the antiquities of the jews-1-第293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！


contriving　to　get　the　government；　both　in　order　to　preserve
himself；　and　to　be　at　the　head　of　affairs　also。　Now　Tiberius　had
been　very　much　given　to　astrology；　（25）　and　the　calculation　of
nativities；　and　had　spent　his　life　in　the　esteem　of　what
predictions　had　proved　true；　more　than　those　whose　profession　it
was。　Accordingly；　when　he　once　saw　Galba　coming　in　to　him；　he
said　to　his　most　intimate　friends；　that　there　came　in　a　man　that
would　one　day　have　the　dignity　of　the　Roman　empire。　So　that　this
Tiberius　was　more　addicted　to　all　such　sorts　of　diviners　than　any
other　of　the　Roman　emperors；　because　he　had　found　them　to　have
told　him　truth　in　his　own　affairs。　And　indeed　he　was　now　in　great
distress　upon　this　accident　that　had　befallen　him；　and　was　very
much　grieved　at　the　destruction　of　his　son's　son；　which　he
foresaw；　and　complained　of　himself；　that　he　should　have　made　use
of　such　a　method　of　divination　beforehand；　while　it　was　in　his
power　to　have　died　without　grief　by　this　knowledge　of　futurity；
whereas　he　was　now　tormented　by　his　foreknowledge　of　the
misfortune　of　such　as　were　dearest　to　him；　and　must　die　under
that　torment。　Now　although　he　was　disordered　at　this　unexpected
revolution　of　the　government　to　those　for　whom　he　did　not　intend
it；　he　spake　thus　to　Caius；　though　unwillingly；　and　against　his
own　inclination：　〃O　child！　although　Tiberius　be　nearer　related　to
me　than　thou　art；　I；　by　my　own　determination；　and　the　conspiring
suffrage　of　the　gods；　do　give　and　put　into　thy　hand　the　Roman
empire；　and　I　desire　thee　never　to　be　unmindful　when　thou　comest
to　it；　either　of　my　kindness　to　thee；　who　set　thee　in　so　high　a
dignity；　or　of　thy　relation　to　Tiberius。　But　as　thou　knowest　that
I　am；　together　with　and　after　the　gods；　the　procurer　of　so　great
happiness　to　thee；　so　I　desire　that　thou　wilt　make　me　a　return
for　my　readiness　to　assist　thee；　and　wilt　take　care　of　Tiberius
because　of　his　near　relation　to　thee。　Besides　which；　thou　art　to
know；　that　while　Tiberius　is　alive；　he　will　be　a　security　to
thee；　both　as　to　empire　and　as　to　thy　own　preservation；　but　if　he
die；　that　will　be　but　a　prelude　to　thy　own　misfortunes；　for　to　be
alone　under　the　weight　of　such　vast　affairs　is　very　dangerous；
nor　will　the　gods　suffer　those　actions　which　are　unjustly　done；
contrary　to　that　law　which　directs　men　to　act　otherwise；　to　go
off　unpunished。〃　This　was　the　speech　which　Tiberius　made；　which
did　not　persuade　Caius　to　act　accordingly；　although　he　promised
so　to　do；　but　when　he　was　settled　in　the　government；　he　took　off
this　Tiberius；　as　was　predicted　by　the　other　Tiberius；　as　he　was
also　himself；　in　no　long　time　afterward；　slain　by　a　secret　plot
laid　against　him。

10。　So　when　Tiberius　had　at　this　time　appointed　Caius　to　be　his
successor；　he　outlived　but　a　few　days；　and　then　died；　after　he
had　held　the　government　twenty…two　years　five　months　and　three
days。　Now　Caius　was　the　fourth　emperor。　But　when　the　Romans
understood　that　Tiberius　was　dead；　they　rejoiced　at　the　good
news；　but　had　not　courage　to　believe　it；　not　because　they　were
unwilling　it　should　be　true；　for　they　would　have　given　huge　sums
of　money　that　it　might　be　so；　but　because　they　were　afraid；　that
if　they　had　showed　their　joy　when　the　news　proved　false；　their
joy　should　be　openly　known；　and　they　should　be　accused　for　it；
and　be　thereby　undone。　For　this　Tiberius　had　brought　a　vast
number　of　miseries　on　the　best　families　of　the　Romans；　since　he
was　easily　inflamed　with　passion　in　all　cases；　and　was　of　such　a
temper　as　rendered　his　anger　irrevocable；　till　he　had　executed
the　same；　although　he　had　taken　a　hatred　against　men　without
reason；　for　he　was　by　nature　fierce　in　all　the　sentences　he　gave；
and　made　death　the　penalty　for　the　lightest　offenses；　insomuch
that　when　the　Romans　heard　the　rumor　about　his　death　gladly；　they
were　restrained　from　the　enjoyment　of　that　pleasure　by　the　dread
of　such　miseries　as　they　foresaw　would　follow；　if　their　hopes
proved　ill…grounded。　Now　Marsyas；　Agrippa's　freed…man；　as　soon　as
he　heard　of　Tiberius's　death；　came　running　to　tell　Agrippa　the
news；　and　finding　him　going　out　to　the　bath；　he　gave　him　a　nod；
and　said；　in　the　Hebrew　tongue；　〃The　lion　（26）　is　dead；〃　who；
understanding　his　meaning；　and　being　ovejoyed　at　the　news；　〃Nay；〃
said　he；　〃but　all　sorts　of　thanks　and　happiness　attend　thee　for
this　news　of　thine；　only　I　wish　that　what　thou　sayest　may　prove
true。〃　Now　the　centurion　who　was　set　to　keep　Agrippa；　when　he　saw
with　what　haste　Marsyas　came；　and　what　joy　Agrippa　had　from　what
he　said；　he　had　a　suspicion　that　his　words　implied　some　great
innovation　of　affairs；　and　he　asked　them　about　what　was　said。
They　at　first　diverted　the　discourse；　but　upon　his　further
pressing；　Agrippa；　without　more　ado；　told　him；　for　he　was　already
become　his　friend；　so　he　joined　with　him　in　that　pleasure　which
this　news　occasioned；　because　it　would　be　fortunate　to　Agrippa；
and　made　him　a　supper。　But　as　they　were　feasting；　and　the　cups
went　about；　there　came　one　who　said　that　Tiberius　was　still
alive；　and　would　return　to　the　city　ill　a　few　days。　At　which　news
the　centurion　was　exceedingly　troubled；　because　he　had　done　what
might　cost　him　his　life；　to　have　treated　so　joyfully　a　prisoner；
and　this　upon　the　news　of　the　death　of　Caesar；　so　he　thrust
Agrippa　from　the　couch　whereon　he　lay；　and　said；　〃Dost　thou　think
to　cheat　me　by　a　lie　about　the　emperor　without　punishment？　and
shalt　not　thou　pay　for　this　thy　malicious　report　at　the　price　of
thine　head？〃　When　he　had　so　said；　he　ordered　Agrippa　to　be　bound
again；　（for　he　had　loosed　him　before；）　and　kept　a　severer　guard
over　him　than　formerly；　and　in　that　evil　condition　was　Agrippa
that　night；　but　the　next　day　the　rumor　increased　in　the　city；　and
confirmed　the　news　that　Tiberius　was　certainly　dead；　insomuch
that　men　durst　now　openly　and　freely　talk　about　it；　nay；　some
offered　sacrifices　on　that　account。　Several　letters　also　came
from　Caius；　one　of　them　to　the　senate；　which　informed　them　of　the
death　of　Tiberius；　and　of　his　own　entrance　on　the　government；
another　to　Piso；　the　governor　of　the　city；　which　told　him　the
same　thing。　He　also　gave　order　that　Agrippa　should　be　removed　out
of　the　camp；　and　go　to　that　house　where　he　lived　before　he　was
put　in　prison；　so　that　he　was　now　out　of　fear　as　to　his　own
affairs；　for　although　he　was　still　in　custody；　yet　it　was　now
with　ease　to　his　own　affairs。　Now；　as　soon　as　Caius　was　come　to
Rome；　and　had　brought　Tiberius's　dead　body　with　him；　and　had　made
a　sumptuous　funeral　for　him；　according　to　the　laws　of　his
country；　he　was　much　disposed　to　set　Agrippa　at　liberty　that　very
day；　but　Antonia　hindered　him；　not　out　of　any　ill…will　to　the
prisoner；　but　out　of　regard　to　decency　in　Caius；　lest　that　should
make　men　believe　that　he　received　the　death　of　Tiberius　with
pleasure；　when　he　loosed　one　whom　he　had　bound　immediately。
However；　there　did　not　many　days　pass　ere　he　sent　for　him　to　his
house；　and　had　him　shaved；　and　made　him　change　his　raiment；　after
which　he　put　a　diadem　upon　his　head；　and　appointed　him　to　be　king
of　the　tetrarchy　of　Philip。　He　also　gave　him　the　tetrarchy　of
Lysanias；　（27）　and　changed　his　iron　chain　for　a　golden　one　of
equal　weight。　He　also　sent　Marullus　to　be　procurator　of　Judea。

11。　Now；　in　the　second　year　of　the　reign　of　Caius　Caesar；　Agrippa
desired　leave　to　be　given　him　to　sail　home；　and　settle　the
affairs　of　his　government；　and　he　promised　to　return　again；　when
he　had　put　the　rest　in　order；　as　it　ought　to　be　put。　So；　upon　the
emperor's　permission；　he　came　into　his　own　country；　and　appeared
to　them　all　unexpectedly　as　asking；　and　thereby　demonstrated　to
the　men　that　saw　him　the　power　of　fortune；　when　they　compared　his
former　poverty　with　his　present　happy　affluence；　so　some　called
him　a　happy　man；　and　others　could　not　well　believe　that　things
were　so　much　changed　with　him　for　the　better。

CHAPTER　7。

How　Herod　The　Tetrarch　Was　Banished。

1。　But　Herodias；　Agrippa's　sister；　who　now　lived　as　wife　to　that
Herod　who　was　tetrarch　of　Galilee　and　Peres；　took　this　authority
of　her　brother　in　an　envious　manner；　particularly　when　she　saw
that　he　had　a　greater　dignit