the antiquities of the jews-1-第298章

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affords　a　firm　security　to　those　who　converse　with　them；　for　none
of　them　will　deceive　you　when　once　they　have　given　you　their
right　hands；　nor　will　any　one　doubt　of　their　fidelity；　when　that
is　once　given；　even　though　they　were　before　suspected　of
injustice。　When　Artabanus　had　done　this；　he　sent　away　Anileus　to
persuade　his　brother　to　come　to　him。　Now　this　the　king　did；
because　he　wanted　to　curb　his　own　governors　of　provinces　by　the
courage　of　these　Jewish　brethren；　lest　they　should　make　a　league
with　them；　for　they　were　ready　for　a　revolt；　and　were　disposed　to
rebel；　had　they　been　sent　on　an　expedition　against　them。　He　was
also　afraid；　lest　when　he　was　engaged　in　a　war；　in　order　to
subdue　those　governors　of　provinces　that　had　revolted；　the　party
of　Asineus；　and　those　in　Babylonia；　should　be　augmented；　and
either　make　war　upon　him；　when　they　should　hear　of　that　revolt；
or　if　they　should　be　disappointed　in　that　case；　they　would　not
fail　of　doing　further　mischief　to　him。

4。　When　the　king　had　these　intentions；　he　sent　away　Anileus；　and
Anileus　prevailed　on　his　brother　＇to　come　to　the　king＇；　when　he
had　related　to　him　the　king's　good…will；　and　the　oath　that　he　had
taken。　Accordingly；　they　made　haste　to　go　to　Artsbanus；　who
received　them　when　they　were　come　with　pleasure；　and　admired
Asineus's　courage　in　the　actions　he　had　done；　and　this　because　he
was　a　little　man　to　see　to；　and　at　first　sight　appeared
contemptible　also；　and　such　as　one　might　deem　a　person　of　no
value　at　all。　He　also　said　to　his　friends；　how；　upon　the
comparison；　he　showed　his　soul　to　be　in　all　respects　superior　to
his　body；　and　when；　as　they　were　drinking　together；　he　once
showed　Asineus　to　Abdagases；　one　of　the　generals　of　his　army；　and
told　him　his　name；　and　described　the　great　courage　he　was　of　in
war；　and　Abdagases　had　desired　leave　to　kill　him；　and　thereby　to
inflict　on　him　a　punishment　for　those　injuries　he　had　done　to　the
Parthian　government；　the　king　replied；　〃I　will　never　give　thee
leave　to　kill　a　man　who　hath　depended　on　my　faith；　especially　not
after　I　have　sent　him　my　right　hand；　and　endeavored　to　gain　his
belief　by　oaths　made　by　the　gods。　But　if　thou　be　a　truly　warlike
man；　thou　standest　not　in　need　of　my　perjury。　Go　thou　then；　and
avenge　the　Parthian　government；　attack　this　man；　when　he　is
returned　back；　and　conquer　him　by　the　forces　that　are　under　thy
command；　without　my　privity。〃　Hereupon　the　king　called　for
Asineus；　and　said　to　him；　〃It　is　time　for　thee；　O　thou　young　man！
to　return　home；　and　not　provoke　the　indignation　of　my　generals　in
this　place　any　further；　lest　they　attempt　to　murder　thee；　and
that　without　my　approbation。　I　commit　to　thee　the　country　of
Babylonia　in　trust；　that　it　may；　by　thy　care；　be　preserved　free
from　robbers；　and　from　other　mischiefs。　I　have　kept　my　faith
inviolable　to　thee；　and　that　not　in　trifling　affairs；　but　in
those　that　concerned　thy　safety；　and　do　therefore　deserve　thou
shouldst　be　kind　to　me。〃　When　he　had　said　this；　and　given　Asineus
some　presents；　he　sent　him　away　immediately；　who；　when　he　was
come　home；　built　fortresses；　and　became　great　in　a　little　time；
and　managed　things　with　such　courage　and　success；　as　no　other
person；　that　had　no　higher　a　beginning；　ever　did　before　him。
Those　Parthian　governors　also；　who　were　sent　that　way；　paid　him
great　respect；　and　the　honor　that　was　paid　him　by　the　Babylonians
seemed　to　them　too　small；　and　beneath　his　deserts；　although　he
were　in　no　small　dignity　and　power　there；　nay；　indeed；　all　the
affairs　of　Mesopotamia　depended　upon　him；　and　he　more　and　more
flourished　in　this　happy　condition　of　his　for　fifteen　years。

5。　But　as　their　affairs　were　in　so　flourishing　a　state；　there
sprang　up　a　calamity　among　them　on　the　following　occasion。　When
once　they　had　deviated　from　that　course　of　virtue　whereby　they
had　gained　so　great　power；　they　affronted　and　transgressed　the
laws　of　their　forefathers；　and　fell　under　the　dominion　of　their
lusts　and　pleasures。　A　certain　Parthian；　who　came　as　general　of
an　army　into　those　parts；　had　a　wife　following　him；　who　had　a
vast　reputation　for　other　accomplishments；　and　particularly　was
admired　above　all　other　women　for　her　beauty。　Anileus；　the
brother　of　Asineus；　either　heard　of　that　her　beauty　from　others；
or　perhaps　saw　her　himself　also；　and　so　became　at　once　her　lover
and　her　enemy；　partly　because　he　could　not　hope　to　enjoy　this
woman　but　by　obtaining　power　over　her　as　a　captive；　and　partly
because　he　thought　he　could　not　conquer　his　inclinations　for　her。
As　soon　therefore　as　her　husband　had　been　declared　an　enemy　to
them；　and　was　fallen　in　the　battle；　the　widow　of　the　deceased　was
married　to　this　her　lover。　However；　this　woman　did　not　come　into
their　house　without　producing　great　misfortunes；　both　to　Anileus
himself；　and　to　Asineus　also；　but　brought　great　mischiefs　upon
them　on　the　occasion　following。　Since　she　was　led　away　captive；
upon　the　death　of　her　husband；　she　concealed　the　images　of　those
gods　which　were　their　country　gods；　common　to　her　husband　and　to
herself：　now　it　was　the　custom　（36）　of　that　country　for　all　to
have　the　idols　they　worship　in　their　own　houses；　and　to　carry
them　along　with　them　when　they　go　into　a　foreign　land；　agreeable
to　which　custom　of　theirs　she　carried　her　idols　with　her。　Now　at
first　she　performed　her　worship　to　them　privately；　but　when　she
was　become　Anileus's　married　wife；　she　worshipped　them　in　her
accustomed　manner；　and　with　the　same　appointed　ceremonies　which
she　used　in　her　former　husband's　days；　upon　which　their　most
esteemed　friends　blamed　him　at　first；　that　he　did　not　act　after
the　manner　of　the　Hebrews；　nor　perform　what　was　agreeable　to
their　laws；　in　marrying　a　foreign　wife；　and　one　that　transgressed
the　accurate　appointments　of　their　sacrifices　and　religious
ceremonies；　that　he　ought　to　consider；　lest；　by　allowing　himself
in　many　pleasures　of　the　body；　he　might　lose　his　principality；　on
account　of　the　beauty　of　a　wife；　and　that　high　authority　which；
by　God's　blessing；　he　had　arrived　at。　But　when　they　prevailed　not
at　all　upon　him；　he　slew　one　of　them　for　whom　he　had　the　greatest
respect；　because　of　the　liberty　he　took　with　him；　who；　when　he
was　dying；　out　of　regard　to　the　laws；　imprecated　a　punishment
upon　his　murderer　Anileus；　and　upon　Asineus　also；　and　that　all
their　companions　might　come　to　a　like　end　from　their　enemies；
upon　the　two　first　as　the　principal　actors　of　this　wickedness；
and　upon　the　rest　as　those　that　would　not　assist　him　when　he
suffered　in　the　defense　of　their　laws。　Now　these　latter　were
sorely　grieved；　yet　did　they　tolerate　these　doings；　because　they
remembered　that　they　had　arrived　at　their　present　happy　state　by
no　other　means　than　their　fortitude。　But　when　they　also　heard　of
the　worship　of　those　gods　whom　the　Parthians　adore；　they　thought
the　injury　that　Anileus　offered　to　their　laws　was　to　be　borne　no
longer；　and　a　greater　number　of　them　came　to　Asineus；　and　loudly
complained　of　Aniteus；　and　told　him　that　it　had　been　well　that　he
had　of　himself　seen　what　was　advantageous　to　them；　but　that
however　it　was　now　high　time　to　correct　what　had　been　done　amiss；
before　the　crime　that　had　been　committed　proved　the　ruin　of
himself　and　all　the　rest　of　them。　They　added；　that　the　marriage
of　this　woman　was　made　without　their　consent；　and　without　a
regard　to　their　old　laws；　and　that　the　worship　which　this　woman
paid　＇to　her　gods＇　was　a　reproach　to　the　God　whom　they
worshipped。　Now　Asineus　was　sensible　of　his　brother's　offense；
that　it　had　been　already　the　cause　of　great　mischiefs；　and　would
be　so　for　the　time　to　come；　yet　did　he　tolerate　the　same　from　the
good…will　he　had　to　so　near　a　relation；　and　forgiving　it　to　him；
on　account　that　his　brother　was　quite　overborne　by　his　wicked
inclinations。　But　as　more　and　more　still　came　about　him　every
day；　and　the　clamors　about　it　became　greater；　he　at　length　spake
to　Anileus　about　these　clamors；　reproving　him　for　his　former
actions；　and　desiring　him　for　the　future　to　leave　them　off；　and
send　the　woman　back　to　her　relations。　But　nothing　was　gained　by
these　reproofs；　for　as　the　woman　perceived　what　a　tumult　was　made
among　the　people　on