the antiquities of the jews-1-第197章

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circumvented　me　in　this　affair　of　his　father　and　my　brother；　by
persuading　me　to　have　a　murderous　intention　to　him；　and　procuring
a　potion　to　be　subservient　thereto；　do　thou；　therefore；　go　and
fetch　my　potion；　（since　my　brother　appears　to　have　still　the　same
virtuous　disposition　towards　me　which　he　had　formerly；　and　I　do
not　expect　to　live　long　myself；　and　that　I　may　not　defile　my
forefathers　by　the　murder　of　a　brother；）　and　burn　it　before　my
face：'　that　accordingly　she　immediately　brought　it；　and　did　as
her　husband　bade　her；　and　that　she　burnt　the　greatest　part　of　the
potion；　but　that　a　little　of　it　was　left；　that　if　the　king；　after
Pheroras's　death；　should　treat　her　ill；　she　might　poison　herself；
and　thereby　get　clear　of　her　miseries。〃　Upon　her　saying　thus；　she
brought　out　the　potion；　and　the　box　in　which　it　was；　before　them
all。　Nay；　there　was　another　brother　of　Antiphilus；　and　his　mother
also；　who；　by　the　extremity　of　pain　and　torture；　confessed　the
same　things；　and　owned　the　box　＇to　be　that　which　had　been　brought
out　of　Egypt＇。　The　high　priest's　daughter　also；　who　was　the
king's　wife；　was　accused　to　have　been　conscious　of　all　this；　and
had　resolved　to　conceal　it；　for　which　reason　Herod　divorced　her；
and　blotted　her　son　out　of　his　testament；　wherein　he　had　been
mentioned　as　one　that　was　to　reign　after　him；　and　he　took　the
high　priesthood　away　from　his　father…in…law；　Simeon　the　son　of
Boethus；　and　appointed　Matthias　the　son　of　Theophilus；　who　was
born　at　Jerusalem；　to　be　high　priest　in　his　room。

3。　While　this　was　doing；　Bathyllus　also；　Antipater's　freed…man；
came　from　Rome；　and；　upon　the　torture；　was　found　to　have　brought
another　potion；　to　give　it　into　the　hands　of　Antipater's　mother；
and　of　Pheroras；　that　if　the　former　potion　did　not　operate　upon
the　king；　this　at　least　might　carry　him　off。　There　came　also
letters　from　Herod's　friends　at　Rome；　by　the　approbation　and　at
the　suggestion　of　Antipater；　to　accuse　Archelaus　and　Philip；　as
if　they　calumniated　their　father　on　account　of　the　slaughter　of
Alexander　and　Aristobulus；　and　as　if　they　commiserated　their
deaths；　and　as　if；　because　they　were　sent　for　home；　（for　their
father　had　already　recalled　them；）　they　concluded　they　were
themselves　also　to　be　destroyed。　These　letters　had　been　procured
by　great　rewards　by　Antipater's　friends；　but　Antipater　himself
wrote　to　his　father　about　them；　and　laid　the　heaviest　things　to
their　charge；　yet　did　he　entirely　excuse　them　of　any　guilt；　and
said　they　were　but　young　men；　and　so　imputed　their　words　to　their
youth。　But　he　said　that　he　had　himself　been　very　busy　in　the
affair　relating　to　Sylleus；　and　in　getting　interest　among　the
great　men；　and　on　that　account　had　bought　splendid　ornaments　to
present　them　withal；　which　cost　him　two　hundred　talents。　Now　one
may　wonder　how　it　came　about；　that　while　so　many　accusations　were
laid　against　him　in　Judea　during　seven　months　before　this　time；
he　was　not　made　acquainted　with　any　of　them。　The　causes　of　which
were；　that　the　roads　were　exactly　guarded；　and　that　men　hated
Antipater；　for　there　was　nobody　who　would　run　any　hazard　himself
to　gain　him　any　advantages。

CHAPTER　5。

Antipater's　Navigation　From　Rome　To　His　Father；　And　How　He　Was
Accused　By　Nicolaus　Of　Damascus　And　Condemned　To　Die　By　His
Father；　And　By　Quintilius　Varus；　Who　Was　Then　President　Of　Syria；
And　How　He　Was　Then　Bound　Till　Caesar　Should　Be　Informed　Of　His
Cause。

1。　Now　Herod；　upon　Antipater's　writing　to　him；　that　having　done
all　that　he　was　to　do；　and　this　in　the　manner　he　was　to　do　it；　he
would　suddenly　come　to　him；　concealed　his　anger　against　him；　and
wrote　back　to　him；　and　bid　him　not　delay　his　journey；　lest　any

harm　should　befall　himself　in　his　absence。　At　the　same　time　also
he　made　some　little　complaint　about　his　mother；　but　promised　that
he　would　lay　those　complaints　aside　when　he　should　return。　He
withal　expressed　his　entire　affection　for　him；　as　fearing　lest　he
should　have　some　suspicion　of　him；　and　defer　his　journey　to　him；
and　lest；　while　he　lived　at　Rome；　he　should　lay　plots　for　the
kingdom；　and；　moreover；　do　somewhat　against　himself。　This　letter
Antipater　met　with　in　Cilicia；　but　had　received　an　account　of
Pheroras's　death　before　at　Tarentum。　This　last　news　affected　him
deeply；　not　out　of　any　affection　for　Pheroras；　but　because　he　was
dead　without　having　murdered　his　father；　which　he　had　promised
him　to　do。　And　when　he　was　at　Celenderis　in　Cilicia；　he　began　to
deliberate　with　himself　about　his　sailing　home；　as　being　much
grieved　with　the　ejection　of　his　mother。　Now　some　of　his　friends
advised　him　that　he　should　tarry　a　while　some　where；　in
expectation　of　further　information。　But　others　advised　him　to
sail　home　without　delay；　for　that　if　he　were　once　come　thither；
he　would　soon　put　an　end　to　all　accusations；　and　that　nothing
afforded　any　weight　to　his　accusers　at　present　but　his　absence。
He　was　persuaded　by　these　last；　and　sailed　on；　and　landed　at　the
haven　called　Sebastus；　which　Herod　had　built　at　vast　expenses　in
honor　of　Caesar；　and　called　Sebastus。　And　now　was　Antipater
evidently　in　a　miserable　condition；　while　nobody　came　to　him　nor
saluted　him；　as　they　did　at　his　going　away；　with　good　wishes　of
joyful　acclamations；　nor　was　there　now　any　thing　to　hinder　them
from　entertaining　him；　on　the　contrary；　with　bitter　curses；　while
they　supposed　he　was　come　to　receive　his　punishment　for　the
murder　of　his　brethren。

2。　Now　Quintilius　Varus　was　at　this　time　at　Jerusalem；　being　sent
to　succeed　Saturninus　as　president　of　Syria；　and　was　come　as　an
assessor　to　Herod；　who　had　desired　his　advice　in　his　present
affairs；　and　as　they　were　sitting　together；　Antipater　came　upon
them；　without　knowing　any　thing　of　the　matter；　so　he　came　into
the　palace　clothed　in　purple。　The　porters　indeed　received　him　in；
but　excluded　his　friends。　And　now　he　was　in　great　disorder；　and
presently　understood　the　condition　he　was　in；　while；　upon　his
going　to　salute　his　father；　he　was　repulsed　by　him；　who　called
him　a　murderer　of　his　brethren；　and　a　plotter　of　destruction
against　himself；　and　told　him　that　Varus　should　be　his　auditor
and　his　judge　the　very　next　day；　so　he　found　that　what
misfortunes　he　now　heard　of　were　already　upon　him；　with　the
greatness　of　which　he　went　away　in　confusion；　upon　which　his
mother　and　his　wife　met　him；　（which　wife　was　the　daughter　of
Antigonus；　who　was　king　of　the　Jews　before　Herod；）　from　whom　he
learned　all　circumstances　which　concerned　him；　and　then　prepared
himself　for　his　trial。

3。　On　the　next　day　Varus　and　the　king　sat　together　in　judgment；
and　both　their　friends　were　also　called　in；　as　also　the　king's
relations；　with　his　sister　Salome；　and　as　many　as　could　discover
any　thing；　and　such　as　had　been　tortured；　and　besides　these；　some
slaves　of　Antipater's　mother；　who　were　taken　up　a　little　before
Antipater's　coming；　and　brought　with　them　a　written　letter；　the
sum　of　which　was　this：　That　he　should　not　come　back；　because　all
was　come　to　his　father's　knowledge；　and　that　Caesar　was　the　only
refuge　he　had　left　to　prevent　both　his　and　her　delivery　into　his
father's　hands。　Then　did　Antipater　fall　down　at　his　father's
feet；　and　besought　him　not　to　prejudge　his　cause；　but　that　he
might　be　first　heard　by　his　father；　and　that　his　father　would
keep　himself　unprejudiced。　So　Herod　ordered　him　to　be　brought
into　the　midst；　and　then　lamented　himself　about　his　children；
from　whom　he　had　suffered　such　great　misfortunes；　and　because
Antipater　fell　upon　him　in　his　old　age。　He　also　reckoned　up　what
maintenance　and　what　education　he　had　given　them；　and　what
seasonable　supplies　of　wealth　he　had　afforded　them；　according　to
their　own　desires；　none　of　which　favors　had　hindered　them　from
contriving　against　him；　and　from　bringing　his　very　life　into
danger；　in　order　to　gain　his　kingdom；　after　an　impious　manner；　by
taking　away　his　life　before　the　course　of　nature；　their　father's
wishes；　or　justice　required　that　that　kingdom　should　come　to
them；　and　that　he　wondered　what　hopes　could　elevate　Antipater　to
such　a　pass　as　to　be　hardy　enough　to　attempt　such　things；　that　he
had　by　his　testament　in　writing　declared　him　his　successor　in　the
government；　and　while　he　was　alive；　he　was　in　no　respect　inferior
to　him；　either　in　his　illustrious　dignity；　or　in　power　and
authority；　he　having　no　less　than　fifty　talents　for　his　yearly
income；　and　had　received　for　his　journey　to　Rome　no　fewer　than
thirty　talents。　He　also　objected　to　him　the　case　of　his　brethren
whom　he　had　accused；　and　if　they　were　guilty；　he　had　imitated
their　example；　and　if　not；　he　had　brought　him　groundless
accusations　against　his　near　relations；　for　that　he　had　been
acquainted　with　all　those　things　by　him；　and　by　nobody　else；　and
had　done　what　was　done　by　his　approbation；　and　whom　he　now
absolved　from　all　that　was　criminal；　by　becoming　the　inheritor　of
the　guilt　of　such　their　parricide。

4。　When　Herod　had　thus　spoken；　he　fell　a　weeping；　and　was　not
able　to　say　any　more；　but　at　his　desire　Nicolaus　of　Damascus；
being　the　king's　friend；　and　always　conversant　with　him；　and
acquainted　with　whatsoever　he　did；　and　with　the　circumstances　of
his　affairs；　proceeded　to　what　remained；　and　explained　all　that
concerned　the　demonstrations　and　evidences　of　the　facts。　Upon
which　Antipater；　in　order　to　make　his　legal　defense；　turned
himself　to　his　father；　and　enlarged　upon　the　many　indications　he
had　given　of　his　good…will　to　him；　and　instanced　in　the　honors
that　had　been　done　him；　which　yet　had　not　been　done；　had　he　not
deserved　them　by　his　virtuous　concern　about　him；　for　that　he　had
made　provision　for　every　thing　that　was　fit　to　be　foreseen
beforehand；　as　to　giving　him　his　wisest　advice；　and　whenever
there　was　occasion　for　the　labor　of　his　own　hands；　he　had　not
grudged　any　such　pains　for　him。　And　that　it　was　almost　impossible
that　he；　who　had　delivered　his　father　from　so　many　treacherous
contrivances　laid　against　him；　should　be　himself　in　a　plot
against　him；　and　so　lose　all　the　reputation　he　had　gained　for　his
virtue；　by　his　wickedness　which　succeeded　it；　and　this　while　he
had　nothing　to　prohibit　him；　who　was　already　appointed　his
successor；　to　enjoy　the　royal　honor　with　his　father　also　at
present；　and　that　there　was　no　likelihood　that　a　person　who　had
the　one　half　of　that　authority　without　any　danger；　and　with　a
good　character；　should　hunt　after　the　whole　with　infamy　and
danger；　and　this　when　it　was　doubtful　whether　he　could　obtain　it
or　not；　and　when　he　saw　the　sad　example　of　his　brethren　before
him；　and　was　both　the　informer　and　the　accuser　against　them；　at　a
time　when　they　might　not　otherwise　have　been　discovered；　nay；　was
the　author　of　the　punishment　inflicted　upon　them；　when　it
appeared　evidently　that　they　were　guilty　of　a　wicked　attempt
against　their　father；　and　that　even　the　contentions　there　were　in
the　king's　family　were　indications　that　he　had　ever　managed
affairs　out　of　the　sincerest　affection　to　his　father。　And　as　to
what　he　had　done　at　Rome；　Caesar　was　a　witness　thereto；　who　yet
was　no　more　to　be　imposed　upon　than　God　himself；　of　whose
opinions　his　letters　sent　hither　are　sufficient　evidence；　and
that　it　was　not　reasonable　to　prefer　the　cal