the antiquities of the jews-1-第214节

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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　her　contempt　of　him；　and
added；　by　way　of　reproach；　that　he　had　caused　her　father　and　her
brother　to　be　slain。　（11）　And　when　he　took　this　injury　very
unkindly；　and　was　ready　to　use　violence　to　her；　in　a　precipitate
manner；　the　king's　sister　Salome；　observing　that　he　was　more　than
ordinarily　disturbed；　sent　in　to　the　king　his　cup…bearer；　who　had
been　prepared　long　beforehand　for　such　a　design；　and　bid　him　tell
the　king　how　Mariamne　had　persuaded　him　to　give　his　assistance　in
preparing　a　love　potion　for　him；　and　if　he　appeared　to　be　greatly
concerned；　and　to　ask　what　that　love　potion　was；　to　tell　him　that
she　had　the　potion；　and　that　he　was　desired　only　to　give　it　him；
but　that　in　case　he　did　not　appear　to　be　much　concerned　at　this
potion；　to　let　the　thing　drop；　and　that　if　he　did　so；　no　harm
should　thereby　come　to　him。　When　she　had　given　him　these
instructions；　she　sent　him　in　at　this　time　to　make　such　a　speech。
So　he　went　in；　after　a　composed　manner；　to　gain　credit　to　what　he
should　say；　and　yet