the antiquities of the jews-1-第320章

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Cumanus　had　taken　captives。　From　whence　he　came　to　a　certain
village　called　Lydda；　which　was　not　less　than　a　city　in
largeness；　and　there　heard　the　Samaritan　cause　a　second　time
before　his　tribunal；　and　there　learned　from　a　certain　Samaritan
that　one　of　the　chief　of　the　Jews；　whose　name　was　Dortus；　and
some　other　innovators　with　him；　four　in　number；　persuaded　the
multitude　to　a　revolt　from　the　Romans；　whom　Quadratus　ordered　to
be　put　to　death：　but　still　he　sent　away　Ananias　the　high　priest；
and　Ananus　the　commander　＇of　the　temple＇；　in　bonds　to　Rome；　to
give　an　account　of　what　they　had　done　to　Claudius　Caesar。　He　also
ordered　the　principal　men；　both　of　the　Samaritans　and　of　the
Jews；　as　also　Cumanus　the　procurator；　and　Ceier　the　tribune；　to
go　to　Italy　to　the　emperor；　that　he　might　hear　their　cause；　and
determine　their　differences　one　with　another。　But　he　came　again
to　the　city　of　Jerusalem；　out　of　his　fear　that　the　multitude　of
the　Jews　should　attempt　some　innovations；　but　he　found　the　city
in　a　peaceable　state；　and　celebrating　one　of　the　usual　festivals
of　their　country　to　God。　So　he　believed　that　they　would　not
attempt　any　innovations；　and　left　them　at　the　celebration　of　the
festival；　and　returned　to　Antioch。

3。　Now　Cumanus；　and　the　principal　of　the　Samaritans；　who　were
sent　to　Rome；　had　a　day　appointed　them　by　the　emperor　whereon
they　were　to　have　pleaded　their　cause　about　the　quarrels　they　had
one　with　another。　But　now　Caesar's　freed…men　and　his　friends　were
very　zealous　on　the　behalf　of　Cumanus　and　the　Samaritans；　and
they　had　prevailed　over　the　Jews；　unless　Agrippa；　junior；　who　was
then　at　Rome；　had　seen　the　principal　of　the　Jews　hard　set；　and
had　earnestly　entreated　Agrippina；　the　emperor's　wife；　to
persuade　her　husband　to　hear　the　cause；　so　as　was　agreeable　to
his　justice；　and　to　condemn　those　to　be　punished　who　were　really
the　authors　of　this　revolt　from　the　Roman　government：　…　whereupon
Claudius　was　so　well　disposed　beforehand；　that　when　he　had　heard
the　cause；　and　found　that　the　Samaritans　had　been　the　ringleaders
in　those　mischievous　doings；　he　gave　order　that　those　who　came　up
to　him　should　be　slain；　and　that　Cureanus　should　be　banished。　He
also　gave　order　that　Celer　the　tribune　should　be　carried　back　to
Jerusalem；　and　should　be　drawn　through　the　city　in　the　sight　of
all　the　people；　and　then　should　be　slain。

CHAPTER　7。

Felix　Is　Made　Procurator　Of　Judea；　As　Also　Concerning　Agrippa；
Junior　And　His　Sisters。

1。　So　Claudius　sent　Felix；　the　brother　of　Pallas；　to　take　care　of
the　affairs　of　Judea；　and　when　he　had　already　completed　the
twelfth　year　of　his　reign；　he　bestowed　upon　Agrippa　the　tetrarchy
of　Philip　and　Batanea；　and　added　thereto　Trachonites；　with　Abila；
which　last　had　been　the　tetrarchy　of　Lysanias；　but　he　took　from
him　Chalcis；　when　he　had　been　governor　thereof　four　years。　And
when　Agrippa　had　received　these　countries　as　the　gift　of　Caesar；
he　gave　his　sister　Drusilla　in　marriage　to　Azizus；　king　of　Emesa；
upon　his　consent　to　be　circumcised；　for　Epiphanes；　the　son　of
king　Antiochus；　had　refused　to　marry　her；　because；　after　he　had
promised　her　father　formerly　to　come　over　to　the　Jewish　religion；
he　would　not　now　perform　that　promise。　He　also　gave　Mariamne　in
marriage　to　Archelaus；　the　son　of　Helcias；　to　whom　she　had
formerly　been　betrothed　by　Agrippa　her　father；　from　which
marriage　was　derived　a　daughter；　whose　name　was　Bernice。

2。　But　for　the　marriage　of　Drusilla　with　Azizus；　it　was　in　no
long　time　afterward　dissolved　upon　the　following　occasion：　While
Felix　was　procurator　of　Judea；　he　saw　this　Drusilla；　and　fell　in
love　with　her；　for　she　did　indeed　exceed　all　other　women　in
beauty；　and　he　sent　to　her　a　person　whose　name　was　Simon　（13）　one
of　his　friends；　a　Jew　he　was；　and　by　birth　a　Cypriot；　and　one　who
pretended　to　be　a　magician；　and　endeavored　to　persuade　her　to
forsake　her　present　husband；　and　marry　him；　and　promised；　that　if
she　would　not　refuse　him；　he　would　make　her　a　happy　woman。
Accordingly　she　acted　ill；　and　because　she　was　desirous　to　avoid
her　sister　Bernice's　envy；　for　she　was　very　ill　treated　by　her　on
account　of　her　beauty；　was　prevailed　upon　to　transgress　the　laws
of　her　forefathers；　and　to　marry　Felix；　and　when　he　had　had　a　son
by　her；　he　named　him　Agrippa。　But　after　what　manner　that　young
man；　with　his　wife；　perished　at　the　conflagration　of　the　mountain
Vesuvius；　（14）　in　the　days　of　Titus　Caesar；　shall　be　related
hereafter。　（15）

3。　But　as　for　Bernice；　she　lived　a　widow　a　long　while　after　the
death　of　Herod　＇king　of　Chalcis＇；　who　was　both　her　husband　and
her　uncle；　but　when　the　report　went　that　she　had　criminal
conversation　with　her　brother；　＇Agrippa；　junior；＇　she　persuaded
Poleme；　who　was　king　of　Cilicia；　to　be　circumcised；　and　to　marry
her；　as　supposing　that　by　this　means　she　should　prove　those
calumnies　upon　her　to　be　false；　and　Poleme　was　prevailed　upon；
and　that　chiefly　on　account　of　her　riches。　Yet　did　not　this
matrimony　endure　long；　but　Bernice　left　Poleme；　and；　as　was　said；
with　impure　intentions。　So　he　forsook　at　once　this　matrimony；　and
the　Jewish　religion；　and；　at　the　same　time；　Mariamne　put　away
Archclaus；　and　was　married　to　Demetrius；　the　principal　man　among
the　Alexandrian　Jews；　both　for　his　family　and　his　wealth；　and
indeed　he　was　then　their　alabarch。　So　she　named　her　son　whom　she
had　by　him　Agrippinus。　But　of　all　these　particulars　we　shall
hereafter　treat　more　exactly。　（16）

CHAPTER　8。

After　What　Manner　Upon　The　Death　Of　Claudius；　Nero　Succeeded　In
The　Government；　As　Also　What　Barbarous　Things　He　Did。　Concerning
The　Robbers；　Murderers　And　Impostors；　That　Arose　While　Felix　And
Festus　Were　Procurators　Of　Judea。

1。　Now　Claudius　Caesar　died　when　he　had　reigned　thirteen　years；
eight　months；　and　twenty　days；　（17）　and　a　report　went　about　that
he　was　poisoned　by　his　wife　Agrippina。　Her　father　was　Germanicus；
the　brother　of　Caesar。　Her　husband　was　Domitius　Aenobarbus；　one
of　the　most　illustrious　persons　that　was　in　the　city　of　Rome；
after　whose　death；　and　her　long　continuance　in　widowhood；
Claudius　took　her　to　wife。　She　brought　along　with　her　a　son；
Domtitus；　of　the　same　name　with　his　father。　He　had　before　this
slain　his　wife　Messalina；　out　of　jealousy；　by　whom　he　had　his
children　Britannicus　and　Octavia；　their　eldest　sister　was
Antonia；　whom　he　had　by　Pelina　his　first　wife。　He　also　married
Octavia　to　Nero；　for　that　was　the　name　that　Caesar　gave　him
afterward；　upon　his　adopting　him　for　his　son。

2。　But　now　Agrippina　was　afraid；　lest；　when　Britannicus　should
come　to　man's　estate；　he　should　succeed　his　father　in　the
government；　and　desired　to　seize　upon　the　principality　beforehand
for　her　own　son　＇Nero＇；　upon　which　the　report　went　that　she
thence　compassed　the　death　of　Claudius。　Accordingly；　she　sent
Burrhus；　the　general　of　the　army；　immediately；　and　with　him　the
tribunes；　and　such　also　of　the　freed…men　as　were　of　the　greatest
authority；　to　bring　Nero　away　into　the　camp；　and　to　salute　him
emperor。　And　when　Nero　had　thus　obtained　the　government；　he　got
Britannicus　to　be　so　poisoned；　that　the　multitude　should　not
perceive　it；　although　he　publicly　put　his　own　mother　to　death　not
long　afterward；　making　her　this　requital；　not　only　for　being　born
of　her；　but　for　bringing　it　so　about　by　her　contrivances　that　he
obtained　the　Roman　empire。　He　also　slew　Octavia　his　own　wife；　and
many　other　illustrious　persons；　under　this　pretense；　that　they
plotted　against　him。

3。　But　I　omit　any　further　discourse　about　these　affairs；　for
there　have　been　a　great　many　who　have　composed　the　history　of
Nero；　some　of　which　have　departed　from　the　truth　of　facts　out　of
favor；　as　having　received　benefits　from　him；　while　others；　out　of
hatred　to　him；　and　the　great　ill…will　which　they　bare　him；　have
so　impudently　raved　against　him　with　their　lies；　that　they　justly
deserve　to　be　condemned。　Nor　do　I　wonder　at　such　as　have　told
lies　of　Nero；　since　they　have　not　in　their　writings　preserved　the
truth　of　history　as　to　those　facts　that　were　earlier　than　his
time；　even　when　the　actors　could　have　no　way　incurred　their
hatred；　since　those　writers　lived　a　long　time　after　them。　But　as
to　those