the antiquities of the jews-1-第165章

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out　of　regard　to　the　great　number　of　those　that　would　not　permit
him　to　do　what　he　intended。　So　he　encouraged　his　mother；　and　took
all　the　care　of　her　the　time　would　allow；　and　proceeded　on　the
way　he　proposed　to　go　with　the　utmost　haste；　and　that　was　to　the
fortress　of　Masada。　And　as　he　had　many　skirmishes　with　such　of
the　Parthians　as　attacked　him　and　pursued　him；　he　was　conqueror
in　them　all。

9。　Nor　indeed　was　he　free　from　the　Jews　all　along　as　he　was　in
his　flight；　for　by　that　time　he　was　gotten　sixty　furlongs　out　of
the　city；　and　was　upon　the　road；　they　fell　upon　him；　and　fought
hand　to　hand　with　him；　whom　he　also　put　to　flight；　and　overcame；
not　like　one　that　was　in　distress　and　in　necessity；　but　like　one
that　was　excellently　prepared　for　war；　and　had　what　he　wanted　in
great　plenty。　And　in　this　very　place　where　he　overcame　the　Jews
it　was　that　he　some　time　afterward　build　a　most　excellent　palace；
and　a　city　round　about　it；　and　called　it　Herodium。　And　when　he
was　come　to　Idumea；　at　a　place　called　Thressa；　his　brother　Joseph
met　him；　and　he　then　held　a　council　to　take　advice　about　all　his
affairs；　and　what　was　fit　to　be　done　in　his　circumstances；　since
he　had　a　great　multitude　that　followed　him；　besides　his　mercenary
soldiers；　and　the　place　Masada；　whither　he　proposed　to　fly；　was
too　small　to　contain　so　great　a　multitude；　so　he　sent　away　the
greater　part　of　his　company；　being　above　nine　thousand；　and　bid
them　go；　some　one　way；　and　some　another；　and　so　save　themselves
in　Idumea；　and　gave　them　what　would　buy　them　provisions　in　their
journey。　But　he　took　with　him　those　that　were　the　least
encumbered；　and　were　most　intimate　with　him；　and　came　to　the
fortress；　and　placed　there　his　wives　and　his　followers；　being
eight　hundred　in　number；　there　being　in　the　place　a　sufficient
quantity　of　corn　and　water；　and　other　necessaries；　and　went
directly　for　Petra；　in　Arabia。　But　when　it　was　day；　the　Parthians
plundered　all　Jerusalem；　and　the　palace；　and　abstained　from
nothing　but　Hyrcanus's　money；　which　was　three　hundred　talents。　A
great　deal　of　Herod's　money　escaped；　and　principally　all　that　the
man　had　been　so　provident　as　to　send　into　Idumea　beforehand；　nor
indeed　did　what　was　in　the　city　suffice　the　Parthians；　but　they
went　out　into　the　country；　and　plundered　it；　and　demolished　the
city　Marissa。

10。　And　thus　was　Antigonus　brought　back　into　Judea　by　the　king　of
the　Parthians；　and　received　Hyrcanus　and　Phasaelus　for　his
prisoners；　but　he　was　greatly　cast　down　because　the　women　had
escaped；　whom　he　intended　to　have　given　the　enemy；　as　having
promised　they　should　have　them；　with　the　money；　for　their　reward：
but　being　afraid　that　Hyrcanus；　who　was　under　the　guard　of　the
Parthians；　might　have　his　kingdom　restored　to　him　by　the
multitude；　he　cut　off　his　ears；　and　thereby　took　care　that　the
high　priesthood　should　never　come　to　him　any　more；　because　he　was
maimed；　while　the　law　required　that　this　dignity　should　belong　to
none　but　such　as　had　all　their　members　entire　（25）　But　now　one
cannot　but　here　admire　the　fortitude　of　Phasaelus；　who；
perceiving　that　he　was　to　be　put　to　death；　did　not　think　death
any　terrible　thing　at　all；　but　to　die　thus　by　the　means　of　his
enemy；　this　he　thought　a　most　pitiable　and　dishonorable　thing；
and　therefore；　since　he　had　not　his　hands　at　liberty；　but　the
bonds　he　was　in　prevented　him　from　killing　himself　thereby；　he
dashed　his　head　against　a　great　stone；　and　thereby　took　away　his
own　life；　which　he　thought　to　be　the　best　thing　he　could　do　in
such　a　distress　as　he　was　in；　and　thereby　put　it　out　of　the　power
of　the　enemy　to　bring　him　to　any　death　he　pleased。　It　is　also
reported；　that　when　he　had　made　a　great　wound　in　his　head；
Antigonus　sent　physicians　to　cure　it；　and；　by　ordering　them　to
infuse　poison　into　the　wound；　killed　him。　However；　Phasaelus
hearing；　before　he　was　quite　dead；　by　a　certain　woman；　that　his
brother　Herod　had　escaped　the　enemy；　underwent　his　death
cheerfully；　since　he　now　left　behind　him　one　who　would　revenge
his　death；　and　who　was　able　to　inflict　punishment　on　his　enemies。

CHAPTER　14。

How　Herod　Got　Away　From　The　King　Of　Arabia　And　Made　Haste　To　Go
Into　Egypt　And　Thence　Went　Away　In　Haste　Also　To　Rome；　And　How；
By　Promising　A　Great　Deal　Of　Money　To　Antony　He　Obtained　Of　The
Senate　And　Of　Caesar　To　Be　Made　King　Of　The　Jews。

1。　As　for　Herod；　the　great　miseries　he　was　in　did　not　discourage
him；　but　made　him　sharp　in　discovering　surprising　undertakings；
for　he　went　to　Malchus；　king　of　Arabia；　whom　he　had　formerly　been
very　kind　to；　in　order　to　receive　somewhat　by　way　of　requital；
now　he　was　in　more　than　ordinary　want　of　it；　and　desired　he　would
let　him　have　some　money；　either　by　way　of　loan；　or　as　his　free
gift；　on　account　of　the　many　benefits　he　had　received　from　him；
for　not　knowing　what　was　become　of　his　brother；　he　was　in　haste
to　redeem　him　out　of　the　hand　of　his　enemies；　as　willing　to　give
three　hundred　talents　for　the　price　of　his　redemption。　He　also
took　with　him　the　son　of　Phasaelus；　who　was　a　child　of　but　seven
years　of　age；　for　this　very　reason；　that　he　might　be　a　hostage
for　the　repayment　of　the　money。　But　there　came　messengers　from
Malchus　to　meet　him；　by　whom　he　was　desired　to　be　gone；　for　that
the　Parthians　had　laid　a　charge　upon　him　not　to　entertain　Herod。
This　was　only　a　pretense　which　he　made　use　of；　that　he　might　not
be　obliged　to　repay　him　what　he　owed　him；　and　this　he　was　further
induced　to　by　the　principal　men　among　the　Arabians；　that　they
might　cheat　him　of　what　sums　they　had　received　from　＇his　father＇
Antipater；　and　which　he　had　committed　to　their　fidelity。　He　made
answer；　that　he　did　not　intend　to　be　troublesome　to　them　by　his
coning　thither；　but　that　he　desired　only　to　discourse　with　them
about　certain　affairs　that　were　to　him　of　the　greatest
importance。

2。　Hereupon　he　resolved　to　go　away；　and　did　go　very　prudently　the
road　to　Egypt；　and　then　it　was　that　he　lodged　in　a　certain
temple；　for　he　had　left　a　great　many　of　his　followers　there。　On
the　next　day　he　came　to　Rhinocolura；　and　there　it　was　that　he
heard　what　was　befallen　his　brother。　Though　Malehus　soon　repented
of　what　he　had　done；　and　came　running　after　Herod；　but　with　no
manner　of　success；　for　he　was　gotten　a　very　great　way　off；　and
made　haste　into　the　road　to　Pelusium；　and　when　the　stationary
ships　that　lay　there　hindered　him　from　sailing　to　Alexandria；　he
went　to　their　captains；　by　whose　assistance；　and　that　out　of　much
reverence　of　and　great　regard　to　him；　he　was　conducted　into　the
city　＇Alexandria＇；　and　was　retained　there　by　Cleopatra；　yet　was
she　not　able　to　prevail　with　him　to　stay　there；　because　he　was
making　haste　to　Rome；　even　though　the　weather　was　stormy；　and　he
was　informed　that　the　affairs　of　Italy　were　very　tumultuous；　and
in　great　disorder。

3。　So　he　set　sail　from　thence　to　Pamphylia；　and　falling　into　a
violent　storm；　he　had　much　ado　to　escape　to　Rhodes；　with　the　loss
of　the　ship's　burden；　and　there　it　was　that　two　of　his　friends；
Sappinas　and　Ptolemeus；　met　with　him；　and　as　he　found　that　city
very　much　damaged　in　the　war　against　Cassius；　though　he　were　in
necessity　himself；　he　neglected　not　to　do　it　a　kindness；　but　did
what　he　could　to　recover　it　to　its　former　state。　He　also　built
there　a　three…decked　ship；　and　set　sail　thence；　with　his　friends；
for　Italy；　and　came　to　the　port　of　Brundusium；　and　when　he　was
come　from　thence　to　Rome；　he　first　related　to　Antony　what　had
befallen　him　in　Judea；　and　how　Phasaelus　his　brother　was　seized
on　by　the　Parthians；　and　put　to　death　by　them；　and　how　Hyrcanus
was　detained　captive　by　them；　and　how　they　had　made　Antigonus
king；　who　had　promised　them　a　sum　of　money；　no　less　than　a
thousand　talents；　with　five　hundred　women；　who　were　to　be　of　the
principal　families；　and　of　the　Jewish　stock；　and　that　he　had
carried　off　the　women　by　night；　and　that；　by　undergoing　a　great
many　hardships；　he　had　escaped　the　hands　of　his　enemies；　as　also；
that　his　own　relations　were　in　danger　of　being　besieged　and
taken；　and　that　he　had　sailed　through　a　storm；　and　contemned　all
these　terrible　dangers　of　it；　in　order　to　come；　as　soon　as
possible；　to　him；　who　was　his　hope　and　only　succor　at　this　time。

4。　This　account　made　Antony　commiserate　the　change　that　had
happened　in　Herod's　condition；　（26）　and　reasoning　with　himself
that　this　was　a　common　case　among　those　that　are　placed　in　such
great　dignities；　and　that　they　are　liable　to　the　mutations　that
come　from　fortune；　he　was　very　ready　to　give　him　the　assistance
he　desired；　and　this　because　he　called　to　mind　the　friendship　he
had　had　with　Antipater　because　Herod　offered　him　money　to　make
him　king；　as　he　had　formerly　given　it　him　to　make　him　tetrarch；
and　chiefly　because　of　his　hatred　to　Antigonus；　for　he　took　him
to　be　a　seditious　person；　and　an　enemy　to　the　Romans。　Caesar　was
also　the　forwarder　to　raise　Herod's　dignity；　and　to　give　him　his
assistance　in　what　he　desired；　on　account　of　the　toils　of　war
which　he　had　himself　undergone　with　Antipater　his　father　in
Egypt；　and　of　the　hospitality　he　had　treated　him　withal；　and　the
kindness　he　had　always　showed　him；　as　also　to　gratify　Antony；　who
was　very　zealous　for　Herod。　So　a　senate　was　convocated；　and
Messala　first；　and　then　Atratinus；　introduced　Herod　into　it；　and
enlarged　upon　the　benefits　they　had　received　from　his　father；　and
put　them　in　mind　of　the　good…will　he　had　borne　to　the　Romans。　At
the　same　time；　they　accused　Antigonus；　and　declared　him　an　enemy；
not　only　because　of　his　former　opposition　to　them；　but　that　he
had　now　overlooked　the　Romans；　and　taken　the　government　from　the
Parthians。　Upon　this　the　senate　was　irritated；　and　Antony
informed　them　further；　that　it　was　for　their　advantage　in　the
Parthian　war　that　Herod　should　be　king。　This　seemed　good　to　all
the　senators；　and　so　they　made　a　decree　accordingly。

5。　And　this　was　the　principal　instance　of　Antony's　affection　for
Herod；　that　he　not　only　procured　him　a　kingdom　which　he　did　not
expect；　（for　he　did　not　come　with　an　intention　to　ask　the　kingdom
for　himself；　which　he　did　not　suppose　the　Romans　would　grant　him；
who　used　to　bestow　it　on　some　of　the　royal　family；　but　intended
to　desire　it　for　his　wife's　brother；　who　was　grandson　by　his
father　to　Aristobulus；　and　to　Hyrcanus　by　his　mother；）　but　that
he　procured　it　for　him　so　suddenly；　that　he　obtained　what　he　did
not　expect；　and　departed　out　of　Italy　in　so　few　days　as　seven　in
all。　This　young　man　＇the　grandson＇　Herod　afterward　took　care　to
have　slain；　as　we　shall　show　in　its　proper　place。　But　when　the
senate　was　dissolved；　Antony　and　Caesar　went　out　of　the　senate
house　with　Herod　between　them；　and　with　the　consuls　and　other
magistrates　before　them；　in　order　to　offer　sacrifices；　and　to　lay
up　their　decrees　in　the　capitol。　Antony　also　feasted　Herod　the
first　day　of　his　reign。　And　thus　did　this　man　receive　the
kingdom；　having　obtained　it　on　the　hundred　and　eighty…fourth
olympiad；　when　Caius　Domitius　Calvinus　was　consul　the　second
time；　and　Caius　Asinius　Pollio　＇the　first　time＇。

6。　All　this　while　Antigonus　besieged　those　that　were　in　Masada；
who　had　plenty　of　all　other　necessaries；　but　were　only　in　want　of
water　（27）　insomuch