the antiquities of the jews-1-第175章

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him；　but　profitably　for　thee。　Now；　therefore；　in　case　thou
determinest　about　me；　and　my　alacrity　in　serving　Antony；
according　to　thy　anger　at　him；　I　own　there　is　no　room　for　me　to
deny　what　I　have　done；　nor　will　I　be　ashamed　to　own；　and　that
publicly　too；　that　I　had　a　great　kindness　for　him。　But　if　thou
wilt　put　him　out　of　the　case；　and　only　examine　how　I　behave
myself　to　my　benefactors　in　general；　and　what　sort　of　friend　I
am；　thou　wilt　find　by　experience　that　we　shall　do　and　be　the　same
to　thyself；　for　it　is　but　changing　the　names；　and　the　firmness　of
friendship　that　we　shall　bear　to　thee　will　not　be　disapproved　by
thee。〃

7。　By　this　speech；　and　by　his　behavior；　which　showed　Caesar　the
frankness　of　his　mind；　he　greatly　gained　upon　him；　who　was
himself　of　a　generous　and　magnificent　temper；　insomuch　that　those
very　actions；　which　were　the　foundation　of　the　accusation　against
him；　procured　him　Caesar's　good…will。　Accordingly；　he　restored
him　his　diadem　again；　and　encouraged　him　to　exhibit　himself　as
great　a　friend　to　himself　as　he　had　been　to　Antony；　and　then　had
him　in　great　esteem。　Moreover；　he　added　this；　that　Quintus　Didius
had　written　to　him　that　Herod　had　very　readily　assisted　him　in
the　affair　of　the　gladiators。　So　when　he　had　obtained　such　a　kind
reception；　and　had；　beyond　all　his　hopes；　procured　his　crown　to
be　more　entirely　and　firmly　settled　upon　him　than　ever　by
Caesar's　donation；　as　well　as　by　that　decree　of　the　Romans；　which
Caesar　took　care　to　procure　for　his　greater　security；　he
conducted　Caesar　on　his　way　to　Egypt；　and　made　presents；　even
beyond　his　ability；　to　both　him　and　his　friends；　and　in　general
behaved　himself　with　great　magnanimity。　He　also　desired　that
Caesar　would　not　put　to　death　one　Alexander；　who　had　been　a
companion　of　Antony；　but　Caesar　had　sworn　to　put　him　to　death；
and　so　he　could　not　obtain　that　his　petition。　And　now　he　returned
to　Judea　again　with　greater　honor　and　assurance　than　ever；　and
affrighted　those　that　had　expectations　to　the　contrary；　as　still
acquiring　from　his　very　dangers　greater　splendor　than　before；　by
the　favor　of　God　to　him。　So　he　prepared　for　the　reception　of
Caesar；　as　he　was　going　out　of　Syria　to　invade　Egypt；　and　when　he
came；　he　entertained　him　at　Ptolemais　with　all　royal
magnificence。　He　also　bestowed　presents　on　the　army；　and　brought
them　provisions　in　abundance。　He　also　proved　to　be　one　of
Caesar's　most　cordial　friends；　and　put　the　army　in　array；　and
rode　along　with　Caesar；　and　had　a　hundred　and　fifty　men；　well
appointed　in　all　respects；　after　a　rich　and　sumptuous　manner；　for
the　better　reception　of　him　and　his　friends。　He　also　provided
them　with　what　they　should　want；　as　they　passed　over　the　dry
desert；　insomuch　that　they　lacked　neither　wine　nor　water；　which
last　the　soldiers　stood　in　the　greatest　need　of；　and　besides；　he
presented　Caesar　with　eight　hundred　talents；　and　procured　to
himself　the　good…will　of　them　all；　because　he　was　assisting　to
them　in　a　much　greater　and　more　splendid　degree　than　the　kingdom
he　had　obtained　could　afford；　by　which　means　he　more　and　more
demonstrated　to　Caesar　the　firmness　of　his　friendship；　and　his
readiness　to　assist　him；　and　what　was　of　the　greatest　advantage
to　him　was　this；　that　his　liberality　came　at　a　seasonable　time
also。　And　when　they　returned　again　out　of　Egypt；　his　assistances
were　no　way　inferior　to　the　good　offices　he　had　formerly　done
them。

CHAPTER　7。

How　Herod　Slew　Sohemus　And　Mariamne　And　Afterward　Alexandra　And
Costobarus；　And　His　Most　Intimate　Friends；　And　At　Last　The　Sons
Of　Babbas　Also。

1。　However；　when　he　came　into　his　kingdom　again；　he　found　his
house　all　in　disorder；　and　his　wife　Mariamne　and　her　mother
Alexandra　very　uneasy；　for　as　they　supposed　（what　was　easy　to　be
supposed）　that　they　were　not　put　into　that　fortress　＇Alexandrium＇
for　the　security　of　their　persons；　but　as　into　a　garrison　for
their　imprisonment；　and　that　they　had　no　power　over　any　thing；
either　of　others　or　of　their　own　affairs；　they　were　very　uneasy；
and　Mariamne　supposing　that　the　king's　love　to　her　was　but
hypocritical；　and　rather　pretended　（as　advantageous　to　himself）
than　real；　she　looked　upon　it　as　fallacious。　She　also　was　grieved
that　he　would　not　allow　her　any　hopes　of　surviving　him；　if　he
should　come　to　any　harm　himself。　She　also　recollected　what
commands　he　had　formerly　given　to　Joseph；　insomuch　that　she
endeavored　to　please　her　keepers；　and　especially　Sohemus；　as　well
apprized　how　all　was　in　his　power。　And　at　the　first　Sohemus　was
faithful　to　Herod；　and　neglected　none　of　the　things　he　had　given
him　in　charge；　but　when　the　women；　by　kind　words　and　liberal
presents；　had　gained　his　affections　over　to　them；　he　was　by
degrees　overcome；　and　at　length　discovered　to　them　all　the　king's
injunctions；　and　this　on　that　account　principally；　that　he　did
not　so　much　as　hope　he　would　come　back　with　the　same　authority　he
had　before；　so　that　he　thought　he　should　both　escape　any　danger
from　him；　mid　supposed　that　he　did　hereby　much　gratify　the　women；
who　were　likely　not　to　be　overlooked　in　the　settling　of　the
government；　nay；　that　they　would　be　able　to　make　him　abundant
recompense；　since　they　must　either　reign　themselves；　or　be　very
near　to　him　that　should　reign。　He　had　a　further　ground　of　hope
also；　that　though　Herod　should　have　all　the　success　he　could　wish
for；　and　should　return　again；　he　could　not　contradict　his　wife　in
what　she　desired；　for　he　knew　that　the　king's　fondness　for　his
wife　was　inexpressible。　These　were　the　motives　that　drew　Sohemus
to　discover　what　injunctions　had　been　given　him。　So　Mariamne　was
greatly　displeased　to　hear　that　there　was　no　end　of　the　dangers
she　was　under　from　Herod；　and　was　greatly　uneasy　at　it；　and
wished　that　he　might　obtain　no　favors　＇from　Caesar＇；　and　esteemed
it　almost　an　insupportable　task　to　live　with　him　any　longer；　and
this　she　afterward　openly　declared；　without　concealing　her
resentment。

2。　And　now　Herod　sailed　home　with　joy；　at　the　unexpected　good
success　he　had　had；　and　went　first　of　all；　as　was　proper；　to　this
his　wife；　and　told　her；　and　her　only；　the　good　news；　as
preferring　her　before　the　rest；　on　account　of　his　fondness　for
her；　and　the　intimacy　there　had　been　between　them；　and　saluted
her；　but　so　it　happened；　that　as　he　told　her　of　the　good　success
he　had　had；　she　was　so　far　from　rejoicing　at　it；　that　she　rather
was　sorry　for　it；　nor　was　she　able　to　conceal　her　resentments；
but；　depending　on　her　dignity；　and　the　nobility　of　her　birth；　in
return　for　his　salutations；　she　gave　a　groan；　and　declared
evidently　that　she　rather　grieved　than　rejoiced　at　his　success；
and　this　till　Herod　was　disturbed　at　her；　as　affording　him；　not
only　marks　of　her　suspicion；　but　evident　signs　of　her
dissatisfaction。　This　much　troubled　him；　to　see　that　this
surprising　hatred　of　his　wife　to　him　was　not　concealed；　but　open；
and　he　took　this　so　ill；　and　yet　was　so　unable　to　bear　it；　on
account　of　the　fondness　he　had　for　her；　that　he　could　not
continue　long　in　any　one　mind；　but　sometimes　was　angry　at　her；
and　sometimes　reconciled　himself　to　her；　but　by　always　changing
one　passion　for　another；　he　was　still　in　great　uncertainty；　and
thus　was　he　entangled　between　hatred　and　love；　and　was　frequently
disposed　to　inflict　punishment　on　her　for　her　insolence　towards
him；　but　being　deeply　in　love　with　her　in　his　soul；　he　was　not
able　to　get　quit　of　this　woman。　In　short；　as　he　would　gladly　have
her　punished；　so　was　he　afraid　lest；　ere　he　were　aware；　he
should；　by　putting　her　to　death；　bring　a　heavier　punishment　upon
himself　at　the　same　time。

3。　When　Herod's　sister　and　mother　perceived　that　he　was　in　this
temper　with　regard　to　Mariamne　they　thought　they　had　now　got　an
excellent　opportunity　to　exercise　their　hatred　against　her　and
provoked　Herod　to　wrath　by　telling　him；　such　long　stories　and
calumnies　about　her；　as　might　at　once　excite　his　hatred　and　his
jealousy。　Now；　though　he　willingly　enough　heard　their　words；　yet
had　not　he　courage　enough　to　do　any　thing　to　her　as　if　he
believed　them；　but　still　he　became　worse　and　worse　disposed　to
her；　and　these　ill　passions　were　more　and　more　inflamed　on　both
sides；　while　she　did　not　hide　her　disposition　towards　him；　and　he
turned　his　love　to　her　into　wrath　against　her。　But　when　he　was
just　going　to　put　this　matter　past　all　remedy；　he　heard　the　news
that　Caesar　was　the　victor　in　the　war；　and　that　Antony　and
Cleopatra　were　both　dead；　and　that　he　had　conquered　Egypt；
whereupon　he　made　haste　to　go　to　meet　Caesar；　and　left　the
affairs　of　his　family　in　their　present　state。　However；　Mariamne
recommended　Sohemus　to　him；　as　he　was　setting　out　on　his　journey；
and　professed　that　she　owed　him　thanks　for　the　care　he　had　taken
of　her；　and　asked　of　the　king　for　him　a　place　in　the　government；
upon　which　an　honorable　employment　was　bestowed　upon　him
accordingly。　Now　when　Herod　was　come　into　Egypt；　he　was
introduced　to　Caesar　with　great　freedom；　as　already　a　friend　of
his；　and　received　very　great　favors　from　him；　for　he　made　him　a
present　of　those　four　hundred　Galatians　who　had　been　Cleopatra's
guards；　and　restored　that　country　to　him　again；　which；　by　her
means；　had　been　taken　away　from　him。　He　also　added　to　his　kingdom
Gadara；　Hippos；　and　Samaria；　and；　besides　those；　the　maritime
cities；　Gaza；　and　Anthedon；　and　Joppa；　and　Strato's　Tower。

4。　Upon　these　new　acquisitions；　he　grew　more　magnificent；　and
conducted　Caesar　as　far　as　Antioch；　but　upon　his　return；　as　much
as　his　prosperity　was　augmented　by　the　foreign　additions　that　had
been　made　him；　so　much　the　greater　were　the　distresses　that　came
upon　him　in　his　own　family；　and　chiefly　in　the　affair　of　his
wife；　wherein　he　formerly　appeared　to　have　been　most　of　all
fortunate；　for　the　affection　he　had　for　Mariamne　was　no　way
inferior　to　the　affections　of　such　as　are　on　that　account
celebrated　in　history；　and　this　very　justly。　As　for　her；　she　was
in　other　respects　a　chaste　woman；　and　faithful　to　him；　yet　had
she　somewhat　of　a　woman　rough　by　nature；　and　treated　her　husband
imperiously　enough；　because　she　saw　he　was　so　fond　of　her　as　to
be　enslaved　to　her。　She　did　not　also　consider　seasonably　with
herself　that　she　lived　under　a　monarchy；　and　that　she　was　at
another's　disposal；　and　accordingly　would　behave　herself　after　a
saucy　manner　to　him；　which　yet　he　usually　put　off　in　a　jesting
way；　and　bore　with　moderation　and　good　temper。　She　would　also
expose　his　mother　and　his　sister　openly；　on　account　of　the
meanness　of　their　birth；　and　would　speak　unkindly　of　them；
insomuch　that　there　was　before　this　a　disagreement　and
unpardonable　hatred　among　the　women；　and　it　was　now　come　to
greater　reproaches　of　one　another　than　formerly；　which　suspicions
increased；　and　lasted　a　whole　year　after　Herod　returned　from
Caesar。　However；　these　misfortunes；　which　had　been　kept　under
some　decency　for　a　great　while；　burst　out　all　at　once　upon　such
an　occasion　as　was　now　offered；　for　as　the　king　was　one　day　about
noon　lain　down　on　his　bed　to　rest　him；　he　called　for　Mariamne；
out　of　the　great　affection　he　had　always　for　her。　She　came　in
accordingly；　but　would　not　lie　down　by　him；　and　when　he　was　very
desirous　of　her　company；　she　showed　he