the antiquities of the jews-1-第246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！


them；　for　one　apartment　was　called　Caesar's；　another　Agrippa's。
He　also　fell　in　love　again；　and　married　another　wife；　not
suffering　his　reason　to　hinder　him　from　living　as　he　pleased。　The
occasion　of　this　his　marriage　was　as　follows：　There　was　one
Simon；　a　citizen　of　Jerusalem；　the　son　of　one　Boethus；　a　citizen
of　Alexandria；　and　a　priest　of　great　note　there；　this　man　had　a
daughter；　who　was　esteemed　the　most　beautiful　woman　of　that　time；
and　when　the　people　of　Jerusalem　began　to　speak　much　in　her
commendation；　it　happened　that　Herod　was　much　affected　with　what
was　said　of　her；　and　when　he　saw　the　damsel；　he　was　smitten　with
her　beauty；　yet　did　he　entirely　reject　the　thoughts　of　using　his
authority　to　abuse　her；　as　believing；　what　was　the　truth；　that　by
so　doing　he　should　be　stigmatized　for　violence　and　tyranny；　so　he
thought　it　best　to　take　the　damsel　to　wife。　And　while　Simon　was
of　a　dignity　too　inferior　to　be　allied　to　him；　but　still　too
considerable　to　be　despised；　he　governed　his　inclinations　after
the　most　prudent　manner；　by　augmenting　the　dignity　of　the　family；
and　making　them　more　honorable；　so　he　immediately　deprived　Jesus；
the　son　of　Phabet；　of　the　high　priesthood；　and　conferred　that
dignity　on　Simon；　and　so　joined　in　affinity　with　him　＇by　marrying
his　daughter＇。

4。　When　this　wedding　was　over；　he　built　another　citadel　in　that
place　where　he　had　conquered　file　Jews　when　he　was　driven　out　of
his　government；　and　Antigonus　enjoyed　it。　This　citadel　is　distant
from　Jerusalem　about　threescore　furlongs。　It　was　strong　by
nature；　and　fit　for　such　a　building。　It　is　a　sort　of　a　moderate
hill；　raised　to　a　further　height　by　the　hand　of　man；　till　it　was
of　the　shape　of　a　woman's　breast。　It　is　encompassed　with　circular
towers；　and　hath　a　strait　ascent　up　to　it；　which　ascent　is
composed　of　steps　of　polished　stones；　in　number　two　hundred。
Within　it　are　royal　and　very　rich　apartments；　of　a　structure　that
provided　both　for　security　and　for　beauty。　About　the　bottom　there
are　habitations　of　such　a　structure　as　are　well　worth　seeing；
both　on　other　accounts；　and　also　on　account　of　the　water　which　is
brought　thither　from　a　great　way　off；　and　at　vast　expenses；　for
the　place　itself　is　destitute　of　water。　The　plain　that　is　about
this　citadel　is　full　of　edifices；　not　inferior　to　any　city　in
largeness；　and　having　the　hill　above　it　in　the　nature　of　a
castle。

5。　And　now；　when　all　Herod's　designs　had　succeeded　according　to
his　hopes；　he　had　not　the　least　suspicion　that　any　troubles　could
arise　in　his　kingdom；　because　he　kept　his　people　obedient；　as
well　by　the　fear　they　stood　in　of　him；　for　he　was　implacable　in
the　infliction　of　his　punishments；　as　by　the　provident　care　he
had　showed　towards　them；　after　the　most　magnanimous　manner；　when
they　were　under　their　distresses。　But　still　he　took　care　to　have
external　security　for　his　government　as　a　fortress　against　his
subjects；　for　the　orations　he　made　to　the　cities　were　very　fine；
and　full　of　kindness；　and　he　cultivated　a　seasonable　good
understanding　with　their　governors；　and　bestowed　presents　on
every　one　of　them；　inducing　them　thereby　to　be　more　friendly　to
him；　and　using　his　magnificent　disposition　so　as　his　kingdom
might　be　the　better　secured　to　him；　and　this　till　all　his　affairs
were　every　way　more　and　more　augmented。　But　then　this　magnificent
temper　of　his；　and　that　submissive　behavior　and　liberality　which
he　exercised　towards　Caesar；　and　the　most　powerful　men　of　Rome；
obliged　him　to　transgress　the　customs　of　his　nation；　and　to　set
aside　many　of　their　laws；　and　by　building　cities　after　an
extravagant　manner；　and　erecting　temples；　…　not　in　Judea　indeed；
for　that　would　not　have　been　borne；　it　being　forbidden　for　us　to
pay　any　honor　to　images；　or　representations　of　animals；　after　the
manner　of　the　Greeks；　but　still　he　did　thus　in　the　country
＇properly＇　out　of　our　bounds；　and　in　the　cities　thereof　（17）　The
apology　which　he　made　to　the　Jews　for　these　things　was　this：　That
all　was　done；　not　out　of　his　own　inclinations；　but　by　the
commands　and　injunctions　of　others；　in　order　to　please　Caesar　and
the　Romans；　as　though　he　had　not　the　Jewish　customs　so　much　in
his　eye　as　he　had　the　honor　of　those　Romans；　while　yet　he　had
himself　entirely　in　view　all　the　while；　and　indeed　was　very
ambitious　to　leave　great　monuments　of　his　government　to
posterity；　whence　it　was　that　he　was　so　zealous　in　building　such
fine　cities；　and　spent　such　vast　sums　of　money　upon　them。

6。　Now　upon　his　observation　of　a　place　near　the　sea；　which　was
very　proper　for　containing　a　city；　and　was　before　called　Strato's
Tower；　he　set　about　getting　a　plan　for　a　magnificent　city　there；
and　erected　many　edifices　with　great　diligence　all　over　it；　and
this　of　white　stone。　He　also　adorned　it　with　most　sumptuous
palaces　and　large　edifices　for　containing　the　people；　and　what
was　the　greatest　and　most　laborious　work　of　all；　he　adorned　it
with　a　haven；　that　was　always　free　from　the　waves　of　the　sea。　Its
largeness　was　not　less　than　the　Pyrmum　＇at　Athens＇；　and　had
towards　the　city　a　double　station　for　the　ships。　It　was　of
excellent　workmanship；　and　this　was　the　more　remarkable　for　its
being　built　in　a　place　that　of　itself　was　not　suitable　to　such
noble　structures；　but　was　to　be　brought　to　perfection　by
materials　from　other　places；　and　at　very　great　expenses。　This
city　is　situate　in　Phoenicia；　in　the　passage　by　sea　to　Egypt；
between　Joppa　and　Dora；　which　are　lesser　maritime　cities；　and　not
fit　for　havens；　on　account　of　the　impetuous　south　winds　that　beat
upon　them；　which　rolling　the　sands　that　come　from　the　sea　against
the　shores；　do　not　admit　of　ships　lying　in　their　station；　but　the
merchants　are　generally　there　forced　to　ride　at　their　anchors　in
the　sea　itself。　So　Herod　endeavored　to　rectify　this
inconvenience；　and　laid　out　such　a　compass　towards　the　land　as
might　be　sufficient　for　a　haven；　wherein　the　great　ships　might
lie　in　safety；　and　this　he　effected　by　letting　down　vast　stones
of　above　fifty　feet　in　length；　not　less　than　eighteen　in　breadth；
and　nine　in　depth；　into　twenty　fathom　deep；　and　as　some　were
lesser；　so　were　others　bigger　than　those　dimensions。　This　mole
which　he　built　by　the　sea…side　was　two　hundred　feet　wide；　the
half　of　which　was　opposed　to　the　current　of　the　waves；　so　as　to
keep　off　those　waves　which　were　to　break　upon　them；　and　so　was
called　Procymatia；　or　the　first　breaker　of　the　waves；　but　the
other　half　had　upon　it　a　wall；　with　several　towers；　the　largest
of　which　was　named　Drusus；　and　was　a　work　of　very　great
excellence；　and　had　its　name　from　Drusus；　the　son…in…law　of
Caesar；　who　died　young。　There　were　also　a　great　number　of　arches
where　the　mariners　dwelt。　There　was　also　before　them　a　quay；　＇or
landing　place；＇　which　ran　round　the　entire　haven；　and　was　a　most
agreeable　walk　to　such　as　had　a　mind　to　that　exercise；　but　the
entrance　or　mouth　of　the　port　was　made　on　the　north　quarter；　on
which　side　was　the　stillest　of　the　winds　of　all　in　this　place：
and　the　basis　of　the　whole　circuit　on　the　left　hand；　as　you　enter
the　port；　supported　a　round　turret；　which　was　made　very　strong；
in　order　to　resist　the　greatest　waves；　while　on　the　right　hand；
as　you　enter；　stood　two　vast　stones；　and　those　each　of　them
larger　than　the　turret；　which　were　over　against　them；　these　stood
upright；　and　were　joined　together。　Now　there　were　edifices　all
along　the　circular　haven；　made　of　the　politest　stone；　with　a
certain　elevation；　whereon　was　erected　a　temple；　that　was　seen　a
great　way　off　by　those　that　were　sailing　for　that　haven；　and　had
in　it　two　statues；　the　one　of　Rome；　the　other　of　Caesar。　The　city
itself　was　called　Cesarea；　which　was　also　itself　built　of　fine
materials；　and　was　of　a　fine　structure；　nay；　the　very
subterranean　vaults　and　cellars　had　no　less　of　architecture
bestowed　on　them　than　had　the　buildings　above　ground。　Some　of
these　vaults　carried　things　at　even　distances　to　the　haven　and　to
the　sea；　but　one　of　them　ran　obliquely；　and　bound　all　the　rest
together；　that　both　the　rain　and　the　filth　of　the　citizens　were
together　carried　off　with　ease；　and　the　sea　itself；　upon　the　flux
of　the　tide　from　without；　came　into　the　city；