the antiquities of the jews-1-第226章

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them　no　injury。　But　the　barbarian　swore　to　him　that　there　was　no
truth　in　any　of　his　suspicions；　but　that　he　was　troubled　with
nothing　but　false　proposals；　and　then　went　away　to　Pacorus。

6。　But　as　soon　as　he　was　gone　away；　some　men　came　and　bound
Hyrcanus　and　Phasaelus；　while　Phasaelus　greatly　reproached　the
Parthians　for　their　perjury；　However；　that　butler　who　was　sent
against　Herod　had　it　in　command　to　get　him　without　the　walls　of
the　city；　and　seize　upon　him；　but　messengers　had　been　sent　by
Phasaelus　to　inform　Herod　of　the　perfidiousness　of　the　Parthians。
And　when　he　knew　that　the　enemy　had　seized　upon　them；　he　went　to
Pacorus；　and　to　the　most　potent　of　the　Parthians；　as　to　the　lord
of　the　rest；　who；　although　they　knew　the　whole　matter；　dissembled
with　him　in　a　deceitful　way；　and　said　that　he　ought　to　go　out
with　them　before　the　walls；　and　meet　those　which　were　bringing
him　his　letters；　for　that　they　were　not　taken　by　his　adversaries；
but　were　coming　to　give　him　an　account　of　the　good　success
Phasaelus　had　had。　Herod　did　not　give　credit　to　what　they　said；
for　he　had　heard　that　his　brother　was　seized　upon　by　others　also；
and　the　daughter　of　Hyrcanus；　whose　daughter　he　had　espoused；　was
his　monitor　also　＇not　to　credit　them＇；　which　made　him　still　more
suspicious　of　the　Parthians；　for　although　other　people　did　not
give　heed　to　her；　yet　did　he　believe　her　as　a　woman　of　very　great
wisdom。

7。　Now　while　the　Parthians　were　in　consultation　what　was　fit　to
be　done；　for　they　did　not　think　it　proper　to　make　an　open　attempt
upon　a　person　of　his　character；　and　while　they　put　off　the
determination　to　the　next　day；　Herod　was　under　great　disturbance
of　mind；　and　rather　inclining　to　believe　the　reports　he　heard
about　his　brother　and　the　Parthians；　than　to　give　heed　to　what
was　said　on　the　other　side；　he　determined；　that　when　the　evening
came　on；　he　would　make　use　of　it　for　his　flight；　and　not　make　any
longer　delay；　as　if　the　dangers　from　the　enemy　were　not　yet
certain。　He　therefore　removed　with　the　armed　men　whom　he　had　with
him；　and　set　his　wives　upon　the　beasts；　as　also　his　mother；　and
sister；　and　her　whom　he　was　about　to　marry；　＇Mariamne；＇　the
daughter　of　Alexander；　the　son　of　Aristobulus；　with　her　mother；
the　daughter　of　Hyrcanus；　and　his　youngest　brother；　and　all　their
servants；　and　the　rest　of　the　multitude　that　was　with　him；　and
without　the　enemy's　privity　pursued　his　way　to　Idumea。　Nor　could
any　enemy　of　his　who　then　saw　him　in　this　case　be　so　hardhearted；
but　would　have　commiserated　his　fortune；　while　the　women　drew
along　their　infant　children　and　left　their　own　country；　and　their
friends　in　prison；　with　tears　in　their　eyes；　and　sad
lamentations；　and　in　expectation　of　nothing　but　what　was　of　a
melancholy　nature。

8。　But　for　Herod　himself；　he　raised　his　mind　above　the　miserable
state　he　was　in；　and　was　of　good　courage　in　the　midst　of　his
misfortunes；　and　as　he　passed　along；　he　bid　them　every　one　to　be
of　good　cheer；　and　not　to　give　themselves　up　to　sorrow；　because
that　would　hinder　them　in　their　flight；　which　was　now　the　only
hope　of　safety　that　they　had。　Accordingly；　they　tried　to　bear
with　patience　the　calamity　they　were　under；　as　he　exhorted　them
to　do；　yet　was　he　once　almost　going　to　kill　himself；　upon　the
overthrow　of　a　waggon；　and　the　danger　his　mother　was　then　in　of
being　killed；　and　this　on　two　accounts；　because　of　his　great
concern　for　her；　and　because　he　was　afraid　lest；　by　this　delay；
the　enemy　should　overtake　him　in　the　pursuit：　but　as　he　was
drawing　his　sword；　and　going　to　kill　himself　therewith；　those
that　were　present　restrained　him；　and　being　so　many　in　number；
were　too　hard　for　him；　and　told　him　that　he　ought　not　to　desert
them；　and　leave　them　a　prey　to　their　enemies；　for　that　it　was　not
the　part　of　a　brave　man　to　free　himself　from　the　distresses　he
was　in；　and　to　overlook　his　friends　that　were　in　the　same
distresses　also。　So　he　was　compelled　to　let　that　horrid　attempt
alone；　partly　out　of　shame　at　what　they　said　to　him；　and　partly
out　of　regard　to　the　great　number　of　those　that　would　not　permit
him　to　do　what　he　intended。　So　he　encouraged　his　mother；　and　took
all　the　care　of　her　the　time　would　allow；　and　proceeded　on　the
way　he　proposed　to　go　with　the　utmost　haste；　and　that　was　to　the
fortress　of　Masada。　And　as　he　had　many　skirmishes　with　such　of
the　Parthians　as　attacked　him　and　pursued　him；　he　was　conqueror
in　them　all。

9。　Nor　indeed　was　he　free　from　the　Jews　all　along　as　he　was　in
his　flight；　for　by　that　time　he　was　gotten　sixty　furlongs　out　of
the　city；　and　was　upon　the　road；　they　fell　upon　him；　and　fought
hand　to　hand　with　him；　whom　he　also　put　to　flight；　and　overcame；
not　like　one　that　was　in　distress　and　in　necessity；　but　like　one
that　was　excellently　prepared　for　war；　and　had　what　he　wanted　in
great　plenty。　And　in　this　very　place　where　he　overcame　the　Jews
it　was　that　he　some　time　afterward　build　a　most　excellent　palace；
and　a　city　round　about　it；　and　called　it　Herodium。　And　when　he
was　come　to　Idumea；　at　a　place　called　Thressa；　his　brother　Joseph
met　him；　and　he　then　held　a　council　to　take　advice　about　all　his
affairs；　and　what　was　fit　to　be　done　in　his　circumstances；　since
he　had　a　great　multitude　that　followed　him；　besides　his　mercenary
soldiers；　and　the　place　Masada；　whither　he　proposed　to　fly；　was
too　small　to　contain　so　great　a　multitude；　so　he　sent　away　the
greater　part　of　his　company；　being　above　nine　thousand；　and　bid
them　go；　some　one　way；　and　some　another；　and　so　save　themselves
in　Idumea；　and　gave　them　what　would　buy　them　provisions　in　their
journey。　But　he　took　with　him　those　that　were　the　least
encumbered；　and　were　most　intimate　with　him；　and　came　to　the
fortress；　and　placed　there　his　wives　and　his　followers；　being
eight　hundred　in　number；　there　being　in　the　place　a　sufficient
quantity　of　corn　and　water；　and　other　necessaries；　and　went
directly　for　Petra；　in　Arabia。　But　when　it　was　day；　the　Parthians
plundered　all　Jerusalem；　and　the　palace；　and　abstained　from
nothing　but　Hyrcanus's　money；　which　was　three　hundred　talents。　A
great　deal　of　Herod's　money　escaped；　and　principally　all　that　the
man　had　been　so　provident　as　to　send　into　Idumea　beforehand；　nor
indeed　did　what　was　in　the　city　suffice　the　Parthians；　but　they
went　out　into　the　country；　and　plundered　it；　and　demolished　the
city　Marissa。

10。　And　thus　was　Antigonus　brought　back　into　Judea　by　the　king　of
the　Parthians；　and　received　Hyrcanus　and　Phasaelus　for　his
prisoners；　but　he　was　greatly　cast　down　because　the　women　had
escaped；　whom　he　intended　to　have　given　the　enemy；　as　having
promised　they　should　have　them；　with　the　money；　for　their　reward：
but　being　afraid　that　Hyrcanus；　who　was　under　the　guard　of　the
Parthians；　might　have　his　kingdom　restored　to　him　by　the
multitude；　he　cut　off　his　ears；　and　thereby　took　care　that　the
high　priesthood　should　never　come　to　him　any　more；　because　he　was
maimed；　while　the　law　required　that　this　dignity　should　belong　to
none　but　such　as　had　all　their　members　entire　（25）　But　now　one
cannot　but　here　admire　the　fortitude　of　Phasaelus；　who；
perceiving　that　he　was　to　be　put　to　death；　did　not　think　death
any　terrible　thing　at　all；　but　to　die　thus　by　the　means　of　his
enemy；　this　he　thought　a　most　pitiable　and　dishonorable　thing；
and　therefore；　since　he　had　not　his　hands　at　liberty；　but　the
bonds　he　was　in　prevented　him　from　killing　himself　thereby；　he
dashed　his　head　against　a　great　stone；　and　thereby　took　away　his
own　life；　which　he　thought　to　be　the　best　thing　he　could　do　in
such　a　distress　as　he　was　in；　and　thereby　put　it　out　of　the　power
of　the　enemy　to　bring　him　to　any　death　he　pleased。　It　is　also
reported；　that　when　he　had　made　a　great　wound　in　his　head；
Antigonus　sent　physicians　to　cure　it；　and；　by　ordering　them　to
infuse　poison　into　the　wound；　killed　him。　However；　Phasaelus
hearing；　before　he　was　quite　dead；　by　a　certain　woman；　that　his
brother　Herod　had　escaped　the　enemy；　underwent　his　death
cheerfully；　since　he　now　left　behind　him　one　who　would　revenge
his　death；　and　who　was　able　to　inflict　punishment　on　his　enemies。

CHAPTER　14。

How　Herod　Got　Away　From　The　King　Of　Arabia