the antiquities of the jews-1-第271章

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and　lest；　while　he　lived　at　Rome；　he　should　lay　plots　for　the
kingdom；　and；　moreover；　do　somewhat　against　himself。　This　letter
Antipater　met　with　in　Cilicia；　but　had　received　an　account　of
Pheroras's　death　before　at　Tarentum。　This　last　news　affected　him
deeply；　not　out　of　any　affection　for　Pheroras；　but　because　he　was
dead　without　having　murdered　his　father；　which　he　had　promised
him　to　do。　And　when　he　was　at　Celenderis　in　Cilicia；　he　began　to
deliberate　with　himself　about　his　sailing　home；　as　being　much
grieved　with　the　ejection　of　his　mother。　Now　some　of　his　friends
advised　him　that　he　should　tarry　a　while　some　where；　in
expectation　of　further　information。　But　others　advised　him　to
sail　home　without　delay；　for　that　if　he　were　once　come　thither；
he　would　soon　put　an　end　to　all　accusations；　and　that　nothing
afforded　any　weight　to　his　accusers　at　present　but　his　absence。
He　was　persuaded　by　these　last；　and　sailed　on；　and　landed　at　the
haven　called　Sebastus；　which　Herod　had　built　at　vast　expenses　in
honor　of　Caesar；　and　called　Sebastus。　And　now　was　Antipater
evidently　in　a　miserable　condition；　while　nobody　came　to　him　nor
saluted　him；　as　they　did　at　his　going　away；　with　good　wishes　of
joyful　acclamations；　nor　was　there　now　any　thing　to　hinder　them
from　entertaining　him；　on　the　contrary；　with　bitter　curses；　while
they　supposed　he　was　come　to　receive　his　punishment　for　the
murder　of　his　brethren。

2。　Now　Quintilius　Varus　was　at　this　time　at　Jerusalem；　being　sent
to　succeed　Saturninus　as　president　of　Syria；　and　was　come　as　an
assessor　to　Herod；　who　had　desired　his　advice　in　his　present
affairs；　and　as　they　were　sitting　together；　Antipater　came　upon
them；　without　knowing　any　thing　of　the　matter；　so　he　came　into
the　palace　clothed　in　purple。　The　porters　indeed　received　him　in；
but　excluded　his　friends。　And　now　he　was　in　great　disorder；　and
presently　understood　the　condition　he　was　in；　while；　upon　his
going　to　salute　his　father；　he　was　repulsed　by　him；　who　called
him　a　murderer　of　his　brethren；　and　a　plotter　of　destruction
against　himself；　and　told　him　that　Varus　should　be　his　auditor
and　his　judge　the　very　next　day；　so　he　found　that　what
misfortunes　he　now　heard　of　were　already　upon　him；　with　the
greatness　of　which　he　went　away　in　confusion；　upon　which　his
mother　and　his　wife　met　him；　（which　wife　was　the　daughter　of
Antigonus；　who　was　king　of　the　Jews　before　Herod；）　from　whom　he
learned　all　circumstances　which　concerned　him；　and　then　prepared
himself　for　his　trial。

3。　On　the　next　day　Varus　and　the　king　sat　together　in　judgment；
and　both　their　friends　were　also　called　in；　as　also　the　king's
relations；　with　his　sister　Salome；　and　as　many　as　could　discover
any　thing；　and　such　as　had　been　tortured；　and　besides　these；　some
slaves　of　Antipater's　mother；　who　were　taken　up　a　little　before
Antipater's　coming；　and　brought　with　them　a　written　letter；　the
sum　of　which　was　this：　That　he　should　not　come　back；　because　all
was　come　to　his　father's　knowledge；　and　that　Caesar　was　the　only
refuge　he　had　left　to　prevent　both　his　and　her　delivery　into　his
father's　hands。　Then　did　Antipater　fall　down　at　his　father's
feet；　and　besought　him　not　to　prejudge　his　cause；　but　that　he
might　be　first　heard　by　his　father；　and　that　his　father　would
keep　himself　unprejudiced。　So　Herod　ordered　him　to　be　brought
into　the　midst；　and　then　lamented　himself　about　his　children；
from　whom　he　had　suffered　such　great　misfortunes；　and　because
Antipater　fell　upon　him　in　his　old　age。　He　also　reckoned　up　what
maintenance　and　what　education　he　had　given　them；　and　what
seasonable　supplies　of　wealth　he　had　afforded　them；　according　to
their　own　desires；　none　of　which　favors　had　hindered　them　from
contriving　against　him；　and　from　bringing　his　very　life　into
danger；　in　order　to　gain　his　kingdom；　after　an　impious　manner；　by
taking　away　his　life　before　the　course　of　nature；　their　father's
wishes；　or　justice　required　that　that　kingdom　should　come　to
them；　and　that　he　wondered　what　hopes　could　elevate　Antipater　to
such　a　pass　as　to　be　hardy　enough　to　attempt　such　things；　that　he
had　by　his　testament　in　writing　declared　him　his　successor　in　the
government；　and　while　he　was　alive；　he　was　in　no　respect　inferior
to　him；　either　in　his　illustrious　dignity；　or　in　power　and
authority；　he　having　no　less　than　fifty　talents　for　his　yearly
income；　and　had　received　for　his　journey　to　Rome　no　fewer　than
thirty　talents。　He　also　objected　to　him　the　case　of　his　brethren
whom　he　had　accused；　and　if　they　were　guilty；　he　had　imitated
their　example；　and　if　not；　he　had　brought　him　groundless
accusations　against　his　near　relations；　for　that　he　had　been
acquainted　with　all　those　things　by　him；　and　by　nobody　else；　and
had　done　what　was　done　by　his　approbation；　and　whom　he　now
absolved　from　all　that　was　criminal；　by　becoming　the　inheritor　of
the　guilt　of　such　their　parricide。

4。　When　Herod　had　thus　spoken；　he　fell　a　weeping；　and　was　not
able　to　say　any　more；　but　at　his　desire　Nicolaus　of　Damascus；
being　the　king's　friend；　and　always　conversant　with　him；　and
acquainted　with　whatsoever　he　did；　and　with　the　circumstances　of
his　affairs；　proceeded　to　what　remained；　and　explained　all　that
concerned　the　demonstrations　and　evidences　of　the　facts。　Upon
which　Antipater；　in　order　to　make　his　legal　defense；　turned
himself　to　his　father；　and　enlarged　upon　the　many　indications　he
had　given　of　his　good…will　to　him；　and　instanced　in　the　honors
that　had　been　done　him；　which　yet　had　not　been　done；　had　he　not
deserved　them　by　his　virtuous　concern　about　him；　for　that　he　had
made　provision　for　every　thing　that　was　fit　to　be　foreseen
beforehand；　as　to　giving　him　his　wisest　advice；　and　whenever
there　was　occasion　for　the　labor　of　his　own　hands；　he　had　not
grudged　any　such　pains　for　him。　And　that　it　was　almost　impossible
that　he；　who　had　delivered　his　father　from　so　many　treacherous
contrivances　laid　against　him；　should　be　himself　in　a　plot
against　him；　and　so　lose　all　the　reputation　he　had　gained　for　his
virtue；　by　his　wickedness　which　succeeded　it；　and　this　while　he
had　nothing　to　prohibit　him；　who　was　already　appointed　his
successor；　to　enjoy　the　royal　honor　with　his　father　also　at
present；　and　that　there　was　no　likelihood　that　a　person　who　had
the　one　half　of　that　authority　without　any　danger；　and　with　a
good　character；　should　hunt　after　the　whole　with　infamy　and
danger；　and　this　when　it　was　doubtful　whether　he　could　obtain　it
or　not；　and　when　he　saw　the　sad　example　of　his　brethren　before
him；　and　was　both　the　informer　and　the　accuser　against　them；　at　a
time　when　they　might　not　otherwise　have　been　discovered；　nay；　was
the　author　of　the　punishment　inflicted　upon　them；　when　it
appeared　evidently　that　they　were　guilty　of　a　wicked　attempt
against　their　father；　and　that　even　the　contentions　there　were　in
the　king's　family　were　indications　that　he　had　ever　managed
affairs　out　of　the　sincerest　affection　to　his　father。　And　as　to
what　he　had　done　at　Rome；　Caesar　was　a　witness　thereto；　who　yet
was　no　more　to　be　imposed　upon　than　God　himself；　of　whose
opinions　his　letters　sent　hither　are　sufficient　evidence；　and
that　it　was　not　reasonable　to　prefer　the　calumnies　of　such　as
proposed　to　raise　disturbances　before　those　letters；　the　greatest
part　of　which　calumnies　had　been　raised　during　his　absence；　which
gave　scope　to　his　enemies　to　forge　them；　which　they　had　not　been
able　to　do　if　he　had　been　there。　Moreover　he　showed　the　weakness
of　the　evidence　obtained　by　torture；　which　was　commonly　false；
because　the　distress　men　are　in　under　such　tortures　naturally
obliges　them　to　say　many　things　in　order　to　please　those　that
govern　them。　He　also　offered　himself　to　the　torture。

5。　Hereupon　there　was　a　change　observed　in　the　assembly；　while
they　greatly　pitied　Antipater；　who　by　weeping　and　putting　on　a
countenance　suitable　to　his　sad　case　made　them　commiserate　the
same；　insomuch　that　his　very　enemies　were　moved　to　compassion；
and　it　appeared　plainly　that　Herod　himself　was　affected　in　his
own　mind；　although　he　was　not　willing　it　should　be　taken　notice
of。　Then　did　Nicolaus　begin　to　prosecute　what　the　king　had　begun；
and　that　with　gr