the antiquities of the jews-1-第317章

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by　the　means　of　God's　providence　over　him；　she　had　a　mind　to　go
to　the　city　of　Jerusalem；　in　order　to　worship　at　that　temple　of
God　which　was　so　very　famous　among　all　men；　and　to　offer　her
thank…offerings　there。　So　she　desired　her　son　to　give　her　leave
to　go　thither；　upon　which　he　gave　his　consent　to　what　she　desired
very　willingly；　and　made　great　preparations　for　her　dismission；
and　gave　her　a　great　deal　of　money；　and　she　went　down　to　the　city
Jerusalem；　her　son　conducting　her　on　her　journey　a　great　way。　Now
her　coming　was　of　very　great　advantage　to　the　people　of
Jerusalem；　for　whereas　a　famine　did　oppress　them　at　that　time；
and　many　people　died　for　want　of　what　was　necessary　to　procure
food　withal；　queen　Helena　sent　some　of　her　servants　to　Alexandria
with　money　to　buy　a　great　quantity　of　corn；　and　others　of　them　to
Cyprus；　to　bring　a　cargo　of　dried　figs。　And　as　soon　as　they　were
come　back；　and　had　brought　those　provisions；　which　was　done　very
quickly；　she　distributed　food　to　those　that　were　in　want　of　it；
and　left　a　most　excellent　memorial　behind　her　of　this
benefaction；　which　she　bestowed　on　our　whole　nation。　And　when　her
son　Izates　was　informed　of　this　famine；　（5）　he　sent　great　sums　of
money　to　the　principal　men　in　Jerusalem。　However；　what　favors
this　queen　and　king　conferred　upon　our　city　Jerusalem　shall　be
further　related　hereafter。

CHAPTER　3。

How　Artabanus；　the　King　of　Parthia　out　of　Fear　of　the　Secret
Contrivances　of　His　Subjects　Against　Him；　Went　to　Izates；　and　Was
By　Him　Reinstated　in　His　Government；　as　Also　How　Bardanes　His　Son
Denounced　War　Against　Izates。

1。　But　now　Artabanus；　king　of　the　Parthians　perceiving　that　the
governors　of　the　provinces　had　framed　a　plot　against　him；　did　not
think　it　safe　for　him　to　continue　among　them；　but　resolved　to　go
to　Izates；　in　hopes　of　finding　some　way　for　his　preservation　by
his　means；　and；　if　possible；　for　his　return　to　his　own　dominions。
So　he　came　to　Izates；　and　brought　a　thousand　of　his　kindred　and
servants　with　him；　and　met　him　upon　the　road；　while　he　well　knew
Izates；　but　Izates　did　not　know　him。　When　Artabanus　stood　near
him；　and；　in　the　first　place；　worshipped　him；　according　to　the
custom；　he　then　said　to　him；　〃O　king！　do　not　thou　overlook　me　thy
servant；　nor　do　thou　proudly　reject　the　suit　I　make　thee；　for　as
I　am　reduced　to　a　low　estate；　by　the　change　of　fortune；　and　of　a
king　am　become　a　private　man；　I　stand　in　need　of　thy　assistance。
Have　regard；　therefore；　unto　the　uncertainty　of　fortune；　and
esteem　the　care　thou　shalt　take　of　me　to　he　taken　of　thyself
also；　for　if　I　be　neglected；　and　my　subjects　go　off　unpunished；
many　other　subjects　will　become　the　more　insolent　towards　other
kings　also。〃　And　this　speech　Artabanus　made　with　tears　in　his
eyes；　and　with　a　dejected　countenance。　Now　as　soon　as　Izates
heard　Artabanus's　name；　and　saw　him　stand　as　a　supplicant　before
him；　he　leaped　down　from　his　horse　immediately；　and　said　to　him；
〃Take　courage；　O　king！　nor　be　disturbed　at　thy　present　calamity；
as　if　it　were　incurable；　for　the　change　of　thy　sad　condition
shall　be　sudden；　for　thou　shalt　find　me　to　be　more　thy　friend　and
thy　assistant　than　thy　hopes　can　promise　thee；　for　I　will　either
re…establish　thee　in　the　kingdom　of　Parthia；　or　lose　my　own。〃

2。　When　he　had　said　this；　he　set　Artabanus　upon　his　horse；　and
followed　him　on　foot；　in　honor　of　a　king　whom　he　owned　as　greater
than　himself；　which；　when　Artabanus　saw；　he　was　very　uneasy　at
it；　and　sware　by　his　present　fortune　and　honor　that　he　would　get
down　from　his　horse；　unless　Izates　would　get　upon　his　horse
again；　and　go　before　him。　So　he　complied　with　his　desire；　and
leaped　upon　his　horse；　and　when　he　had　brought　him　to　his　royal
palace；　he　showed　him　all　sorts　of　respect　when　they　sat
together；　and　he　gave　him　the　upper　place　at　festivals　also；　as
regarding　not　his　present　fortune；　but　his　former　dignity；　and
that　upon　this　consideration　also；　that　the　changes　of　fortune
are　common　to　all　men。　He　also　wrote　to　the　Parthians；　to
persuade　them　to　receive　Artabanus　again；　and　gave　them　his　right
hand　and　his　faith；　that　he　should　forget　what　was　past　and　done；
and　that　he　would　undertake　for　this　as　a　mediator　between　them。
Now　the　Parthians　did　not　themselves　refuse　to　receive　him　again；
but　pleaded　that　it　was　not　now　in　their　power　so　to　do；　because
they　had　committed　the　government　to　another　person；　who　had
accepted　of　it；　and　whose　name　was　Cinnamus；　and　that　they　were
afraid　lest　a　civil　war　should　arise　on　this　account。　When
Cinnamus　understood　their　intentions；　he　wrote　to　Artabanus
himself；　for　he　had　been　brought　up　by　him；　and　was　of　a　nature
good　and　gentle　also；　and　desired　him　to　put　confidence　in　him；
and　to　come　and　take　his　own　dominions　again。　Accordingly；
Artabanus　trusted　him；　and　returned　home；　when　Cinnamus　met　him；
worshipped　him；　and　saluted　him　as　a　king；　and　took　the　diadem
off　his　own　head；　and　put　it　on　the　head　of　Artabanus。

3。　And　thus　was　Artahanus　restored　to　his　kingdom　again　by　the
means　of　Izates；　when　he　had　lost　it　by　the　means　of　the　grandees
of　the　kingdom。　Nor　was　he　unmindful　of　the　benefits　he　had
conferred　upon　him；　but　rewarded　him　with　such　honors　as　were　of
the　greatest　esteem　among　them；　for　he　gave　him　leave　to　wear　his
tiara　upright；　（6）　and　to　sleep　upon　a　golden　bed；　which　are
privileges　and　marks　of　honor　peculiar　to　the　kings　of　Parthia。
He　also　cut　off　a　large　and　fruitful　country　from　the　king　of
Armenia；　and　bestowed　it　upon　him。　The　name　of　the　country　is
Nisibis；　wherein　the　Macedonians　had　formerly　built　that　city
which　they　called　Antioch　of　Mygodonla。　And　these　were　the　honors
that　were　paid　Izates　by　the　king　of　the　Parthians。

4。　But　in　no　long　time　Artabanus　died；　and　left　his　kingdom　to
his　son　Bardanes。　Now　this　Bardanes　came　to　Izates；　and　would
have　persuaded　him　to　join　him　with　his　army；　and　to　assist　him
in　the　war　he　was　preparing　to　make　with　the　Romans；　but　he　could
not　prevail　with　him。　For　Izates　so　well　knew　the　strength　and
good　fortune　of　the　Romans；　that　he　took　Bardanes　to　attempt　what
was　impossible　to　be　done；　and　having　besides　sent　his　sons；　five
in　number；　and　they　but　young　also；　to　learn　accurately　the
language　of　our　nation；　together　with　our　learning；　as　well　as　he
had　sent　his　mother　to　worship　at　our　temple；　as　I　have　said
already；　was　the　more　backward　to　a　compliance；　and　restrained
Bardanes；　telling　him　perpetually　of　the　great　armies　and　famous
actions　of　the　Romans；　and　thought　thereby　to　terrify　him；　and
desired　thereby　to　hinder　him　from　that　expedition。　But　the
Parthian　king　was　provoked　at　this　his　behavior；　and　denounced
war　immediately　against　Izates。　Yet　did　he　gain　no　advantage　by
this　war；　because　God　cut　off　all　his　hopes　therein；　for　the
Parthians　perceiving　Bardanes's　intentions；　and　how　he　had
determined　to　make　war　with　the　Romans；　slew　him；　and　gave　his
kingdom　to　his　brother　Gotarzes。　He　also；　in　no　long　time；
perished　by　a　plot　made　against　him；　and　Vologases；　his　brother；
succeeded　him；　who　committed　two　of　his　provinces　to　two　of　his
brothers　by　the　same　father；　that　of　the　Medes　to　the　elder；
Pacorus；　and　Armenia　to　the　younger；　Tiridates。

CHAPTER　4。

How　Izates　Was　Betrayed　By　His　Own　Subjects；　And　Fought　Against
By　The　Arabians　And　How　Izates；　By　The　Providence　Of　God；　Was
Delivered　Out　Of　Their　Hands。

1。　Now　when　the　king's　brother；　Monobazus；　and　his　other　kindred；
saw　how　Izates；　by　his　piety　to　God；　was　become　greatly　esteemed
by　all　men；　they　also　had　a　desire　to　leave　the　religion　of　their
country；　and　to　embrace　the　customs　of　the　Jews；　but　that　act　of
theirs　was　discovered　by　Izates's　subjects。　Whereupon　the
grandees　were　much　displeased；　and　could　not　contain　their　anger
at　them；　but　had　an　intention；　when　they　should　find　a　proper
opportunity；　to　inflict　a　punishment　upon　them。　Accordingly；　they
wrote　to　Abia；　king　of　the　Arabians；　and　promised　him　great　sums
of　money；　if　he　would　make　an　expedition　against　their　king；　and
they　further　promised　him；　that；　on　the　first　onset；　they　would
desert　their　king；　because　they　were　desirous　to　punish　him；　by
reason　of　th