the wars of the jews-第24节

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man　be　not　himself　plotted　against　by　such　a　number　of　wicked　wretches；　and　not　thou　plotted　against　by　the　young　man；　for　I　cannot　see　any　occasion　for　his　falling　into　so　horrid　a　crime；　since　he　enjoys　the　advantages　of　royalty　already；　and　has　the　expectation　of　being　one　of　thy　successors；　I　mean　this；　unless　there　were　some　persons　that　persuade　him　to　it；　and　such　persons　as　make　an　ill　use　of　the　facility　they　know　there　is　to　persuade　young　men；　for　by　such　persons；　not　only　young　men　are　sometimes　imposed　upon；　but　old　men　also；　and　by　them　sometimes　are　the　most　illustrious　families　and　kingdoms　overturned。〃

3。　Herod　assented　to　what　he　had　said；　and；　by　degrees；　abated　of　his　anger　against　Alexander；　but　was　more　angry　at　Pheroras；　for　the　principal　subject　of　the　four　books　was　Pheroras；　who　perceiving　that　the　king's　inclinations　changed　on　a　sudden；　and　that　Archelaus's　friendship　could　do　every　thing　with　him；　and　that　he　had　no　honorable　method　of　preserving　himself；　he　procured　his　safety　by　his　impudence。　So　he　left　Alexander；　and　had　recourse　to　Archelaus；　who　told　him　that　he　did　not　see　how　he　could　get　him　excused；　now　he　was　directly　caught　in　so　many　crimes；　whereby　it　was　evidently　demonstrated　that　he　had　plotted　against　the　king；　and　had　been　the　cause　of　those　misfortunes　which　the　young　man　was　now　under；　unless　he　would　moreover　leave　off　his　cunning　knavery；　and　his　denials　of　what　he　was　charged　withal；　and　confess　the　charge；　and　implore　pardon　of　his　brother；　who　still　had　a　kindness　for　him；　but　that　if　he　would　do　so；　he　would　afford　him　all　the　assistance　he　was　able。　　4。　With　this　advice　Pheroras　complied；　and　putting　himself　into　such　a　habit　as　might　most　move　compassion；　he　came　with　black　cloth　upon　his　body；　and　tears　in　his　eyes；　and　threw　himself　down　at　Herod's　feet；　and　begged　his　pardon　for　what　he　had　done；　and　confessed　that　he　had　acted　very　wickedly；　and　was　guilty　of　every　thing　that　he　had　been　accused　of；　and　lamented　that　disorder　of　his　mind；　and　distraction　which　his　love　to　a　woman；　he　said；　had　brought　him　to。　So　when　Archelaus　had　brought　Pheroras　to　accuse　and　bear　witness　against　himself；　he　then　made　an　excuse　for　him；　and　mitigated　Herod's　anger　towards　him；　and　this　by　using　certain　domestical　examples；　for　that　when　he　had　suffered　much　greater　mischiefs　from　a　brother　of　his　own；　he　prefered　the　obligations　of　nature　before　the　passion　of　revenge；　because　it　is　in　kingdoms　as　it　is　in　gross　bodies；　where　some　member　or　other　is　ever　swelled　by　the　body's　weight；　in　which　case　it　is　not　proper　to　cut　off　such　member；　but　to　heal　it　by　a　gentle　method　of　cure。

5。　Upon　Arehelaus's　saying　this；　and　much　more　to　the　same　purpose；　Herod's　displeasure　against　Pheroras　was　mollified；　yet　did　he　persevere　in　his　own　indignation　against　Alexander；　and　said　he　would　have　his　daughter　divorced；　and　taken　away　from　him；　and　this　till　he　had　brought　Herod　to　that　pass；　that；　contrary　to　his　former　behavior　to　him；　he　petitioned　Archelaus　for　the　young　man；　and　that　he　would　let　his　daughter　continue　espoused　to　him：　but　Archelaus　made　him　strongly　believe　that　he　would　permit　her　to　be　married　to　any　one　else；　but　not　to　Alexander；　because　he　looked　upon　it　as　a　very　valuable　advantage；　that　the　relation　they　had　contracted　by　that　affinity；　and　the　privileges　that　went　along　with　it；　might　be　preserved。　And　when　the　king　said　that　his　son　would　take　it　for　a　great　favor　to　him；　if　he　would　not　dissolve　that　marriage；　especially　since　they　had　already　children　between　the　young　man　and　her；　and　since　that　wife　of　his　was　so　well　beloved　by　him；　and　that　as　while　she　remains　his　wife　she　would　be　a　great　preservative　to　him；　and　keep　him　from　offending；　as　he　had　formerly　done；　so　if　she　should　be　once　torn　away　from　him；　she　would　be　the　cause　of　his　falling　into　despair；　because　such　young　men's　attempts　are　best　mollified　when　they　are　diverted　from　them　by　settling　their　affections　at　home。　So　Arehelaus　complied　with　what　Herod　desired；　but　not　without　difficulty；　and　was　both　himself　reconciled　to　the　young　man；　and　reconciled　his　father　to　him　also。　However；　he　said　he　must；　by　all　means；　be　sent　to　Rome　to　discourse　with　Caesar；　because　he　had　already　written　a　full　account　to　him　of　this　whole　matter。

6。　Thus　a　period　was　put　to　Archelaus's　stratagem；　whereby　he　delivered　his　son…in…law　out　of　the　dangers　he　was　in；　but　when　these　reconciliations　were　over；　they　spent　their　time　in　feastings　and　agreeable　entertainments。　And　when　Archelaus　was　going　away；　Herod　made　him　a　present　of　seventy　talents；　with　a　golden　throne　set　with　precious　stones；　and　some　eunuchs；　and　a　concubine　who　was　called　Pannychis。　He　also　paid　due　honors　to　every　one　of　his　friends　according　to　their　dignity。　In　like　manner　did　all　the　king's　kindred；　by　his　command；　make　glorious　presents　to　Archelaus；　and　so　he　was　conducted　on　his　way　by　Herod　and　his　nobility　as　far　as　Antioch。

CHAPTER　26。

How　Eurycles　（40）　Calumniated　The　Sons　Of　Mariamne；　And　How　Euaratus　Of　Costs　Apology　For　Them　Had　No　Effect。

1。　Now　a　little　afterward　there　came　into　Judea　a　man　that　was　much　superior　to　Arehelaus's　stratagems；　who　did　not　only　overturn　that　reconciliation　that　had　been　so　wisely　made　with　Alexander；　but　proved　the　occasion　of　his　ruin。　He　was　a　Lacedemonian；　and　his　name　was　Eurycles。　He　was　so　corrupt　a　man；　that　out　of　the　desire　of　getting　money；　he　chose　to　live　under　a　king；　for　Greece　could　not　suffice　his　luxury。　He　presented　Herod　with　splendid　gifts；　as　a　bait　which　he　laid　in　order　to　compass　his　ends；　and　quickly　received　them　back　again　manifold；　yet　did　he　esteem　bare　gifts　as　nothing；　unless　he　imbrued　the　kingdom　in　blood　by　his　purchases。　Accordingly；　he　imposed　upon　the　king　by　flattering　him；　and　by　talking　subtlely　to　him；　as　also　by　the　lying　encomiums　which　he　made　upon　him；　for　as　he　soon　perceived　Herod's　blind　side；　so　he　said　and　did　every　thing　that　might　please　him；　and　thereby　became　one　of　his　most　intimate　friends；　for　both　the　king　and　all　that　were　about　him　had　a　great　regard　for　this　Spartan；　on　account　of　his　country。　（41）

2。　Now　as　soon　as　this　fellow　perceived　the　rotten　parts　of　the　family；　and　what　quarrels　the　brothers　had　one　with　another；　and　in　what　disposition　the　father　was　towards　each　of　them；　he　chose　to　take　his　lodging　at　the　first　in　the　house　of　Antipater；　but　deluded　Alexander　with　a　pretense　of　friendship　to　him；　and　falsely　claimed　to　be　an　old　acquaintance　of　Archelaus；　for　which　reason　he　was　presently　admitted　into　Alexander's　familiarity　as　a　faithful　friend。　He　also　soon　recommended　himself　to　his　brother　Aristobulus。　And　when　he　had　thus　made　trial　of　these　several　persons；　he　imposed　upon　one　of　them　by　one　method；　and　upon　another　by　another。　But　he　was　principally　hired　by　Antipater；　and　so　betrayed　Alexander；　and　this　by　reproaching　Antipater；　because；　while　he　was　the　eldest　son　he　overlooked　the　intrigues　of　those　who　stood　in　the　way　of　his　expectations；　and　by　reproaching　Alexander；　because　he　who　was　born　of　a　queen；　and　was　married　to　a　king's　daughter；　permitted　one　that　was　born　of　a　mean　woman　to　lay　claim　to　the　succession；　and　this　when　he　had　Archelaus　to　support　him　in　the　most　complete　manner。　Nor　was　his　advice　thought　to　be　other　than　faithful　by　the　young　man；　because　of　his　pretended　friendship　with　Archelaus；　on　which　account　it　was　that　Alexander　lamented　to　him　Antipater's　behavior　with　regard　to　himself；　and　this　without　concealing　any　thing　from　him；　and　how　it　was　no　wonder　if　Herod；　after　he　had　killed　their　mother；　should　deprive　them　of　her　kingdom。　Upon　this　Eurycles　pretended　to　commiserate　his　condition；　and　to　grieve　with　him。　He　also；　by　a　bait　that　he　laid　for　him；　procured　Aristobulus　to　say　the　same　things。　Thus　did　he　inveigle　both　the　brothers　to　make　complaints　of　their　father；　and　then　went　to　Antipater；　and　carried　these　grand　secrets　to　him。　He　also　added　a　fiction　of　his　own；　as　if　his　brothers　had　laid　a　plot　against　him；　and　were　almost　ready　to　come　upon　him　with　their　drawn　swords。　For　this　intelligence　he　received　a　great　sum　of　money；　and　on　that　account　he　commended　Antipater　before　his　father；　and　at　length　undertook　the　work　of　bringing　Alexander　and　Aristobulus　to　their　graves；　and　accused　them　before　their　father。　So　he　came　to　Herod；　and　told　him　that　he　would　save　his　life；　as　a　requital　for　the　favors　he　had　received　from　him；　and　would　preserve　his　light　＇of　life＇　by　way　of　retribution　for　his　kind　entertainment；　for　that　a　sword　had　been　long　whetted；　and　Alexander's　right　hand　had　been　long　stretched　out　against　him；　but　that　he　had　laid　impediments　in　his　way；　prevented　his　speed；　and　that　by　pretending　to　assist　him　in　his　design：　how　Alexander　said　that　Herod　was　not　contented　to　reign　in　a　kingdom　that　belonged　to　others；　and　to　make　dilapidations　in　their　mother's　government　after　he　had　killed　her；　but　besides　all　this；　that　he　introduced　a　spurious　successor；　and　proposed　to　give　the　kingdom　of　their　ancestors　to　that　pestilent　fellow　Antipater：　…　that　he　would　now　appease　the　ghosts　of　Hyrcanus　and　Mariamne；　by　taking　vengeance　on　him；　for　that　it　was　not　fit　f