the antiquities of the jews-1-第228节

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dedication；　for　he　had　appointed　a　contention　in　music；　and　games
to　be　performed　naked。　He　had　also　gotten　ready　a　great　number　of
those　that　fight　single　combats；　and　of　beasts　for　the　like
purpose；　horse　races　also；　and　the　most　chargeable　of　such　sports
and　shows　as　used　to　be　exhibited　at　Rome；　and　in　other　places。
He　consecrated　this　combat　to　Caesar；　and　ordered　it　to　be
celebrated　every　fifth　year。　He　also　sent　all　sorts　of　ornaments
for　it　out　of　his　own　furniture；　that　it　might　want　nothing　to
make　it　decent；　nay；　Julia；　Caesar's　wife；　sent　a　great　part　of
her　most　valuable　furniture　＇from　Rome＇；　insomuch　that　he　had　no
want　of　any　thing。　The　sum　of　them　all　was　estimated　at　five
hundred　talents。　Now　when　a　great　multitude　was　come　to　that　city
to　see　the　shows；　as　well　as　the　ambassadors　whom　other　people
sent；　on　account　of　the　benefits　they　had　received　from　Herod；　he
entertained　them　all　in　the　public　inns；　and　at　public　tables；
and　with　perpetual　feasts；　this　solemnity　having　in　the　day　time
the　diversions　of　the　fights；　and　in　the　night　time　such　merry
meetings　as　cost　vast　sums　of　money；　and　publicly　demonstrated
the　generosity　of　his　soul；　for　in　all　his　undertakings　he　was
ambitious　to　exhibit　what　exceeded　whatsoever　had　been　done
before　of　the　same　kind。　And　it　is　related　that　Caesar　and
Agrippa　often　said；　that　the　dominions　of　Herod　were　too　little
for　the　greatness　of　his　soul；　for　that　he　deserved　to　have　both
all　the　kingdom　of　Syria；　and　that　of　Egypt　also。

2。　After　this　solemnity　and　these　festivals　were　over；　Herod
erected　another　city　in　the　plain　called　Capharsaba；　where　he
chose　out　a　fit　place；　both　for　plenty　of　water　and　goodness　of
soil；　and　proper　for　the　production　of　what　was　there　planted；
where　a　river　encompassed　the　city　itself；　and　a　grove　of　the
best　trees　for　magnitude　was　round　about　it：　this　he　named
Antipatris；　from　his　father　Antipater。　He　also　built　upon　another
spot　of　ground　above　Jericho；　of　the　same　name　with　his　mother；　a
place　of　great　security　and　very　pleasant　for　habitation；　and
called　it　Cypros。　He　also　dedicated　the　finest　monuments　to　his
brother　Phasaelus；　on　account　of　the　great　natural　affection
there　had　been　between　them；　by　erecting　a　tower　in　the　city
itself；　not　less　than　the　tower　of　Pharos；　which　he　named
Phasaelus；　which　was　at　once　a　part　of　the　strong　defenses　of　the
city；　and　a　memorial　for　him　that　was　deceased；　because　it　bare
his　name。　He　also　built　a　city　of　the　same　name　in　the　valley　of
Jericho；　as　you　go　from　it　northward；　whereby　he　rendered　the
neighboring　country　more　fruitful　by　the　cultivation　its
inhabitants　introduced；　and　this　also　he　called　Phasaelus。

3。　But　as　for　his　other　benefits；　it　is　impossible　to　reckon　them
up；　those　which　he　bestowed　on　cities；　both　in　Syria　and　in
Greece；　and　in　all　the　places　he　came　to　in　his　voyages；　for　he
seems　to　have　conferred；　and　that　after　a　most　plentiful　manner；
what　would　minister　to　many　necessities；　and　the　building　of
public　works；　and　gave　them　the　money　that　was　necessary　to　such
works　as　wanted　it；　to　support　them　upon　the　failure　of　their
other　revenues：　but　what　was　the　greatest　and　most　illustrious　of
all　his　works；　he　erected　Apollo's　temple　at　Rhodes；　at　his　own
expenses；　and　gave　them　a　great　number　of　talents　of　silver　for
the　repair　of　their　fleet。　He　also　built　the　greatest　part　of　the
public　edifices　for　the　inhabitants　of　Nicopolis；　at　Actium；　（6）
and　for　the　Antiochinus；　the　inhabitants　of　the　principal　city　of
Syria；　where　a　broad　street　cuts　through　the　place　lengthways；　he
built　cloisters　along　it　on　both　sides；　and　laid　the　open　road
with　polished　stone；　and　was　of　very　great　advantage　to　the
inhabitants。　And　as　to　the　olympic　games；　which　were　in　a　very
low　condition；　by　reason　of　the　failure　of　their　revenues；　he
recovered　their　reputation；　and　appointed　revenues　for　heir
maintenance；　and　made　that　solemn　meeting　more　venerable；　as　to
the　sacrifices　and　other　ornaments；　and　by　reason　of　this　vast
liberality；　he　was　generally　declared　in　their　inscriptions　to　be
one　of　the　perpetual　managers　of　those　games。

4。　Now　some　there　are　who　stand　amazed　at　the　diversity　of
Herod's　nature　and　purposes；　for　when　we　have　respect　to　his
magnificence；　and　the　benefits　which　he　bestowed　on　all　mankind；
there　is　no　possibility　for　even　those　that　had　the　least　respect
for　him　to　deny；　or　not　openly　to　confess；　that　he　had　a　nature
vastly　beneficent；　but　when　any　one　looks　upon　the　punishments　he
inflicted；　and　the　injuries　he　did；　not　only　to　his　subjects；　but
to　his　nearest　relations；　and　takes　notice　of　his　severe　and
unrelenting　disposition　there；　he　will　be　forced　to　allow　that　he
was　brutish；　and　a　stranger　to　all　humanity；　insomuch　that　these
men　suppose　his　nature　to　be　different；　and　sometimes　at
contradiction　with　itself；　but　I　am　myself　of　another　opinion；
and　imagine　that　the　occasion　of　both　these　sort　of　actions　was
one　and　the　same；　for　being　a　man　ambitious　of　honor；　and　quite
overcome　by　that　passion；　he　was　induced　to　be　magnificent；
wherever　there　appeared　any　hopes　of　a　future　memorial；　or　of
reputation　at　present；　and　as　his　expenses　were　beyond　his
abilities；　he　was　necessitated　to　be　harsh　to　his　subjects；　for
the　persons　on　whom　he　expended　his　money　were　so　many；　that　they
made　him　a　very　bad　procurer　of　it；　and　because　he　was　conscious
that　he　was　hated　by　those　under　him；　for　the　injuries　he　did
them；　he　thought　it　not　an　easy　thing　to　amend　his　offenses；　for
that　it　was　inconvenient　for　his　revenue；　he　therefore　strove　on
the　other　side　to　make　their　ill…will　an　occasion　of　his　gains。
As　to　his　own　court；　therefore；　if　any　one　was　not　very
obsequious　to　him　in　his　language；　and　would　not　confess　himself
to　be　his　slave；　or　but　seemed　to　think　of　any　innovation　in　his
government；　he　was　not　able　to　contain　himself；　but　prosecuted
his　very　kindred　and　friends；　and　punished　them　as　if　they　were
enemies　and　this　wickedness　he　undertook　out　of　a　desire　that　he
might　be　himself　alone　honored。　Now　for　this；　my　assertion　about
that　passion　of　his；　we　have　the　greatest　evidence；　by　what　he
did　to　honor　Caesar　and　Agrippa；　and　his　other　friends；　for　with
what　honors　he　paid　his　respects　to　them　who　were　his　superiors；
the　same　did　he　desire　to　be　paid　to　himself；　and　what　he　thought
the　most　excellent　present　he　could　make　another；　he　discovered
an　inclination　to　have　the　like　presented　to　himself。　But　now　the
Jewish　nation　is　by　their　law　a　stranger　to　all　such　things；　and
accustomed　to　prefer　righteousness　to　glory；　for　which　reason
that　nation　was　not　agreeable　to　him；　because　it　was　out　of　their
power　to　flatter　the　king's　ambition　with　statues　or　temples；　or
any　other　such　performances；　And　this　seems　to　me　to　have　been　at
once　the　occasion　of　Herod's　crimes　as　to　his　own　courtiers　and
counselors；　and　of　his　benefactions　as　to　foreigners　and　those
that　had　no　relation　to　him。

CHAPTER　6。

An　Embassage　In　Cyrene　And　Asia　To　Caesar；　Concerning　The
Complaints　They　Had　To　Make　Against　The　Greeks；　With　Copies　Of
The　Epistles　Which　Caesar　And　Agrippa　Wrote　To　The　Cities　For
Them。

1。　Now　the　cities　ill…treated　the　Jews　in　Asia；　and　all　those
also　of　the　same　nation　which　lived　ill　Libya；　which　joins　to
Cyrene；　while　the　former　kings　had　given　them　equal　privileges
with　the　other　citizens；　but　the　Greeks　affronted　them　at　this
time；　and　that　so　far　as　to　take　away　their　sacred　money；　and　to
do　them　mischief　on　other　particular　occasions。　When　therefore
they　were　thus　afflicted；　and　found　no　end　of　their　barbarous
treatment　they　met　with　among　the　Greeks；　they　sent　ambassadors
to　Caesar　on　those　accounts；　who　gave　them　the　same　privileges　as
they　had　before；　and　sent　letters　to　the　same　purpose　to　the
governors　of　the　provinces；　copies　of　which　I　subjoin　here；　as
testimonials　of　the　ancient　favorable　disposition　the　Roman
emperors　had　towards　us。

2。　〃Caesar　Augustus；　high　priest　and　tribune　of　the　people；
ordains　thus：　Since　the　nation　of　the　Jews　hath　been　found
grateful　to　the　Roman　people；　not　only　at　this　time；　but　in　time
past　also；　and　chiefly　Hyrcanus　the　high　priest；　under　my　father
（7）　Caesar　the　emperor；　it　seemed　good　to　me　and　my　counselors；
according　to　the　sentence　and　oath　of　the　people　of　Rome；　that
the　Jews　have　liberty　to　make　use　of　their　own　customs；　according
to　the　law　of　their　forefathers；　as　they　made　use　of　them　under
Hyrcanus　the　high　priest　of　the　Almighty　God；　and　that　their
sacred　money　be　not　touched；　but　be　sent　to　Jerusalem；　and　that
it　be　committed　to　the　care　of　the　receivers　at　Jerusalem；　and
that　they　be　not　obliged　to　go　before　any　judge　on　the　sabbath
day；　nor　on　the　day　of　the　preparation　to　it；　after　the　ninth
hour。　（8）　But　if　any　one　be　caught　stealing　their　holy　books；　or
their　sacred　money；　whether　it　be　out　of　the　synagogue　or　public
school；　he　shall　be　deemed　a　sacrilegious　person；　and　his　goods
shall　be　brought　into　the　public　treasury　of　the　Romans。　And　I
give　order　that　the　testimonial　which　they　have　given　me；　on
account　of　my　regard　to　that　piety　which　I　exercise　toward　all
mankin