the antiquities of the jews-1-第261章

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prison　too　rashly；　so　he　tortured　the　principal　of　Alexander's
friends；　and　put　not　a　few　of　them　to　death；　without　getting　any
of　the　things　out　of　them　which　he　suspected。　And　while　Herod　was
very　busy　about　this　matter；　and　the　palace　was　full　of　terror
and　trouble；　one　of　the　younger　sort；　when　he　was　in　the　utmost
agony；　confessed　that　Alexander　had　sent　to　his　friends　at　Rome；
and　desired　that　he　might　be　quickly　invited　thither　by　Caesar；
and　that　he　could　discover　a　plot　against　him；　that　Mithridates；
the　king　of　Parthia；　was　joined　in　friendship　with　his　father
against　the　Romans；　and　that　he　had　a　poisonous　potion　ready
prepared　at　Askelori。

5。　To　these　accusations　Herod　gave　credit；　and　enjoyed　hereby；　in
his　miserable　case；　some　sort　of　consolation；　in　excuse　of　his
rashness；　as　fiattering　himself　with　finding　things　in　so　bad　a
condition；　but　as　for　the　poisonous　potion；　which　he　labored　to
find；　he　could　find　none。　As　for　Alexander；　he　was　very　desirous
to　aggravate　the　vast　misfortunes　he　was　under；　so　he　pretended
not　to　deny　the　accusations；　but　punished　the　rashness　of　his
father　with　a　greater　crime　of　his　own；　and　perhaps　he　was
willing　to　make　his　father　ashamed　of　his　easy　belief　of　such
calumnies：　he　aimed　especially；　if　he　could　gain　belief　to　his
story；　to　plague　him　and　his　whole　kingdom；　for　he　wrote　four
letters；　and　sent　them　to　him；　that　he　did　not　need　to　torture
any　more　persons；　for　he　had　plotted　against　him；　and　that　he　had
for　his　partners　Pheroras　and　the　most　faithful　of　his　friends；
and　that　Salome　came　in　to　him　by　night；　and　that　she　lay　with
him　whether　he　would　or　not；　and　that　all　men　were　come　to　be　of
one　mind；　to　make　away　with　him　as　soon　as　they　could；　and　so　get
clear　of　the　continual　fear　they　were　in　from　him。　Among　these
were　accused　Ptolemy　and　Sapinnius；　who　were　the　most　faithful
friends　to　the　king。　And　what　more　can　be　said；　but　that　those
who　before　were　the　most　intimate　friends；　were　become　wild
beasts　to　one　another；　as　if　a　certain　madness　had　fallen　upon
them；　while　there　was　no　room　for　defense　or　refutation；　in　order
to　the　discovery　of　the　truth；　but　all　were　at　random　doomed　to
destruction；　so　that　some　lamented　those　that　were　in　prison；
some　those　that　were　put　to　death；　and　others　lamented　that　they
were　in　expectation　of　the　same　miseries；　and　a　melancholy
solitude　rendered　the　kingdom　deformed；　and　quite　the　reverse　to
that　happy　state　it　was　formerly　in。　Herod's　own　life　also　was
entirely　disturbed；　and　because　he　could　trust　nobody；　he　was
sorely　punished　by　the　expectation　of　further　misery；　for　he
often　fancied　in　his　imagination　that　his　son　had　fallen　upon
him；　or　stood　by　him　with　a　sword　in　his　hand；　and　thus　was　his
mind　night　and　day　intent　upon　this　thing；　and　revolved　it　over
and　over；　no　otherwise　than　if　he　were　under　a　distraction。　And
this　was　the　sad　condition　Herod　was　now　in。

6。　But　when　Archelaus；　king　of　Cappadocia；　heard　of　the　state
that　Herod　was　in；　and　being　in　great　distress　about　his
daughter；　and　the　young　man　＇her　husband＇；　and　grieving　with
Herod；　as　with　a　man　that　was　his　friend；　on　account　of　so　great
a　disturbance　as　he　was　under；　he　came　＇to　Jerusalem＇　on　purpose
to　compose　their　differences；　and　when　he　found　Herod　in　such　a
temper；　he　thought　it　wholly　unseasonable　to　reprove　him；　or　to
pretend　that　he　had　done　any　thing　rashly；　for　that　he　should
thereby　naturally　bring　him　to　dispute　the　point　with　him；　and　by
still　more　and　more　apologizing　for　himself　to　be　the　more
irritated：　he　went；　therefore；　another　way　to　work；　in　order　to
correct　the　former　misfortunes；　and　appeared　angry　at　the　young
man；　and　said　that　Herod　had　been　so　very　mild　a　man；　that　he　had
not　acted　a　rash　part　at　all。　He　also　said　he　would　dissolve　his
daughter's　marriage　with　Alexander；　nor　could　in　justice　spare
his　own　daughter；　if　she　were　conscious　of　any　thing；　and　did　not
inform　Herod　of　it。　When　Archelaus　appeared　to　be　of　this　temper；
and　otherwise　than　Herod　expected　or　imagined；　and；　for　the　main；
took　Herod's　part；　and　was　angry　on　his　account；　the　king　abated
of　his　harshness；　and　took　occasion　from　his　appearing　to　have
acted　justly　hitherto；　to　come　by　degrees　to　put　on　the　affection
of　a　father；　and　was　on　both　sides　to　be　pitied；　for　when　some
persons　refuted　the　calumnies　that　were　laid　on　the　young　man；　he
was　thrown　into　a　passion；　but　when　Archclaus　joined　in　the
accusation；　he　was　dissolved　into　tears　and　sorrow　after　an
affectionate　manner。　Accordingly；　he　desired　that　he　would　not
dissolve　his　son's　marriage；　and　became　not　so　angry　as　before
for　his　offenses。　So　when　Archclaus　had　brought　him　to　a　more
moderate　temper；　he　transferred　the　calumnies　upon　his　friends；
and　said　it　must　be　owing　to　them　that　so　young　a　man；　and　one
unacquainted　with　malice；　was　corrupted；　and　he　supposed　that
there　was　more　reason　to　suspect　the　brother　than　the　soft。　Upon
which　Herod　was　very　much　displeased　at　Pheroras；　who　indeed　now
had　no　one　that　could　make　a　reconciliation　between　him　and　his
brother。　So　when　he　saw　that　Archclaus　had　the　greatest　power
with　Herod；　he　betook　himself　to　him　in　the　habit　of　a　mourner；
and　like　one　that　had　all　the　signs　upon　him　of　an　undone　man。
Upon　this　Archclaus　did　not　overlook　the　intercession　he　made　to
him；　nor　yet　did　he　undertake　to　change　the　king's　disposition
towards　him　immediately；　and　he　said　that　it　was　better　for　him
to　come　himself　to　the　king；　and　confess　himself　the　occasion　of
all；　that　this　would　make　the　king's　anger　not　to　be　extravagant
towards　him；　and　that　then　he　would　be　present　to　assist　him。
When　he　had　persuaded　him　to　this；　he　gained　his　point　with　both
of　them；　and　the　calumnies　raised　against　the　young　man　were；
beyond　all　expectation；　wiped　off。　And　Archclaus；　as　soon　as　he
had　made　the　reconciliation；　went　then　away　to　Cappadocia；　having
proved　at　this　juncture　of　time　the　most　acceptable　person　to
Herod　in　the　world；　on　which　account　he　gave　him　the　richest
presents；　as　tokens　of　his　respects　to　him；　and　being　on　other
occasions　magnanimous；　he　esteemed　him　one　of　his　dearest
friends。　He　also　made　an　agreement　with　him　that　he　would　go　to
Rome；　because　he　had　written　to　Caesar　about　these　affairs；　so
they　went　together　as　far　as　Antioch；　and　there　Herod　made　a
reconciliation　between　Archclaus　and　Titus；　the　president　of
Syria；　who　had　been　greatly　at　variance；　and　so　returned　back　to
Judea。

CHAPTER　11。

Concerning　The　Revolt　Of　The　Trachonites；　How　Sylleus　Accused
Herod　Before　Caesar；　And　How　Herod；　When　Caesar　Was　Angry　At　Him；
Resolved　To　Send　Nicolaus　To　Rome。

1。　When　Herod　had　been　at　Rome；　and　was　come　back　again；　a　war
arose　between　him　and　the　Arabians；　on　the　occasion　following：
The　inhabitants　of　Trachonitis；　after　Caesar　had　taken　the
country　away　from　Zenodorus；　and　added　it　to　Herod；　had　not　now
power　to　rob；　but　were　forced　to　plough　the　land；　and　to　live
quietly；　which　was　a　thing　they　did　not　like；　and　when　they　did
take　that　pains；　the　ground　did　not　produce　much　fruit　for　them。
However；　at　the　first　the　king　would　not　permit　them　to　rob；　and
so　they　abstained　from　that　unjust　way　of　living　upon　their
neighbors；　which　procured　Herod　a　great　reputation　for　his　care。
But　when　he　was　sailing　to　Rome；　it　was　at　that　time　when　he　went
to　accuse　his　son　Alexander；　and　to　commit　Antipater　to　Caesar's
protection；　the　Trachonites　spread　a　report　as　if　he　were　dead；
and　revolted　from　his　dominion；　and　betook　themselves　again　to
their　accustomed　way　of　robbing　their　neighbors；　at　which　time
the　king's　commanders　subdued　them　during　his　absence；　but　about
forty　of　the　principal　robbers；　being　terrified　by　those　that　had
been　taken；　left　the　country；　and　retired　into　Arabia；　Sylleus
entertaining　them；　after　he　had　missed　of　marrying　Salome；　and
gave　them　a　place　of　strength；　in　which　they　dwelt。　So　they
overran　not　only　Judea；　but　all　Celesyria　also；　and　carried　off
the　prey；　while　Sylleus　afforded　them　places　of　protection　and
quietness　during　their　wicked　practices。　But　when　Herod　came　back
from　Rome；　he　perceived　that　his　dominions