the wars of the jews-第34章

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hither；　and　am　ready　to　hear　the　evidence　there　is　against　me。　If　I　be　a　parricide；　I　have　passed　by　land　and　by　sea；　without　suffering　any　misfortune　on　either　of　them：　but　this　method　of　trial　is　no　advantage　to　me；　for　it　seems；　O　father；　that　I　am　already　condemned；　both　before　God　and　before　thee；　and　as　I　am　already　condemned；　I　beg　that　thou　wilt　not　believe　the　others　that　have　been　tortured；　but　let　fire　be　brought　to　torment　me；　let　the　racks　march　through　my　bowels；　have　no　regard　to　any　lamentations　that　this　polluted　body　can　make；　for　if　I　be　a　parricide；　I　ought　not　to　die　without　torture。〃　Thus　did　Antipater　cry　out　with　lamentation　and　weeping；　and　moved　all　the　rest；　and　Varus　in　particular；　to　commiserate　his　case。　Herod　was　the　only　person　whose　passion　was　too　strong　to　permit　him　to　weep；　as　knowing　that　the　testimonies　against　him　were　true。

4。　And　now　it　was　that；　at　the　king's　command；　Nicolaus；　when　he　had　premised　a　great　deal　about　the　craftiness　of　Antipater；　and　had　prevented　the　effects　of　their　commiseration　to　him；　afterwards　brought　in　a　bitter　and　large　accusation　against　him；　ascribing　all　the　wickedness　that　had　been　in　the　kingdom　to　him；　and　especially　the　murder　of　his　brethren；　and　demonstrated　that　they　had　perished　by　the　calumnies　he　had　raised　against　them。　He　also　said　that　he　had　laid　designs　against　them　that　were　still　alive；　as　if　they　were　laying　plots　for　the　succession；　and　（said　he）　how　can　it　be　supposed　that　he　who　prepared　poison　for　his　father　should　abstain　from　mischief　as　to　his　brethren？　He　then　proceeded　to　convict　him　of　the　attempt　to　poison　Herod；　and　gave　an　account　in　order　of　the　several　discoveries　that　had　been　made；　and　had　great　indignation　as　to　the　affair　of　Pheroras；　because　Antipater　had　been　for　making　him　murder　his　brother；　and　had　corrupted　those　that　were　dearest　to　the　king；　and　filled　the　whole　palace　with　wickedness；　and　when　he　had　insisted　on　many　other　accusations；　and　the　proofs　for　them；　he　left　off。

5。　Then　Varus　bid　Antipater　make　his　defense；　but　he　lay　along　in　silence；　and　said　no　more　but　this；　〃God　is　my　witness　that　I　am　entirely　innocent。〃　So　Varus　asked　for　the　potion；　and　gave　it　to　be　drunk　by　a　condemned　malefactor；　who　was　then　in　prison；　who　died　upon　the　spot。　So　Varus；　when　he　had　had　a　very　private　discourse　with　Herod；　and　had　written　an　account　of　this　assembly　to　Caesar；　went　away；　after　a　day's　stay。　The　king　also　bound　Antipater；　and　sent　away　to　inform　Caesar　of　his　misfortunes。　　6。　Now　after　this　it　was　discovered　that　Antipater　had　laid　a　plot　against　Salome　also；　for　one　of　Antiphilus's　domestic　servants　came；　and　brought　letters　from　Rome；　from　a　maid…servant　of　Julia；　＇Caesar's　wife；＇　whose　name　was　Acme。　By　her　a　message　was　sent　to　the　king；　that　she　had　found　a　letter　written　by　Salome；　among　Julia's　papers；　and　had　sent　it　to　him　privately；　out　of　her　good…will　to　him。　This　letter　of　Salome　contained　the　most　bitter　reproaches　of　the　king；　and　the　highest　accusations　against　him。　Antipater　had　forged　this　letter；　and　had　corrupted　Acme；　and　persuaded　her　to　send　it　to　Herod。　This　was　proved　by　her　letter　to　Antipater；　for　thus　did　this　woman　write　to　him：　〃As　thou　desirest；　I　have　written　a　letter　to　thy　father；　and　have　sent　that　letter；　and　am　persuaded　that　the　king　will　not　spare　his　sister　when　he　reads　it。　Thou　wilt　do　well　to　remember　what　thou　hast　promised　when　all　is　accomplished。〃

7。　When　this　epistle　was　discovered；　and　what　the　epistle　forged　against　Salome　contained；　a　suspicion　came　into　the　king's　mind；　that　perhaps　the　letters　against　Alexander　were　also　forged：　he　was　moreover　greatly　disturbed；　and　in　a　passion；　because　he　had　almost　slain　his　sister　on　Antipater's　account。　He　did　no　longer　delay　therefore　to　bring　him　to　punishment　for　all　his　crimes；　yet　when　he　was　eagerly　pursuing　Antipater；　he　was　restrained　by　a　severe　distemper　he　fell　into。　However；　he　sent　all　account　to　Caesar　about　Acme；　and　the　contrivances　against　Salome；　he　sent　also　for　his　testament；　and　altered　it；　and　therein　made　Antipas　king；　as　taking　no　care　of　Archclaus　and　Philip；　because　Antipater　had　blasted　their　reputations　with　him；　but　he　bequeathed　to　Caesar；　besides　other　presents　that　he　gave　him；　a　thousand　talents；　as　also　to　his　wife；　and　children；　and　friends；　and　freed…men　about　five　hundred：　he　also　bequeathed　to　all　others　a　great　quantity　of　land；　and　of　money；　and　showed　his　respects　to　Salome　his　sister；　by　giving　her　most　splendid　gifts。　And　this　was　what　was　contained　in　his　testament；　as　it　was　now　altered。

CHAPTER　33。

The　Golden　Eagle　Is　Cut　To　Pieces。　Herod's　Barbarity　When　He　Was　Ready　To　Die。　He　Attempts　To　Kill　Himself。　He　Commands　Antipater　To　Be　Slain。　He　Survives　Him　Five　Days　And　Then　Dies。

1。　Now　Herod's　distemper　became　more　and　more　severe　to　him；　and　this　because　these　his　disorders　fell　upon　him　in　his　old　age；　and　when　he　was　in　a　melancholy　condition；　for　he　was　already　seventy　years　of　age；　and　had　been　brought　by　the　calamities　that　happened　to　him　about　his　children；　whereby　he　had　no　pleasure　in　life；　even　when　he　was　in　health；　the　grief　also　that　Antipater　was　still　alive　aggravated　his　disease；　whom　he　resolved　to　put　to　death　now　not　at　random；　but　as　soon　as　he　should　be　well　again；　and　resolved　to　have　him　slain　＇in　a　public　manner＇。　　2。　There　also　now　happened　to　him；　among　his　other　calamities；　a　certain　popular　sedition。　There　were　two　men　of　learning　in　the　city　＇Jerusalem；＇　who　were　thought　the　most　skillful　in　the　laws　of　their　country；　and　were　on　that　account　had　in　very　great　esteem　all　over　the　nation；　they　were；　the　one　Judas；　the　son　of　Sepphoris；　and　the　other　Mattbias；　the　son　of　Margalus。　There　was　a　great　concourse　of　the　young　men　to　these　men　when　they　expounded　the　laws；　and　there　got　together　every　day　a　kind　of　an　army　of　such　as　were　growing　up　to　be　men。　Now　when　these　men　were　informed　that　the　king　was　wearing　away　with　melancholy；　and　with　a　distemper；　they　dropped　words　to　their　acquaintance；　how　it　was　now　a　very　proper　time　to　defend　the　cause　of　God；　and　to　pull　down　what　had　been　erected　contrary　to　the　laws　of　their　country；　for　it　was　unlawful　there　should　be　any　such　thing　in　the　temple　as　images；　or　faces；　or　the　like　representation　of　any　animal　whatsoever。　Now　the　king　had　put　up　a　golden　eagle　over　the　great　gate　of　the　temple；　which　these　learned　men　exhorted　them　to　cut　down；　and　told　them；　that　if　there　should　any　danger　arise；　it　was　a　glorious　thing　to　die　for　the　laws　of　their　country；　because　that　the　soul　was　immortal；　and　that　an　eternal　enjoyment　of　happiness　did　await　such　as　died　on　that　account；　while　the　mean…spirited；　and　those　that　were　not　wise　enough　to　show　a　right　love　of　their　souls；　preferred　a　death　by　a　disease；　before　that　which　is　the　result　of　a　virtuous　behavior。

3。　At　the　same　time　that　these　men　made　this　speech　to　their　disciples；　a　rumor　was　spread　abroad　that　the　king　was　dying；　which　made　the　young　men　set　about　the　work　with　greater　boldness；　they　therefore　let　themselves　down　from　the　top　of　the　temple　with　thick　cords；　and　this　at　midday；　and　while　a　great　number　of　people　were　in　the　temple；　and　cut　down　that　golden　eagle　with　axes。　This　was　presently　told　to　the　king's　captain　of　the　temple；　who　came　running　with　a　great　body　of　soldiers；　and　caught　about　forty　of　the　young　men；　and　brought　them　to　the　king。　And　when　he　asked　them；　first　of　all；　whether　they　had　been　so　hardy　as　to　cut　down　the　golden　eagle；　they　confessed　they　had　done　so；　and　when　he　asked　them　by　whose　command　they　had　done　it；　they　replied；　at　the　command　of　the　law　of　their　country；　and　when　he　further　asked　them　how　they　could　be　so　joyful　when　they　were　to　be　put　to　death；　they　replied；　because　they　should　enjoy　greater　happiness　after　they　were　dead。　（48）

4。　At　this　the　king　was　in　such　an　extravagant　passion；　that　he　overcame　his　disease　＇for　the　time；＇　and　went　out；　and　spake　to　the　people；　wherein　he　made　a　terrible　accusation　against　those　men；　as　being　guilty　of　sacrilege；　and　as　making　greater　attempts　under　pretense　of　their　law；　and　he　thought　they　deserved　to　be　punished　as　impious　persons。　W