　yet　is　not　ashamed　to　patronize；　whether
it　be　out　of　his　indulgence　of　an　enmity　to　Archelaus；　or　out　of
his　hatred　of　virtue　and　justice。　For　as　to　those　who　begin　such
tumults；　and　first　set　about　such　unrighteous　actions；　they　are
the　men　who　force　those　that　punish　them　to　betake　themselves　to
arms　even　against　their　will。　So　that　Antipater　in　effect
ascribes　the　rest　of　what　was　done　to　all　those　who　were　of
counsel　to　the　accusers；　for　nothing　which　is　here　accused　of
injustice　has　been　done　but　what　was　derived　from　them　as　its
authors；　nor　are　those　things　evil　in　themselves；　but　so
represented　only　in　order　to　do　harm　to　Archelaus。　Such　is　these
men's　inclination　to　do　an　injury　to　a　man　that　is　of　their
kindred；　their　father's　benefactor；　and　familiarity　acquainted
with　them；　and　that　hath　ever　lived　in　friendship　with　them；　for
that；　as　to　this　testament；　it　was　made　by　the　king　when　he　was
of　a　sound　mind；　and　so　ought　to　be　of　more　authority　than　his
former　testament；　and　that　for　this　reason；　because　Caesar　is
therein　left　to　be　the　judge　and　disposer　of　all　therein
contained；　and　for　Caesar；　he　will　not；　to　be　sure；　at　all
imitate　the　unjust　proceedings　of　those　men；　who；　during　Herod's
whole　life；　had　on　all　occasions　been　joint　partakers　of　power
with　him；　and　yet　do　zealously　endeavor　to　injure　his
determination；　while　they　have　not　themselves　had　the　same　regard
to　their　kinsman　＇which　Archelaus　had＇。　Caesar　will　not　therefore
disannul　the　testament　of　a　man　whom　he　had　entirely　supported；
of　his　friend　and　confederate；　and　that　which　is　committed　to　him
in　trust　to　ratify；　nor　will　Caesar's　virtuous　and　upright
disposition；　which　is　known　and　uncontested　through　all　the
habitable　world；　imitate　the　wickedness　of　these　men　in
condemning　a　king　as　a　madman；　and　as　having　lost　his　reason；
while　he　hath　bequeathed　the　succession　to　a　good　son　of　his；　and
to　one　who　flies　to　Caesar's　upright　determination　for　refuge。
Nor　can　Herod　at　any　time　have　been　mistaken　in　his　judgment
about　a　successor；　while　he　showed　so　much　prudence　as　to　submit
all　to　Caesar's　determination。〃

7。　Now　when　Nicolaus　had　laid　these　things　before　Caesar；　he
ended　his　plea；　whereupon　Caesar　was　so　obliging　to　Archelaus；
that　he　raised　him　up　when　he　had　cast　himself　down　at　his　feet；
and　said　that　he　well　deserved　the　kingdom；　and　he　soon　let　them
know　that　he　was　so　far　moved　in　his　favor；　that　he　would　not　act
otherwise　than　his　father's　testament　directed；　and　than　was　for
the　advantage　of　Archelaus。　However；　while　he　gave　this
encouragement　to　Archelaus　to　depend　on　him　securely；　he　made　no
full　determination　about　him；　and　when　the　assembly　was　broken
up；　he　considered　by　himself　whether　he　should　confirm　the
kingdom　to　Archelaus；　or　whether　he　should　part　it　among　all
Herod's　posterity；　and　this　because　they　all　stood　in　need　of
much　assistance　to　support　them。

CHAPTER　10。

A　Sedition　Against　Sabinus；　And　How　Varus　Brought　The　Authors　Of
It　To　Punishment。

1。　But　before　these　things　could　be　brought　to　a　settlement；
Malthace；　Archelaus's　mother；　fell　into　a　distemper；　and　died　of
it；　and　letters　came　from　Varus；　the　president　of　Syria；　which
informed　Caesar　of　the　revolt　of　the　Jews；　for　after　Archlaus　was
sailed；　the　whole　nation　was　in　a　tumult。　So　Varus；　since　he　was
there　himself；　brought　the　authors　of　the　disturbance　to
punishment；　and　when　he　had　restrained　them　for　the　most　part
from　this　sedition；　which　was　a　great　one；　he　took　his　journey　to
Antiocli；　leaving　one　legion　of　his　army　at　Jerusalem　to　keep　the
Jews　quiet；　who　were　now　very　fond　of　innovation。　Yet　did　not
this　at　all　avail　to　put　an　end　to　that　their　sedition；　for　after
Varus　was　gone　away；　Sabinus；　Caesar's　procurator；　staid　behind；
and　greatly　distressed　the　Jews；　relying　on　the　forces　that　were
left　there　that　they　would　by　their　multitude　protect　him；　for　he
made　use　of　them；　and　armed　them　as　his　guards；　thereby　so
oppressing　the　Jews；　and　giving　them　so　great　disturbance；　that
at　length　they　rebelled；　for　he　used　force　in　seizing　the
citadels；　and　zealously　pressed　on　the　search　after　the　king's
money；　in　order　to　seize　upon　it　by　force；　on　account　of　his　love
of　gain　and　his　extraordinary　covetousness。

2。　But　on　the　approach　of　pentecost；　which　is　a　festival　of　ours；
so　called　from　th