the antiquities of the jews-1-第236节

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of　his　sons；　he　now；　in　his　prosperity；　took　advantage　of　this
change　for　the　better；　and　the　freedom　he　now　had；　to　exercise
his　hatred　against　them　after　an　unheard　of　manner；　he　therefore
sent　and　called　as　many　as　he　thought　fit　to　this　assembly；
excepting　Archclaus；　for　as　for　him；　he　either　hated　him；　so　that
he　would　not　invite　him；　or　he　thought　he　would　be　an　obstacle　to
his　designs。

2。　When　the　presidents；　and　the　rest　that　belonged　to　the　cities；
were　come　to　Berytus；　he　kept　his　sons　in　a　certain　village
belonging　to　Sidon；　called　Platana；　but　near　to　this　city；　that
if　they　were　called；　he　might　produce　them；　for　he　did　not　think
fit　to　bring　them　before　the　assembly：　and　when　there　were　one
hundred　and　fifty　assessors　present；　Herod　came　by　himself　alone；
and　accused　his　sons；　and　that　in　such　a　way　as　if　it　were　not　a
melancholy　accusation；　and　not　made　but　out　of　necessity；　and
upon　the　misfortunes　he　was　under；　indeed；　in　such　a　way　as　was
very　indecent　for　a　father　to　accuse　his　sons；　for　he　was　very
vehement　and　disordered　when　he　came　to　the　demonstration　of　the
crime　they　were　accused　of；　and　gave　the　greatest　signs　of
passion　and　barbarity：　nor　would　he　suffer　the　assessors　to
consider　of　the　weight　of　the　evidence；　but　asserted　them　to　be
true　by　his　own　authority；　after　a　manner　most　indecent　in　a
father　against　his　sons；　and　read　himself　what　they　themselves
had　written；　wherein　there　was　no　confession　of　any　plots　or
contrivances　against　him；　but　only　how　they　had　contrived　to　fly
away；　and　containing　withal　certain　reproaches　against　him；　on
account　of　the　ill…will　he　bare　them；　and　when　he　came　to　those
reproaches；　he　cried　out　most　of　all；　and　exaggerated　what　they
said；　as　if　they　had　confessed　the　design　against　him；　and　took
his　oath　that　he　had　rather　lose　his　life　than　hear　such
reproachful　words。　At　last　he　said　that　he　had　sufficient
authority；　both　by　nature　and　by　Caesar's　grant　to　him；　＇to　do
what　he　thought　fit＇。　He　also　added　an　allegation　of　a　law　of
their　country；　which　enjoined　this：　That　if　parents　laid　their
hands　on　the　head　of　him　that　was　accused；　the　standers　by　were
obliged　to　cast　stones　at　him；　and　thereby　to　slay　him；　which
though　he　were　ready　to　do　in　his　own　country　and　kingdom；　yet
did　he　wait　for　their　determination；　and　yet　they　came　thither
not　so　much　as　judges；　to　condemn　them　for　such　manifest　designs
against　him；　whereby　he　had　almost　perished　by　his　sons'　means；
but　as　persons　that　had　an　opportunity　of　showing　their
detestation　of　such　practices；　and　declaring　how　unworthy　a　thing
it　must　be　in　any；　even　the　most　remote；　to　pass　over　such
treacherous　designs　＇without　punishment＇。

3。　When　the　king　had　said　this；　and　the　young　men　had　not　been
produced　to　make　any　defense　for　themselves；　the　assessors
perceived　there　was　no　room　for　equity　and　reconciliation；　so
they　confirmed　his　authority。　And　in　the　first　place；　Saturninus；
a　person　that　had　been　consul；　and　one　of　great　dignity；
pronounced　his　sentence；　but　with　great　moderation　and　trouble；
and　said　that　he　condemned　Herod's　sons；　but　did　not　think　they
should　be　put　to　death。　He　had　sons　of　his　own；　and　to　put　one's
son　to　death　is　a　greater　misfortune　than　any　other　that　could
befall　him　by　their　means。　After　him　Saturninus's　sons；　for　he
had　three　sons　that　followed　him；　and　were　his　legates；
pronounced　the　same　sentence　with　their　father。　On　the　contrary；
Volumnius's　sentence　was　to　inflict　death　on　such　as　had　been　so
impiously　undutiful　to　their　father；　and　the　greatest　part　of　the
rest　said　the　same；　insomuch　that　the　conclusion　seemed　to　be；
that　the　young　men　were　condemned　to　die。　Immediately　after　this
Herod　came　away　from　thence；　and　took　his　sons　to　Tyre；　where
Nicolaus　met　him　in　his　voyage　from　Rome；　of　whom　he　inquired；
after　he　had　related　to　him　what　had　passed　at　Berytus；　what　his
sentiments　were　about　his　sons；　and　what　his　friends　at　Rome
thought　of　that　matter。　His　answer　was；　〃That　what　they　had
determined　to　do　to　thee　was　impious；　and　that　thou　oughtest　to
keep　them　in　prison；　and　if　thou　thinkest　any　thing　further
necessary；　thou　mayst　indeed　so　punish　them；　that　thou　mayst　not
appear　to　indulge　thy　anger　more　than　to　govern　thyself　by
judgment；　but　if　thou　inclinest　to　the　milder　side；　thou　mayst
absolve　them；　lest　perhaps　thy　misfortunes　be　rendered　incurable；
and　this　is　the　opinion　of　the　greatest　part　of　thy　friends　at
Rome　also。〃　Whereupon　Herod　was　silent；　and　in　great
thoughtfulness；　and　bid　Nicolaus　sail　along　with　him。

4。　Now　as　they　came　to　Cesarea；　every　body　was　there　talking　of
Herod's　sons；　and　the　kingdom　was　in　suspense；　and　the　people　in
great　expectation　of　what　would　become　of　them；　for　a　terrible
fear　seized　upon　all　men；　lest　the　ancient　disorders　of　the
family　should　come　to　a　sad　conclusion；　and　they　were　in　great
trouble　about　their　sufferings；　nor　was　it　without　danger　to　say
any　rash　thing　about　this　matter；　nor　even　to　hear　another　saying
it；　but　men's　pity　was　forced　to　be　shut　up　in　themselves；　which
rendered　the　excess　of　their　sorrow　very　irksome；　but　very　silent
yet　was　there　an　old　soldier　of　Herod's；　whose　name　was　Tero；　who
had　a　son　of　the　same　age　with　Alexander；　and　his　friend；　who　was
so　very　free　as　openly　to　speak　out　what　others　silently　thought
about　that　matter；　and　was　forced　to　cry　out　often　among　the
multitude；　and　said；　in　the　most　unguarded　manner；　that　truth　was
perished；　and　justice　taken　away　from　men；　while　lies　and
ill…will　prevailed；　and　brought　such　a　mist　before　public
affairs；　that　the　offenders　were　not　able　to　see　the　greatest
mischiefs　that　can　befall　men。　And　as　he　was　so　bold；　he　seemed
not　to　have　kept　himself　out　of　danger；　by　speaking　so　freely；
but　the　reasonableness　of　what　he　said　moved　men　to　regard　him　as
having　behaved　himself　with　great　manhood；　and　this　at　a　proper
time　also；　for　which　reason　every　one　heard　what　he　said　with
pleasure；　and　although　they　first　took　care　of　their　own　safety
by　keeping　silent　themselves；　yet　did　they　kindly　receive　the
great　freedom　he　took；　for　the　expectation　they　were　in　of　so
great　an　affliction；　put　a　force　upon　them　to　speak　of　Tero
whatsoever　they　pleased。

5。　This　man　had　thrust　himself　into　the　king's　presence　with　the
greatest　freedom；　and　desired　to　speak　with　him　by　himself　alone；
which　the　king　permitted　him　to　do；　where　he　said　this：　〃Since　I
am　not　able；　O　king；　to　bear　up　under　so　great　a　concern　as　I　am
under；　I　have　preferred　the　use　of　this　bold　liberty　that　I　now
take；　which　may　be　for　thy　advantage；　if　thou　mind　to　get　any
profit　by　it；　before　my　own　safety。　Whither　is　thy　understanding
gone；　and　left　thy　soul　empty？　Whither　is　that　extraordinary
sagacity　of　thine　gone　whereby　thou　hast　performed　so　many　and
such　glorious…actions？　Whence　comes　this　solitude；　and　desertion
of　thy　friends　and　relations？　Of　which　I　cannot　but　determine
that　they　are　neither　thy　friends　nor　relations；　while　they
overlook　such　horrid　wickedness　in　thy　once　happy　kingdom。　Dost
not　thou　perceive　what　is　doing？　Wilt　thou　slay　these　two　young
men；　born　of　thy　queen；　who　are　accomplished　with　every　virtue　in
the　highest　degree；　and　leave　thyself　destitute　in　thy　old　age；
but　exposed　to　one　son；　who　hath　very　ill　managed　the　hopes　thou
hast　given　him；'　and　to　relations；　whose　death　thou　hast　so　often
resolved　on　thyself？　Dost　not　thou　take　notice；　that　the　very
silence　of　the　multitude　at　once　sees　the　crime；　and　abhors　the
fact？　The　whole　army　and　the　officers　have　commiseration　on　the
poor　unhappy　youths；　and　hatred　to　those　that　are　the　actors　in
this　matter。〃　These　words　the　king　heard；　and　for　some　time　with
good　temper。　But　what　can　one　say？　When　Tero　plainly　touched　upon
the　bad　behavior　and　perfidiousness　of　his　domestics；　he　was
moved　at　it；　but　Tero　went　on　further；　and　by　degrees　used　an
unbounded　military　freedom　of　speech；　nor　was　he　so　well
disciplined　as　to　accommodate　himself　to　the　time。　So　Herod　was
greatly　disturbed；　and　seeming　to　be　rather　reproached　by　this
speech；　than　to　be　hearing　what　was　for　his　advantage；　while　he
learned　thereby　that　both　the　soldiers　abhorred　the　thing　he　was
about；　and　the　officers　had　indignation　at　it；　he　gave　order　that
all　whom　Tero　had　named；　and　Tero　himself；　should　be　bound　and
kept　in　prison。

6。　When　this　was　over；　one　Trypho；　who　was　the　king's　barber；
took　the　opportunity；　and　came　and　told　the　king；　that　Tero　would
often　have　persuaded　him；　when　he　trimmed　him　with　a　razor；　to
cut　his　throat；　for　that　by　this　means　he　should　be　among　the
chief　of　Alexander's　friends；　and　receive　great　rewards　from　him。
When　he　had　said　this；　the　king　gave　order　that　Tero；　and　his
son；　and　the　barber　should　be　tortured；　which　was　done
accordingly；　but　while　Tero　bore　up　himself；　his　son　seeing　his
father　already　in　a　sad　case；　and　had　no　hope　of　deliverance；　and
perceiving　what　would　be　the　consequence　of　his　terrible
sufferings；　said；　that　if　the　king　would　free　him　and　his　father
from　these　torments　for　what　he　should　say；　he　would　tell　the
truth。　And　when　the　king　had　given　his　word　to　do　so；　he　said