the antiquities of the jews-1-第213节

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That　Herod　and　he　were　once　at　a　treat；　and　that　Herod　had　given
no　occasion　to　suspect　＇that　he　was　displeased　at　him＇；　but　put
this　question　to　Hyrcanus；　Whether　he　had　received　any　letters
from　Malchus？　and　when　he　answered　that　he　had　received　letters；
but　those　of　salutation　only；　and　when　he　asked　further；　whether
he　had　not　received　any　presents　from　him？　and　when　he　had
replied　that　he　had　received　no　more　than　four　horses　to　ride　on；
which　Malchus　had　sent　him；　they　pretended　that　Herod　charged
these　upon　him　as　the　crimes　of　bribery　and　treason；　and　gave
order　that　he　should　be　led　away　and　slain。　And　in　order　to
demonstrate　that　he　had　been　guilty　of　no　offense；　when　he　was
thus　brought　to　his　end；　they　alleged　how　mild　his　temper　had
been；　and　that　even　in　his　youth　he　had　never　given　any
demonstration　of　boldness　or　rashness；　and　that　the　case　was　the
same　when　he　came　to　be　king；　but　that　he　even　then　committed　the
management　of　the　greatest　part　of　public　affairs　to　Antipater；
and　that　he　was　now　above　fourscore　years　old；　and　knew　that
Herod's　government　was　in　a　secure　state。　He　also　came　over
Euphrates；　and　left　those　who　greatly　honored　him　beyond　that
river；　though　he　were　to　be　entirely　under　Herod's　government；
and　that　it　was　a　most　incredible　thing　that　he　should　enterprise
any　thing　by　way　of　innovation；　and　not　at　all　agreeable　to　his
temper；　but　that　this　was　a　plot　of　Herod's　contrivance。

4。　And　this　was　the　fate　of　Hyrcanus；　and　thus　did　he　end　his
life；　after　he　had　endured　various　and　manifold　turns　of　fortune
in　his　lifetime。　For　he　was　made　high　priest　of　the　Jewish　nation
in　the　beginning　of　his　mother　Alexandra's　reign；　who　held　the
government　nine　years；　and　when；　after　his　mother's　death；　he
took　the　kingdom　himself；　and　held　it　three　months；　he　lost　it；
by　the　means　of　his　brother　Aristobulus。　He　was　then　restored　by
Pompey；　and　received　all　sorts　of　honor　from　him；　and　enjoyed
them　forty　years；　but　when　he　was　again　deprived　by　Antigonus；
and　was　maimed　in　his　body；　he　was　made　a　captive　by　the
Parthians；　and　thence　returned　home　again　after　some　time；　on
account　of　the　hopes　that　Herod　had　given　him；　none　of　which　came
to　pass　according　to　his　expectation；　but　he　still　conflicted
with　many　misfortunes　through　the　whole　course　of　his　life；　and；
what　was　the　heaviest　calamity　of　all；　as　we　have　related
already；　he　came　to　an　end　which　was　undeserved　by　him。　His
character　appeared　to　be　that　of　a　man　of　a　mild　and　moderate
disposition；　and　suffered　the　administration　of　affairs　to　be
generally　done　by　others　under　him。　He　was　averse　to　much
meddling　with　the　public；　nor　had　shrewdness　enough　to　govern　a
kingdom。　And　both　Antipater　and　Herod　came　to　their　greatness　by
reason　of　his　mildness；　and　at　last　he　met　with　such　an　end　from
them　as　was　not　agreeable　either　to　justice　or　piety。

5。　Now　Herod；　as　soon　as　he　had　put　Hyrcanus　out　of　the　way；　made
haste　to　Caesar；　and　because　he　could　not　have　any　hopes　of
kindness　from　him；　on　account　of　the　friendship　he　had　for
Antony；　he　had　a　suspicion　of　Alexandra；　lest　she　should　take
this　opportunity　to　bring　the　multitude　to　a　revolt；　and
introduce　a　sedition　into　the　affairs　of　the　kingdom；　so　he
committed　the　care　of　every　thing　to　his　brother　Pheroras；　and
placed　his　mother　Cypros；　and　his　sister　＇Salome＇；　and　the　whole
family　at　Masada；　and　gave　him　a　charge；　that　if　he　should　hear
any　sad　news　about　him；　he　should　take　care　of　the　government。
But　as　to　Mariamne　his　wife；　because　of　the　misunderstanding
between　her　and　his　sister；　and　his　sister's　mother；　which　made
it　impossible　for　them　to　live　together；　he　placed　her　at
Alexandrium；　with　Alexandra　her　mother；　and　left　his　treasurer
Joseph　and　Sohemus　of　Iturea　to　take　care　of　that　fortress。　These
two　had　been　very　faithful　to　him　from　the　beginning；　and　were
now　left　as　a　guard　to　the　women。　They　also　had　it　in　charge；
that　if　they　should　hear　any　mischief　had　befallen　him；　they
should　kill　them　both；　and；　as　far　as　they　were　able；　to　preserve
the　kingdom　for　his　sons；　and　for　his　brother　Pheroras。

6。　When　he　had　given　them　this　charge；　he　made　haste　to　Rhodes；
to　meet　Caesar；　and　when　he　had　sailed　to　that　city；　he　took　off
his　diadem；　but　remitted　nothing　else　of　his　usual　dignity。　And
when；　upon　his　meeting　him；　he　desired　that　he　would　let　him
speak　to　him；　he　therein　exhibited　a　much　more　noble　specimen　of
a　great　soul；　for　he　did　not　betake　himself　to　supplications；　as
men　usually　do　upon　such　occasions；　nor　offered　him　any　petition；
as　if　he　were　an　offender；　but；　after　an　undaunted　manner；　gave
an　account　of　what　he　had　done；　for　he　spake　thus　to　Caesar：　That
he　had　the　greatest　friendship　for　Antony；　and　did　every　thing　he
could　that　he　might　attain　the　government；　that　he　was　not　indeed
in　the　army　with　him；　because　the　Arabians　had　diverted　him；　but
that　he　had　sent　him　both　money　and　corn；　which　was　but　too
little　in　comparison　of　what　he　ought　to　have　done　for　him；　〃for
if　a　man　owns　himself　to　be　another's　friend；　and　knows　him　to　be
a　benefactor；　he　is　obliged　to　hazard　every　thing；　to　use　every
faculty　of　his　soul；　every　member　of　his　body；　and　all　the　wealth
he　hath；　for　him；　in　which　I　confess　I　have　been　too　deficient。
However；　I　am　conscious　to　myself；　that　so　far　I　have　done　right；
that　I　have　not　deserted　him　upon　his　defeat　at　Actium；　nor　upon
the　evident　change　of　his　fortune　have　I　transferred　my　hopes
from　him　to　another；　but　have　preserved　myself；　though　not　as　a
valuable　fellow　soldier；　yet　certainly　as　a　faithful　counselor；
to　Antony；　when　I　demonstrated　to　him　that　the　only　way　that　he
had　to　save　himself；　and　not　to　lose　all　his　authority；　was　to
slay　Cleopatra；　for　when　she　was　once　dead；　there　would　be　room
for　him　to　retain　his　authority；　and　rather　to　bring　thee　to　make
a　composition　with　him；　than　to　continue　at　enmity　any　longer。
None　of　which　advises　would　he　attend　to；　but　preferred　his　own
rash　resolution　before　them；　which　have　happened　unprofitably　for
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