the antiquities of the jews-1-第233节

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quietness　during　their　wicked　practices。　But　when　Herod　came　back
from　Rome；　he　perceived　that　his　dominions　had　greatly　suffered
by　them；　and　since　he　could　not　reach　the　robbers　themselves；
because　of　the　secure　retreat　they　had　in　that　country；　and　which
the　Arabian　government　afforded　them；　and　yet　being　very　uneasy
at　the　injuries　they　had　done　him；　he　went　all　over　Trachonitis；
and　slew　their　relations；　whereupon　these　robbers　were　more　angry
than　before；　it　being　a　law　among　them　to　be　avenged　on　the
murderers　of　their　relations　by　all　possible　means；　so　they
continued　to　tear　and　rend　every　thing　under　Herod's　dominion
with　impunity。　Then　did　he　discourse　about　these　robberies　to
Saturninus　and　Volumnius；　and　required　that　they　should　be
punished；　upon　which　occasion　they　still　the　more　confirmed
themselves　in　their　robberies；　and　became　more　numerous；　and　made
very　great　disturbances；　laying　waste　the　countries　and　villages
that　belonged　to　Herod's　kingdom；　and　killing　those　men　whom　they
caught；　till　these　unjust　proceedings　came　to　be　like　a　real　war；
for　the　robbers　were　now　become　about　a　thousand；　…　at　which
Herod　was　sore　displeased；　and　required　the　robbers；　as　well　as
the　money　which　he　had　lent　Obodas；　by　Sylleus；　which　was　sixty
talents；　and　since　the　time　of　payment　was　now　past；　he　desired
to　have　it　paid　him；　but　Sylleus；　who　had　laid　Obodas　aside；　and
managed　all　by　himself；　denied　that　the　robbers　were　in　Arabia；
and　put　off　the　payment　of　the　money；　about　which　there　was　a
hearing　before　Saturninus　and　Volumnius；　who　were　then　the
presidents　of　Syria。　（11）　At　last　he；　by　their　means；　agreed；
that　within　thirty　days'　time　Herod　should　be　paid　his　money；　and
that　each　of　them　should　deliver　up　the　other's　subjects
reciprocally。　Now；　as　to　Herod；　there　was　not　one　of　the　other's
subjects　found　in　his　kingdom；　either　as　doing　any　injustice；　or
on　any　other　account；　but　it　was　proved　that　the　Arabians　had　the
robbers　amongst　them。

2。　When　this　day　appointed　for　payment　of　the　money　was　past；
without　Sylleus's　performing　any　part　of　his　agreement；　and　he
was　gone　to　Rome；　Herod　demanded　the　payment　of　the　money；　and
that　the　robbers　that　were　in　Arabia　should　be　delivered　up；　and；
by　the　permission　of　Saturninus　and　Volumnius；　executed　the
judgment　himself　upon　those　that　were　refractory。　He　took　an　army
that　he　had；　and　let　it　into　Arabia；　and　in　three　days'　time
marched　seven　mansions；　and　when　he　came　to　the　garrison　wherein
the　robbers　were；　he　made　an　assault　upon　them；　and　took　them
all；　and　demolished　the　place；　which　was　called　Raepta；　but　did
no　harm　to　any　others。　But　as　the　Arabians　came　to　their
assistance；　under　Naceb　their　captain；　there　ensued　a　battle；
wherein　a　few　of　Herod's　soldiers；　and　Naceb；　the　captain　of　the
Arabians；　and　about　twenty　of　his　soldiers；　fell；　while　the　rest
betook　themselves　to　flight。　So　when　he　had　brought　these　to
punishment；　he　placed　three　thousand　Idumeans　in　Trachonitis；　and
thereby　restrained　the　robbers　that　were　there。　He　also　sent　an
account　to　the　captains　that　were　about　Phoenicia；　and
demonstrated　that　he　had　done　nothing　but　what　he　ought　to　do；　in
punishing　the　refractory　Arabians；　which；　upon　an　exact　inquiry；
they　found　to　be　no　more　than　what　was　true。

3。　However；　messengers　were　hasted　away　to　Sylleus　to　Rome；　and
informed　him　what　had　been　done；　and；　as　is　usual；　aggravated
every　thing。　Now　Sylleus　had　already　insinuated　himself　into　the
knowledge　of　Caesar；　and　was　then　about　the　palace；　and　as　soon
as　he　heard　of　these　things；　he　changed　his　habit　into　black；　and
went　in；　and　told　Caesar　that　Arabia　was　afflicted　with　war；　and
that　all　his　kingdom　was　in　great　confusion；　upon　Herod's　laying
it　waste　with　his　army；　and　he　said；　with　tears　in　his　eyes；　that
two　thousand　five　hundred　of　the　principal　men　among　the　Arabians
had　been　destroyed；　and　that　their　captain　Nacebus；　his　familiar
friend　and　kinsman；　was　slain；　and　that　the　riches　that　were　at
Raepta　were　carried　off；　and　that　Obodas　was　despised；　whose
infirm　state　of　body　rendered　him　unfit　for　war；　on　which　account
neither　he；　nor　the　Arabian　army；　were　present。　When　Sylleus　said
so；　and　added　invidiously；　that　he　would　not　himself　have　come
out　of　the　country；　unless　he　had　believed　that　Caesar　would　have
provided　that　they　should　all　have　peace　one　with　another；　and
that；　had　he　been　there；　he　would　have　taken　care　that　the　war
should　not　have　been　to　Herod's　advantage；　Caesar　was　provoked
when　this　was　said；　and　asked　no　more　than　this　one　question；
both　of　Herod's　friends　that　were　there；　and　of　his　own　friends；
who　were　come　from　Syria；　Whether　Herod　had　led　an　army　thither？
And　when　they　were　forced　to　confess　so　much；　Caesar；　without
staying　to　hear　for　what　reason　he　did　it；　and　how　it　was　done；
grew　very　angry；　and　wrote　to　Herod　sharply。　The　sum　of　his
epistle　was　this；　that　whereas　of　old　he　had　used　him　as　his
friend；　he　should　now　use　him　as　his　subject。　Sylleus　also　wrote
an　account　of　this　to　the　Arabians；　who　were　so　elevated　with　it；
that　they　neither　delivered　up　the　robbers　that　had　fled　to　them；
nor　paid　the　money　that　was　due；　they　retained　those　pastures
also　which　they　had　hired；　and　kept　them　without　paying　their
rent；　and　all　this　because　the　king　of　the　Jews　was　now　in　a　low
condition；　by　reason　of　Caesar's　anger　at　him。　Those　of
Trachonitis　also　made　use　of　this　opportunity；　and　rose　up
against　the　Idumean　garrison；　and　followed　the　same　way　of
robbing　with　the　Arabians；　who　had　pillaged　their　country；　and
were　more　rigid　in　their　unjust　proceedings；　not　only　in　order　to
get　by　it；　but　by　way　of　revenge　also。

4。　Now　Herod　was　forced　to　bear　all　this；　that　confidence　of　his
being　quite　gone　with　which　Caesar's　favor　used　to　inspire　him；
for　Caesar　would　not　admit　so　much　as　an　embassage　from　him　to
'make　an　apology　for　him；　and　when　they　came　again；　he　sent　them
away　without　success。　So　he　was　cast　into　sadness　and　fear；　and
Sylleus's　circumstances　grieved　him　exceedingly；　who　was　now
believed　by　Caesar；　and　was　present　at　Rome；　nay；　sometimes
aspiring　higher。　Now　it　came　to　pass　that　Obodas　was　dead；　and
Aeneas；　whose　name　was　afterward　changed　to　Aretas；　（12）　took　the
government；　for　Sylleus　endeavored　by　calumnies　to　get　him　turned
out　of　his　principality；　that　he　might　himself　take　it；　with
which　design　he　gave　much　money　to　the　courtiers；　and　promised
much　money　to　Caesar；　who　indeed　was　angry　that　Aretas　had　not
sent　to　him　first　before　he　took　the　kingdom；　yet　did　Aeneas　send
an　epistle　and　presents　to　Caesar；　and　a　golden　crown；　of　the
weight　of　many　talents。　Now　that　epistle　accused　Sylleus　as
having　been　a　wicked　servant；　and　having　killed　Obodas　by　poison；
and　that　while　he　was　alive；　he　had　governed　him　as　he　pleased；
and　had　also　debauched　the　wives　of　the　Arabians；　and　had
borrowed　money；　in　order　to　obtain　the　dominion　for　himself：　yet
did　not　Caesar　give　heed　to　these　accusations；　but　sent　his
ambassadors　back；　without　receiving　any　of　his　presents。　But　in
the　mean　time　the　affairs　of　Judea　and　Arabia　became　worse　and
worse；　partly　because　of　the　anarchy　they　were　under；　and　partly
because；　as　bad　as　they　were；　nobody　had　power　to　govern　them；
for　of　the　two　kings；　the　one　was　not　yet　confirmed　in　his
kingdom；　and　so　had　not　authority　sufficient　to　restrain　the
evil…doers；　and　as　for　Herod；　Caesar　was　immediately　angry　at　him
for　having　avenged　himself；　and　so　he　was　compelled　to　bear　all
the　injuries　that　were　offered　him。　At　length；　when　he　saw　no　end
of　the　mischief　which　surrounded　him；　he　resolved　to　send
ambassadors　to　Rome　again；　to　see　whether　his　friends　had
prevailed　to　mitigate　Caesar；　and　to　address　themselves　to　Caesar
himself；　and　the　ambassador　he　sent　thither　was　Nicolans　of
Damascus。

CHAPTER　10。

How　Eurycles　Falsely　Accused　Herod's　Sons；　And　How　Their　Father
Bound　Them；　And　Wrote　To　Caesar　About　Them。　Of　Sylleus　And　How　He
Was　Accused　By　Nicolaus。

1。　The　disorders　about　Herod's　family　and　children　about　this
time　grew　much　worse；　for　it　now　appeared　certain；　nor　was　it
unforeseen　before…hand；　that　fortune　threatened　the　greatest　and
most　insupportable　misfortunes　possible　to　his　kingdom。　Its
progress　and　augmentation　at　this　time　arose　on　the　occasion
following：　One　Eurycles；　a　Lacedemonian；　（a　person　of　note　there；
but　a　man　of　a　perverse　mind；　and　so　cunning　in　his　ways　of
voluptuousness　and　flattery；　as　to　indulge　both；　and　yet　seem　to
indulge　neither　of　them；）　came　in　his　travels　to　Herod；　and　made
him　presents；　but　so　that　he　received　more　presents　from　him。　He
also　took　such　proper　seasons　for　insinuating　himself　into　his
friendship；　that　he　became　one　of　the　most　intimate　of　the　king's
friends。　He　had　his　lodging　in　Antipater's　house；　but　he　had　not
only　access；　but　free　conversation；　with　Alexander；　as　pretending
to　him　that　he　was　in　great　favor　with　Archclaus；　the　king　of
Cappadocia；　whence　he　pretended　much　respect　to　Glaphyra；　and　in
an　occult　manner　cultivated　a　friendship　with　them　all；　but
always　attending　to　what　was　said　and　done；　that　he　might　be
furnished　with　calumnies