the wars of the jews-第15章

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cast　Herod　out　of　Arabia；　while　in　reality　they　had　a　mind　to　keep　back　what　they　owed　to　Antipater；　and　not　be　obliged　to　make　requitals　to　his　sons　for　the　free　gifts　the　father　had　made　them。　He　also　took　the　impudent　advice　of　those　who；　equally　with　himself；　were　willing　to　deprive　Herod　of　what　Antipater　had　deposited　among　them；　and　these　men　were　the　most　potent　of　all　whom　he　had　in　his　kingdom。

2。　So　when　Herod　had　found　that　the　Arabians　were　his　enemies；　and　this　for　those　very　reasons　whence　he　hoped　they　would　have　been　the　most　friendly；　and　had　given　them　such　an　answer　as　his　passion　suggested；　he　returned　back；　and　went　for　Egypt。　Now　he　lodged　the　first　evening　at　one　of　the　temples　of　that　country；　in　order　to　meet　with　those　whom　he　left　behind；　but　on　the　next　day　word　was　brought　him；　as　he　was　going　to　Rhinocurura；　that　his　brother　was　dead；　and　how　he　came　by　his　death；　and　when　he　had　lamented　him　as　much　as　his　present　circumstances　could　bear；　he　soon　laid　aside　such　cares；　and　proceeded　on　his　journey。　But　now；　after　some　time；　the　king　of　Arabia　repented　of　what　he　had　done；　and　sent　presently　away　messengers　to　call　him　back：　Herod　had　prevented　them；　and　was　come　to　Pelusium；　where　he　could　not　obtain　a　passage　from　those　that　lay　with　the　fleet；　so　he　besought　their　captains　to　let　him　go　by　them；　accordingly；　out　of　the　reverence　they　bore　to　the　fame　and　dignity　of　the　man；　they　conducted　him　to　Alexandria；　and　when　he　came　into　the　city；　he　was　received　by　Cleopatra　with　great　splendor；　who　hoped　he　might　be　persuaded　to　be　commander　of　her　forces　in　the　expedition　she　was　now　about；　but　he　rejected　the　queen's　solicitations；　and　being　neither　aftrighted　at　the　height　of　that　storm　which。　then　happened；　nor　at　the　tumults　that　were　now　in　Italy；　he　sailed　for　Rome。

3。　But　as　he　was　in　peril　about　Pamphylia；　and　obliged　to　cast　out　the　greatest　part　of　the　ship's　lading；　he　with　difficulty　got　safe　to　Rhodes；　a　place　which　had　been　grievously　harassed　in　the　war　with　Cassius。　He　was　there　received　by　his　friends；　Ptolemy　and　Sappinius；　and　although　he　was　then　in　want　of　money；　he　fitted　up　a　three…decked　ship　of　very　great　magnitude；　wherein　he　and　his　friends　sailed　to　Brundusium；　（21）　and　went　thence　to　Rome　with　all　speed；　where　he　first　of　all　went　to　Antony；　on　account　of　the　friendship　his　father　had　with　him；　and　laid　before　him　the　calamities　of　himself　and　his　family；　and　that　he　had　left　his　nearest　relations　besieged　in　a　fortress；　and　had　sailed　to　him　through　a　storm；　to　make　supplication　to　him　for　assistance。

4。　Hereupon　Antony　was　moved　to　compassion　at　the　change　that　had　been　made　in　Herod's　affairs；　and　this　both　upon　his　calling　to　mind　how　hospitably　he　had　been　treated　by　Antipater；　but　more　especially　on　account　of　Herod's　own　virtue；　so　he　then　resolved　to　get　him　made　king　of　the　Jews；　whom　he　had　himself　formerly　made　tetrarch。　The　contest　also　that　he　had　with　Antigonus　was　another　inducement；　and　that　of　no　less　weight　than　the　great　regard　he　had　for　Herod；　for　he　looked　upon　Antigonus　as　a　seditious　person；　and　an　enemy　of　the　Romans；　and　as　for　Caesar；　Herod　found　him　better　prepared　than　Antony；　as　remembering　very　fresh　the　wars　he　had　gone　through　together　with　his　father；　the　hospitable　treatment　he　had　met　with　from　him；　and　the　entire　good…will　he　had　showed　to　him；　besides　the　activity　which　he　saw　in　Herod　himself。　So　he　called　the　senate　together；　wherein　Messalas；　and　after　him　Atratinus；　produced　Herod　before　them；　and　gave　a　full　account　of　the　merits　of　his　father；　and　his　own　good…will　to　the　Romans。　At　the　same　time　they　demonstrated　that　Antigonus　was　their　enemy；　not　only　because　he　soon　quarreled　with　them；　but　because　he　now　overlooked　the　Romans；　and　took　the　government　by　the　means　of　the　Parthians。　These　reasons　greatly　moved　the　senate；　at　which　juncture　Antony　came　in；　and　told　them　that　it　was　for　their　advantage　in　the　Parthian　war　that　Herod　should　be　king；　so　they　all　gave　their　votes　for　it。　And　when　the　senate　was　separated；　Antony　and　Caesar　went　out；　with　Herod　between　them；　while　the　consul　and　the　rest　of　the　magistrates　went　before　them；　in　order　to　offer　sacrifices；　and　to　lay　the　decree　in　the　Capitol。　Antony　also　made　a　feast　for　Herod　on　the　first　day　of　his　reign。

CHAPTER　15。

Antigonus　Besieges　Those　That　Were　In　Masada；　Whom　Herod　Frees　From　Confinement　When　He　Came　Back　From　Rome；　And　Presently　Marches　To　Jerusalem　Where　He　Finds　Silo　Corrupted　By　Bribes。　　1。　Now　during　this　time　Antigonus　besieged　those　that　were　in　Masada；　who　had　all　other　necessaries　in　sufficient　quantity；　but　were　in　want　of　water；　on　which　account　Joseph；　Herod's　brother；　was　disposed　to　run　away　to　the　Arabians；　with　two　hundred　of　his　own　friends；　because　he　had　heard　that　Malichus　repented　of　his　offenses　with　regard　to　Herod；　and　he　had　been　so　quick　as　to　have　been　gone　out　of　the　fortress　already；　unless；　on　that　very　night　when　he　was　going　away；　there　had　fallen　a　great　deal　of　rain；　insomuch　that　his　reservoirs　were　full　of　water；　and　so　he　was　under　no　necessity　of　running　away。　After　which；　therefore；　they　made　an　irruption　upon　Antigonus's　party；　and　slew　a　great　many　of　them；　some　in　open　battles；　and　some　in　private　ambush；　nor　had　they　always　success　in　their　attempts；　for　sometimes　they　were　beaten；　and　ran　away。

2。　In　the　mean　time　Ventidius；　the　Roman　general；　was　sent　out　of　Syria；　to　restrain　the　incursions　of　the　Parthians；　and　after　he　had　done　that；　he　came　into　Judea；　in　pretense　indeed　to　assist　Joseph　and　his　party；　but　in　reality　to　get　money　of　Antigonus；；　and　when　he　had　pitched　his　camp　very　near　to　Jerusalem；　as　soon　as　he　had　got　money　enough；　he　went　away　with　the　greatest　part　of　his　forces；　yet　still　did　he　leave　Silo　with　some　part　of　them；　lest　if　he　had　taken　them　all　away；　his　taking　of　bribes　might　have　been　too　openly　discovered。　Now　Antigonus　hoped　that　the　Parthians　would　come　again　to　his　assistance；　and　therefore　cultivated　a　good　understanding　with　Silo　in　the　mean　time；　lest　any　interruption　should　be　given　to　his　hopes。

3。　Now　by　this　time　Herod　had　sailed　out　of　Italy；　and　was　come　to　Ptolemais；　and　as　soon　as　he　had　gotten　together　no　small　army　of　foreigners；　and　of　his　own　countrymen；　he　marched　through　Galilee　against　Antigonus；　wherein　he　was　assisted　by　Ventidius　and　Silo；　both　whom　Dellius；　（22）　a　person　sent　by　Antony；　persuaded　to　bring　Herod　＇into　his　kingdom＇。　Now　Ventidius　was　at　this　time　among　the　cities；　and　composing　the　disturbances　which　had　happened　by　means　of　the　Parthians；　as　was　Silo　in　Judea　corrupted　by　the　bribes　that　Antigonus　had　given　him；　yet　was　not　Herod　himself　destitute　of　power；　but　the　number　of　his　forces　increased　every　day　as　he　went　along；　and　all　Galilee；　with　few　exceptions；　joined　themselves　to　him。　So　he　proposed　to　himself　to　set　about　his　most　necessary　enterprise；　and　that　was　Masada；　in　order　to　deliver　his　relations　from　the　siege　they　endured。　But　still　Joppa　stood　in　his　way；　and　hindered　his　going　thither；　for　it　was　necessary　to　take　that　city　first；　which　was　in　the　enemies'　hands；　that　when　he　should　go　to　Jerusalem；　no　fortress　might　be　left　in　the　enemies'　power　behind　him。　Silo　also　willingly　joined　him；　as　having　now　a　plausible　occasion　of　drawing　off　his　forces　＇from　Jerusalem＇；　and　when　the　Jews　pursued　him；　and　pressed　upon　him；　＇in　his　retreat；＇　Herod　made　all　excursion　upon　them　with　a　small　body　of　his　men；　and　soon　put　them　to　flight；　and　saved　Silo　when　he　was　in　distress。　　4。　After　this　Herod　took　Joppa；　and　then　made　haste　to　Masada　to　free　his　relations。　Now；　as　he　was　marching；　many　came　in　to　him；　induced　by　their　friendship　to　his　father；　some　by　the　reputation　he　had　already　gained　himself；　and　some　in　order　to　repay　the　benefits　they　had　received　from　them　both；　but　still　what　engaged　the　greatest　number　on　his　side；　was　the　hopes　from　him　when　he　should　be　established　in　his　kingdom；　so　that　he　had　gotten　together　already　an　army　hard　to　be　conquered。　But　Antigonus　laid　an　ambush　for　him　as　he　marched　out；　in　which　he　did　little　or　no　harm　to　his　enemies。　However；　he　easily　recovered　his　relations　again　that　w