the antiquities of the jews-1-第196章

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Bagoas　the　eunuch；　and　one　Carus；　who　exceeded　all　men　of　that
time　in　comeliness；　and　one　that　was　his　catamite。　He　slew　also
all　those　of　his　own　family　who　had　consented　to　what　the
Pharisees　foretold；　and　for　Bagoas；　he　had　been　puffed　up　by
them；　as　though　he　should　be　named　the　father　and　the　benefactor
of　him　who；　by　the　prediction；　was　foretold　to　be　their　appointed
king；　for　that　this　king　would　have　all　things　in　his　power；　and
would　enable　Bagoas　to　marry；　and　to　have　children　of　his　own
body　begotten。

CHAPTER　3。

Concerning　The　Enmity　Between　Herod　And　Pheroras；　How　Herod　Sent
Antipater　To　Caesar；　And　Of　The　Death　Of　Pheroras。

1。　When　Herod　had　punished　those　Pharisees　who　had　been　convicted
of　the　foregoing　crimes；　he　gathered　an　assembly　together　of　his
friends；　and　accused　Pheroras's　wife；　and　ascribing　the　abuses　of
the　virgins　to　the　impudence　of　that　woman；　brought　an　accusation
against　her　for　the　dishonor　she　had　brought　upon　them：　that　she
had　studiously　introduced　a　quarrel　between　him　and　his　brother；
and；　by　her　ill　temper；　had　brought　them　into　a　state　of　war；
both　by　her　words　and　actions；　that　the　fines　which　he　had　laid
had　not　been　paid；　and　the　offenders　had　escaped　punishment　by
her　means；　and　that　nothing　which　had　of　late　been　done　had　been
done　without　her；　〃for　which　reason　Pheroras　would　do　well；　if　he
would　of　his　own　accord；　and　by　his　own　command；　and　not　at　my
entreaty；　or　as　following　my　opinion；　put　this　his　wife　away；　as
one　that　will　still　be　the　occasion　of　war　between　thee　and　me。
And　now；　Pheroras；　if　thou　valuest　thy　relation　to　me；　put　this
wife　of　thine　away；　for　by　this　means　thou　wilt　continue　to　be　a
brother　to　me；　and　wilt　abide　in　thy　love　to　me。〃　Then　said
Pheroras；　（although　he　was　pressed　hard　by　the　former　words；）
that　as　he　would　not　do　so　unjust　a　thing　as　to　renounce　his
brotherly　relation　to　him；　so　would　he　not　leave　off　his
affection　for　his　wife；　that　he　would　rather　choose　to　die　than
to　live；　and　be　deprived　of　a　wife　that　was　so　dear　unto　him。
Hereupon　Herod　put　off　his　anger　against　Pheroras　on　these
accounts；　although　he　himself　thereby　underwent　a　very　uneasy
punishment。　However；　he　forbade　Antipater　and　his　mother　to　have
any　conversation　with　Pheroras；　and　bid　them　to　take　care　to
avoid　the　assemblies　of　the　women；　which　they　promised　to　do；　but
still　got　together　when　occasion　served；　and　both　Ptieroras　and
Antipater　had　their　own　merry　meetings。　The　report　went　also；
that　Antipater　had　criminal　conversation　with　Pheroras's　wife；
and　that　they　were　brought　together　by　Antipater's　mother。

2。　But　Antipater　had　now　a　suspicion　of　his　father；　and　was
afraid　that　the　effects　of　his　hatred　to　him　might　increase；　so
he　wrote　to　his　friends　at　Rome；　and　bid　them　to　send　to　Herod；
that　he　would　immediately　send　Antipater　to　Caesar；　which　when　it
was　done；　Herod　sent　Antipater　thither；　and　sent　most　noble
presents　along　with　him；　as　also　his　testament；　wherein　Antipater
was　appointed　to　be　his　successor；　and　that　if　Antipater　should
die　first；　his　son　＇Herod　Philip＇　by　the　high　priest's　daughter
should　succeed。　And；　together　with　Antipater；　there　went　to　Rome
Sylleus　the　Arabian；　although　he　had　done　nothing　of　all　that
Caesar　had　enjoined　him。　Antipater　also　accused　him　of　the　same
crimes　of　which　he　had　been　formerly　accused　by　Herod。　Sylleus
was　also　accused　by　Aretas；　that　without　his　consent　he　had　slain
many　of　the　chief　of　the　Arabians　at　Petra；　and　particularly
Soemus；　a　man　that　deserved　to　be　honored　by　all　men；　and　that　he
had　slain　Fabatus；　a　servant　of　Caesar。　These　were　the　things　of
which　Sylleus　was　accused；　and　that　on　the　occasion　following：
There　was　one　Corinthus；　belonging　to　Herod；　of　the　guards　of　the
king's　body；　and　one　who　was　greatly　trusted　by　him。　Sylleus　had
persuaded　this　man　with　the　offer　of　a　great　sum　of　money　to　kill
Herod；　and　he　had　promised　to　do　it。　When　Fabatus　had　been　made
acquainted　with　this；　for　Sylleus　had　himself　told　him　of　it；　he
informed　the　king　of　it；　who　caught　Corinthus；　and　put　him　to　the
torture；　and　thereby　got　out　of　him　the　whole　conspiracy。　He　also
caught　two　other　Arabians；　who　were　discovered　by　Corinthus；　the
one　the　head　of　a　tribe；　and　the　other　a　friend　to　Sylleus；　who
both　were　by　the　king　brought　to　the　torture；　and　confessed　that
they　were　come　to　encourage　Corinthus　not　to　fail　of　doing　what
he　had　undertaken　to　do；　and　to　assist　him　with　their　own　hands
in　the　murder；　if　need　should　require　their　assistance。　So
Saturninns；　upon　Herod's　discovering　the　whole　to　him；　sent　them
to　Rome。

3。　At　this　time　Herod　commanded　Pheroras；　that　since　he　was　so
obstinate　in　his　affection　for　his　wife；　he　should　retire　into
his　own　tetrarchy；　which　he　did　very　willingly；　and　sware　many
oaths　that　he　would　not　come　again　till　he　heard　that　Herod　was
dead。　And　indeed　when；　upon　a　sickness　of　the　king；　he　was
desired　to　come　to　him　before　he　died；　that　he　might　intrust　him
with　some　of　his　injunctions；　he　had　such　a　regard　to　his　oath；
that　he　would　not　come　to　him；　yet　did　not　Herod　so　retain　his
hatred　to　Pheroras；　but　remitted　of　his　purpose　＇not　to　see　him＇；
which　he　before　had；　and　that　for　such　great　causes　as　have　been
already　mentioned：　but　as　soon　as　he　began　to　be　ill；　he　came　to
him；　and　this　without　being　sent　for；　and　when　he　was　dead；　he
took　care　of　his　funeral；　and　had　his　body　brought　to　Jerusalem；
and　buried　there；　and　appointed　a　solemn　mourning　for　him。　This
＇death　of　Pheroras＇　became　the　origin　of　Antipater's　misfortunes；
although　he　were　already　sailed　for　Rome；　God　now　being　about　to
punish　him　for　the　murder　of　his　brethren；　I　will　explain　the
history　of　this　matter　very　distinctly；　that　it　may　be　for　a
warning　to　mankind；　that　they　take　care　of　conducting　their　whole
lives　by　the　rules　of　virtue。

CHAPTER　4。

Pheroras's　Wife　Is　Accused　By　His　Freedmen；　As　Guilty　Of
Poisoning　Him；　And　How　Herod；　Upon　Examining；　Of　The　Matter　By
Torture　Found　The　Poison；　But　So　That　It　Had　Been　Prepared　For
Himself　By　His　Son　Antipater；　And　Upon　An　Inquiry　By　Torture　He
Discovered　The　Dangerous　Designs　Of　Antipater。

1。　As　soon　as　Pheroras　was　dead；　and　his　funeral　was　over；　two　of
Pheroras's　freed…men；　who　were　much　esteemed　by　him；　came　to
Herod；　and　entreated　him　not　to　leave　the　murder　of　his　brother
without　avenging　it；　but　to　examine　into　such　an　unreasonable　and
unhappy　death。　When　he　was　moved　with　these　words；　for　they
seemed　to　him　to　be　true；　they　said　that　Pheroras　supped　with　his
wife　the　day　before　he　fell　sick；　and　that　a　certain　potion　was
brought　him　in　such　a　sort　of　food　as　he　was　not　used　to　eat；　but
that　when　he　had　eaten；　he　died　of　it：　that　this　potion　was
brought　out　of　Arabia　by　a　woman；　under　pretense　indeed　as　a
love…potion；　for　that　was　its　name；　but　in　reality　to　kill
Pheroras；　for　that　the　Arabian　women　are　skillful　in　making　such
poisons：　and　the　woman　to　whom　they　ascribe　this　was　confessedly
a　most　intimate　friend　of　one　of　Sylleus's　mistresses；　and　that
both　the　mother　and　the　sister　of　Pheroras's　wife　had　been　at　the
places　where　she　lived；　and　had　persuaded　her　to　sell　them　this
potion；　and　had　come　back　and　brought　it　with　them　the　day　before
that　his　supper。　Hereupon　the　king　was　provoked；　and　put　the
women　slaves　to　the　torture；　and　some　that　were　free　with　them；
and　as　the　fact　did　not　yet　appear；　because　none　of　them　would
confess　it；　at　length　one　of　them；　under　the　utmost　agonies；　said
no　more　but　this；　that　she　prayed　that　God　would　send　the　like
agonies　upon　Antipater's　mother；　who　had　been　the　occasion　of
these　miseries　to　all　of　them。　This　prayer　induced　Herod　to
increase　the　women's　tortures；　till　thereby　all　was　discovered；
their　merry　meetings；　their　secret　assemblies；　and　the　disclosing
of　what　he　had　said　to　his　son　alone　unto　Pheroras's　（4）　women。
（Now　what　Herod　had　charged　Antipater　to　conceal；　was　the　gift　of
a　hundred　talents　to　him　not　to　have　any　conversation　with
Pheroras。）　And　what　hatred　he　bore　to　his　father；　and　that　he
complained　to　his　mother　how　very　long　his　father　lived；　and　that
he　was　himself　almost　an　old　man；　insomuch　that　if　the　kingdom
should　come　to　him；　it　would　not　afford　him　any　great　pleasure；
and　that　there　were　a　great　many　of　his　brothers；　or　brothers'
children；　bringing　up；　that　might　have　hopes　of　the　kingdom　as
well　as　himself；　all　which　made　his　own　hopes　of　it　uncertain；
for　that　even　now；　if　he　should　himself　not　live；　Herod　had
ordained　that　the　government　should　be　conferred；　not　on　his　son；
but　rather　on　a　brother。　He　also　had　accused　the　king　of　great
barbarity；　and　of　the　slaughter　of　his　sons；　and　that　it　was　out
of　the　fear　he　was　under；　lest　he　should　do　the　like　to　him；　that
made　him　contrive　this　his　journey　to　Rome；　and　Pheroras　contrive
to　go　to　his　own　tetrarchy。　（5）

2。　These　confessions　agreed　with　what　his　sister　had　told　him；
and　tended　greatly　to　corroborate　her　testimony；　and　to　free　her
from　the　suspicion　of　her　unfaithfulness　to　him。　So　the　king
having　satisfied　himself　of　the　spite　which　Doris；　Antipater's
mother；　as　well　as　himself；　bore　to　him；　took　away　from　her　all
her　fine　ornaments；　which　were　worth　many　talents；　and　then　sent
her　away；　and　entered　into　friendship　with　Pheroras's　women。　But
he　who　most　of　all　irritated　the　king　against　his　son　was　one
Antipater；　the　procurator　of　Antipater　the　king's　son；　who；　when
he　was　tortured；　among　other　things；　said　that　Antipater　had
prepared　a　deadly　potion；　and　given　it　to　Pheroras；　with　his
desire　that　he　would　give　it　to　his　father　during　his　absence；
and　when　he　was　too　remote　to　have　the　least　suspicion　cast　upon
him　thereto　relating；　that　Antiphilus；　one　of　Antipater's
friends；　brought　that　potion　out　of　Egypt；　and　that　it　was　sent
to　Pheroras　by　Thendion；　the　brother　of　the　mother　of　Antipater；
the　king's　son；　and　by　that　means　came　to　Pheroras's　wife；　her
husband　having　given　it　her　to　keep。　And　when　the　king　asked　her
about　it；　she　confessed　it；　and　as　she　was　running　to　fetch　it；
she　threw　herself　down　from　the　house…top；　yet　did　she　not　kill
herself；　because　she　fell　upon　her　feet；　by　which　means；　when　the
king　had　comforted　her；　and　had　promised　her　and　her　domestics
pardon；　upon　condition　of　their　concealing　nothing　of　the　truth
from　him；　but　had　threatened　her　with　the　utmost　miseries　if　she
proved　ungrateful　＇and　concealed　any　thing＇：　so　she　promised；　and
swore　that　she　would　speak　out　every　thing；　and　tell　after　what
manner　every　thing　was　done；　and　said　what　many　took　to　be
entirely　true；　that　the　potion　was　brought　out　of　Egypt　by
Antiphilus；　and　that　his　brother；　who　was　a　physician；　had
procured　it；　and　that〃　when　Thendion　brought　it　us；　she　kept　it
upon　Pheroras's　committing　it　to　her；　and　that　it　was　prepared　by
Antipater　for　thee。　When；　therefore；　Pheroras　was　fallen　sick；
and　thou　camest　to　him　and　tookest　care　of　him；　and　when　he　saw
the　kindness　thou　hadst　for　him；　his　mind　was　overborne　thereby。
So　he　called　me　to　him；　and　said　to　me；　'O　woman！　Antipater　hath
circumvented　me　in　this　affair　of　his　father　and　my　brother；　by
persuading　me　to　have　a　murdero