the antiquities of the jews-1-第281章

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up　to　him：　hereupon　Varus　forgave　the　crime　of　revolting　to　the
multitude；　but　sent　their　several　commanders　to　Caesar；　many　of
whom　Caesar　dismissed；　but　for　the　several　relations　of　Herod　who
had　been　among　these　men　in　this　war；　they　were　the　only　persons
whom　he　punished；　who；　without　the　least　regard　to　justice；
fought　against　their　own　kindred。
CHAPTER　11。

An　Embassage　To　Caesar；　And　How　Caesar　Confirmed　Herod's
Testament。

1。　So　when　Varus　had　settled　these　affairs；　and　had　placed　the
former　legion　at　Jerusalem；　he　returned　back　to　Antioch；　but　as
for　Archelaus；　he　had　new　sources　of　trouble　come　upon　him　at
Rome；　on　the　occasions　following：　for　an　embassage　of　the　Jews
was　come　to　Rome；　Varus　having　permitted　the　nation　to　send　it；
that　they　might　petition　for　the　liberty　of　living　by　their　own
laws。　（17）　Now　the　number　of　the　ambassadors　that　were　sent　by
the　authority　of　the　nation　were　fifty；　to　which　they　joined
above　eight　thousand　of　the　Jews　that　were　at　Rome　already。
Hereupon　Caesar　assembled　his　friends；　and　the　chief　men　among
the　Romans；　in　the　temple　of　Apollo；　（18）　which　he　had　built　at　a
vast　charge；　whither　the　ambassadors　came；　and　a　multitude　of　the
Jews　that　were　there　already　came　with　them；　as　did　also
Archelaus　and　his　friends；　but　as　for　the　several　kinsmen　which
Archelaus　had；　they　would　not　join　themselves　with　him；　out　of
their　hatred　to　him；　and　yet　they　thought　it　too　gross　a　thing
for　them　to　assist　the　ambassadors　＇against　him＇；　as　supposing　it
would　be　a　disgrace　to　them　in　Caesar's　opinion　to　think　of　thus
acting　in　opposition　to　a　man　of　their　own　kindred。　Philip　（19）
also　was　come　hither　out　of　Syria；　by　the　persuasion　of　Varus；
with　this　principal　intention　to　assist　his　brother　＇Archelaus＇；
for　Varus　was　his　great　friend：　but　still　so；　that　if　there
should　any　change　happen　in　the　form　of　government；　（which　Varus
suspected　there　would；）　and　if　any　distribution　should　be　made　on
account　of　the　number　that　desired　the　liberty　of　living　by　their
own　laws；　that　he　might　not　be　disappointed；　but　might　have　his
share　in　it。

2。　Now　upon　the　liberty　that　was　given　to　the　Jewish　ambassadors
to　speak；　they　who　hoped　to　obtain　a　dissolution　of　kingly
government　betook　themselves　to　accuse　Herod　of　his　iniquities；
and　they　declared　that　he　was　indeed　in　name　a　king；　but　that　he
had　taken　to　himself　that　uncontrollable　authority　which　tyrants
exercise　over　their　subjects；　and　had　made　use　of　that　authority
for　the　destruction　of　the　Jews；　and　did　not　abstain　from　making
many　innovations　among　them　besides；　according　to　his　own
inclinations；　and　that　whereas　there　were　a　great　many　who
perished　by　that　destruction　he　brought　upon　them；　so　many　indeed
as　no　other　history　relates；　they　that　survived　were　far　more
miserable　than　those　that　suffered　under　him；　not　only　by　the
anxiety　they　were　in　from　his　looks　and　disposition　towards　them；
but　from　the　danger　their　estates　were　in　of　being　taken　away　by
him。　That　he　did　never　leave　off　adorning　these　cities　that　lay
in　their　neighborhood；　but　were　inhabited　by　foreigners；　but　so
that　the　cities　belonging　to　his　own　government　were　ruined；　and
utterly　destroyed　that　whereas；　when　he　took　the　kingdom；　it　was
in　an　extraordinary　flourishing　condition；　he　had　filled　the
nation　with　the　utmost　degree　of　poverty；　and　when；　upon　unjust
pretenses；　he　had　slain　any　of　the　nobility；　he　took　away　their
estates；　and　when　he　permitted　any　of　them　to　live；　he　condemned
them　to　the　forfeiture　of　what　they　possessed。　And　besides　the
annual　impositions　which　he　laid　upon　every　one　of　them；　they
were　to　make　liberal　presents　to　himself；　to　his　domestics　and
friends；　and　to　such　of　his　slaves　as　were　vouchsafed　the　favor
of　being　his　tax…gatherers；　because　there　was　no　way　of　obtaining
a　freedom　from　unjust　violence　without　giving　either　gold　or
silver　for　it。　That　they　would　say　nothing　of　the　corruption　of
the　chastity　of　their　virgins；　and　the　reproach　laid　on　their
wives　for　incontinency；　and　those　things　acted　after　an　insolent
and　inhuman　manner；　because　it　was　not　a　smaller　pleasure　to　the
sufferers　to　have　such　things　concealed；　than　it　would　have　been
not　to　have　suffered　them。　That　Herod　had　put　such　abuses　upon
them　as　a　wild　beast　would　not　have　put　on　them；　if　he　had　power
given　him　to　rule　over　us；　and　that　although　their　nation　had
passed　through　many　subversions　and　alterations　of　government；
their　history　gave　no　account　of　any　calamity　they　had　ever　been
under；　that　could　be　compared　with　this　which　Herod　had　brought
upon　their　nation；　that　it　was　for　this　reason　that　they　thought
they　might　justly　and　gladly　salute　Archelaus　as　king；　upon　this
supposition；　that　whosoever　should　be　set　over　their　kingdom；　he
would　appear　more　mild　to　them　than　Herod　had　been；　and　that　they
had　joined　with　him　in　the　mourning　for　his　father；　in　order　to
gratify　him；　and　were　ready　to　oblige　him　in　other　points　also；
if　they　could　meet　with　any　degree　of　moderation　from　him；　but
that　he　seemed　to　be　afraid　lest　he　should　not　be　deemed　Herod's
own　son；　and　so；　without　any　delay；　he　immediately　let　the　nation
understand　his　meaning；　and　this　before　his　dominion　was　well
established；　since　the　power　of　disposing　of　it　belonged　to
Caesar；　who　could　either　give　it　to　him　or　not；　as　he　pleased。
That　he　had　given　a　specimen　of　his　future　virtue　to　his
subjects；　and　with　what　kind　of　moderation　and　good
administration　he　would　govern　them；　by　that　his　first　action；
which　concerned　them；　his　own　citizens；　and　God　himself　also；
when　he　made　the　slaughter　of　three　thousand　of　his　own
countrymen　at　the　temple。　How　then　could　they　avoid　the　just
hatred　of　him；　who；　to　the　rest　of　his　barbarity；　hath　added　this
as　one　of　our　crimes；　that　we　have　opposed　and　contradicted　him
in　the　exercise　of　his　authority？　Now　the　main　thing　they　desired
was　this：　That　they　might　be　delivered　from　kingly　and　the　like
forms　of　government；　（20）　and　might　be　added　to　Syria；　and　be　put
under　the　authority　of　such　presidents　of　theirs　as　should　be
sent　to　them；　for　that　it　would　thereby　be　made　evident；　whether
they　be　really　a　seditious　people；　and　generally　fond　of
innovations；　or　whether　they　would　live　in　an　orderly　manner；　if
they　might　have　governors　of　any　sort　of　moderation　set　over
them。

3。　Now　when　the　Jews　had　said　this；　Nicolaus　vindicated　the　kings
from　those　accusations；　and　said；　that　as　for　Herod；　since　he　had
never　been　thus　accused　all　the　time　of　his　life；　it　was　not　fit
for　those　that　might　have　accused　him　of　lesser　crimes　than　those
now　mentioned；　and　might　have　procured　him　to　be　punished　during
his　lifetime；　to　bring　an　accusation　against　him　now　he　is　dead。
He　also　attributed　the　actions　of　Archlaus　to　the　Jews'　injuries
to　him；　who；　affecting　to　govern　contrary　to　the　laws；　and　going
about　to　kill　those　that　would　have　hindered　them　from　acting
unjustly；　when　they　were　by　him　punished　for　what　they　had　done；
made　their　complaints　against　him；　so　he　accused　them　of　their
attempts　for　innovation；　and　of　the　pleasure　they　took　in
sedition；　by　reason　of　their　not　having　learned　to　submit　to
justice　and　to　the　laws；　but　still　desiring　to　be　superior　in　all
things。　This　was　the　substance　of　what　Nicolaus　said。

4。　When　Caesar　had　heard　these　pleadings；　he　dissolved　the
assembly；　but　a　few　days　afterwards　he　appointed　Archelaus；　not
indeed　to　be　king　of　the　whole　country；　but　ethnarch　of　the　one
half　of　that　which　had　been　subject　to　Herod；　and　promised　to
give　him　the　royal　dignity　hereafter；　if　he　governed　his　part
virtuously。　But　as　for　the　other　half；　he　divided　it　into　two
parts；　and　gave　it　to　two　other　of　Herod's　sons；　to　Philip　and　to
Antipas；　that　Antipas　who　disputed　with　Archelaus　for　the　whole
kingdom。　Now　to　him　it　was　that　Peres　and　Galilee　paid　their
tribute；　which　amounted　annually　to　two　hundred　talents；　（21）
while　Batanea；　with　Trachonitis；　as　well　as　Auranitis；　with　a
certain　part　of　what　was　called　the　House　of　Zenodorus；　（22）　paid
the　tribute　of　one　hundred　talents　to　Philip；　but　Idumea；　and
Judea；　and　the　country　of　Samaria　paid　tribut