the antiquities of the jews-1-第237节

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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
that　there　was　an　agreement　made；　that　Tero　should　lay　violent
hands　on　the　king；　because　it　was　easy　for　him　to　come　when　he
was　alone；　and　that　if；　when　he　had　done　the　thing；　he　should
suffer　death　for　it；　as　was　not　unlikely；　it　would　be　an　act　of
generosity　done　in　favor　of　Alexander。　This　was　what　Tero's　son
said；　and　thereby　freed　his　father　from　the　distress　he　was　in；
but　uncertain　it　is　whether　he　had　been　thus　forced　to　speak　what
was　true；　or　whether　it　were　a　contrivance　of　his；　in　order　to
procure　his　own　and　his　father's　deliverance　from　their　miseries。

7。　As　for　Herod；　if　he　had　before　any　doubt　about　the　slaughter
of　his　sons；　there　was　now　no　longer　any　room　left　in　his　soul
for　it；　but　he　had　banished　away　whatsoever　might　afford　him　the
least　suggestion　of　reasoning　better　about　this　matter；　so　he
already　made　haste　to　bring　his　purpose　to　a　conclusion。　He　also
brought　out　three　hundred　of　the　officers　that　were　under　an
accusation；　as　also　Tero　and　his　son；　and　the　barber　that　accused
them　before　an　assembly；　and　brought　an　accusation　against　them
all；　whom　the　multitude　stoned　with　whatsoever　came　to　hand；　and
thereby　slew　them。　Alexander　also　and　Aristobulus　were　brought　to
Sebaste；　by　their　father's　command；　and　there　strangled；　but
their　dead　bodies　were　in　the　night　time　carried　to　Alexandraum；
where　their　uncle　by　the　mother's　side；　and　the　greatest　part　of
their　ancestors；　had　been　deposited。

8。　（15）　And　now　perhaps　it　may　not　seem　unreasonable　to　some；
that　such　an　inveterate　hatred　might　increase　so　much　＇on　both
sides＇；　as　to　proceed　further；　and　overcome　nature；　but　it　may
justly　deserve　consideration；　whether　it　be　to　be　laid　to　the
charge　of　the　young　men；　that　they　gave　such　an　occasion　to　their
father's　anger；　and　led　him　to　do　what　he　did；　and　by　going　on
long　in　the　same　way　put　things　past　remedy；　and　brought　him　to
use　them　so　unmercifully；　or　whether　it　be　to　be　laid　to　the
father's　charge；　that　he　was　so　hard…hearted；　and　so　very　tender
in　the　desire　of　government；　and　of　other　things　that　would　tend
to　his　glory；　that　tae　would　take　no　one　into　a　partnership　with
him；　that　so　whatsoever　he　would　have　done　himself　might　continue
immovable；　or；　indeed；　whether　fortune　have　not　greater　power
than　all　prudent　reasonings；　whence　we　are　persuaded　that　human
actions　are　thereby　determined　beforehand　by　an　inevitable
necessity；　and　we　call　her　Fate；　because　there　is　nothing　which
is　not　done　by　her；　wherefore　I　suppose　it　will　be　sufficient　to
compare　this　notion　with　that　other；　which　attribute　somewhat　to
ourselves；　and　renders　men　not　unaccountable　for　the　different
conducts　of　their　lives；　which　notion　is　no　other　than　the
philosophical　determination　of　our　ancient　law。　Accordingly；　of
the　two　other　causes　of　this　sad　event；　any　body　may　lay　the
blame　on　the　young　men；　who　acted　by　youthful　vanity；　and　pride
of　their　royal　birth；　that　they　should　bear　to　hear　the　calumnies
that　were　raised　against　their　father；　while　certainly　they　were
not　equitable　judges　of　the　actions　of　his　life；　but　ill…natured
in　suspecting；　and　intemperate　in　speaking　of　it；　and　on　both
accounts　easily　caught　by　those　that　observed　them；　and　revealed
them　to　gain　favor；　yet　cannot　their　father　be　thought　worthy
excuse；　as　to　that　horrid　impiety　which　he　was　guilty　of　about
them；　while　he　ventured；　without　any　certain　evidence　of　their
treacherous　designs　against　him；　and　without　any　proofs　that　they
had　made　preparations　for　such　attempt；　to　kill　his　own　sons；　who
were　of　very　comely　bodies；　and　the　great　darlings　of　other　men；
and　no　way　deficient　in　their　conduct；　whether　it　were　in
hunting；　or　in　warlike　exercises；　or　in　speaking　upon　occasional
topics　of　discourse；　for　in　all　these　they　were　skillful；　and
especially　Alexander；　who　was　the　eldest；　for　certainly　it　had
been　sufficient；　even　though　he　had　condemned　them；　to　have　kept
them　alive　in　bonds；　or　to　let　them　live　at　a　distance　from　his
dominions　in　banishment；　while　he　was　surrounded　by　the　Roman
forces；　which　were　a　strong　security　to　him；　whose　help　would
prevent　his　suffering　any　thing　by　a　sudden　onset；　or　by　open
force；　but　for　him　to　kill　them　on　the　sudden；　in　order　to
gratify　a　passion　that　governed　him；　was　a　demonstration　of
insufferable　impiety。　He　also　was　guilty　of　so　great　a　crime　in
his　older　age；　nor　will　the　delays　that　he　made；　and　the　length
of　time　in　which　the　thing　was　done；　plead　at　all　for　his　excuse；
for　when　a　man　is　on　a　sudden　amazed；　and　in　commotion　of　mind；
and　then　commits　a　wicked　action；　although　this　be　a　heavy　crime；
yet　is　it　a　thing　that　frequently　happens；　but　to　do　it　upon
deliberation；　and　after　frequent　attempts；　and　as　frequent
puttings…off；　to　undertake　it　at　last；　and　accomplish　it；　was　the
action　of　a　murderous　mind；　and　such　as　was　not　easily　moved　from
that　which　is　evil。　And　this　temper　he　showed　in　what　he　did
afterward；　when　he　did　not　spare　those　that　seemed　to　be　the　best
beloved　of　his　friends　that　were　left；　wherein；　though　the
justice　of　the　punishment　caused　those　that　perished　to　be　the
less　pitied；　yet　was　the　barbarity　of　the　man　here　equal；　in　that
he　did　not　abstain　from　their　slaughter　also。　But　of　those
persons　we　shall　have　occasion　to　discourse　more　hereafter。

BOOK　XVII。

Containing　The　Interval　Of　Fourteen　Years。

From　The　Death　Of　Alexander　And　Aristobulus　To　The　Banishment　Of
Archelaus。

CHAPTER　1。

How　Antipater　Was　Hated　By　All　The　Nation　＇Of　The　Jews＇　For　The
Slaughter　Of　His　Brethren；　And　How；　For　That　Reason　He　Got　Into
Peculiar　Favor　With　His　Friends　At　Rome；　By　Giving　Them　Many
Presents；　As　He　Did　Also　With　Saturninus；　The　President　Of　Syria
And　The　Governors　Who　Were　Under　Him；　And　Concerning　Herod's
Wives　And　Children。

1。　When　Antipater　had　thus　taken　off　his　brethren；　and　had
brought　his　father　into　the　highest　degree　of　impiety；　till　he
was　haunted　with　furies　for　what　he　had　done；　his　hopes　did　not
succeed　to　his　mind；　as　to　the　rest　of　his　life；　for　although　he
was　delivered　from　the　fear　of　his　brethren　being　his　rivals　as
to　the　government；　yet　did　he　find　it　a　very　hard　thing；　and
almost　impracticable；　to　come　at　the　kingdom；　because　the　hatred
of　the　nation　against　him　on　that　account　was　become　very　great；
and　besides　this　very　disagreeable　circumstance；　the　affair　of
the　soldiery　grieved　him　still　more；　who　were　alienated　from　him；
from　which　yet　these　kings　derived　all　the　safety　which　they　had；
whenever　they　found　the　nation　desirous　of　innovation：　and　all
this　danger　was　drawn　upon　him　by　his　destruction　of　his
brethren。　However；　he　governed　the　nation　jointly　with　his
father；　being　indeed　no　other　than　a　king　already；　and　he　was　for
that　very　reason　trusted；　and　the　more　firmly　depended　on；　for
the　which　he　ought　himself　to　have　been　put　to　death；　as
appearing　to　have　betrayed　his　brethren　out　of　his　concern　for
the　preservation　of　Herod；　and　not　rather　out　of　his　ill…will　to
them；　and；　before　them；　to　his　father　himself：　and　this　was　the
accursed　state　he　was　in。　Now　all　Antipater's　contrivances　tended
to　make　his　way　to　take　off　Herod；　that　he　might　have　nobody　to
accuse　him　in　the　vile　practices　he　was　devising：　and　that　Herod
might　have　no　refuge；　nor　any　to　afford　him　their　assistance；
since　they　must　thereby　have　Antipater　for　their　open　enemy；
insomuch　that　the　very　plots　he　had　laid　against　his　brethren
were　occasioned　by　the　hatred　he　bore　his　father。　But　at　this
time　he　was　more　than　ever　set　upon　the　execution　of　his　attempts
against　Herod；　because　if　he　were　once　dead；　the　government　would
now　be　firmly　secured　to　him；　but　if　he　were　suffered　to　live　any
longer；　he　should　be　in　danger；　upon　a　discovery　of　that
wickedness　of　which　he　had　been　the　contriver；　and　his　father
would　of　necessity　then　become　his　enemy。　And　on　this　account　it
was　that　he　became　very　bountiful　to　his　father's　friends；　and
bestowed　great　sums　on　several　of　them；　in　order　to　surprise　men
with　his　good　deeds；　and　take　off　their　hatred　against　him。　And
he　sent　great　presents　to　his　friends　at　Rome　particularly；　to
gain　their　good…will；　and　above　all　to　Saturninus；　the　president
of　Syria。　He　also　hoped　to　gain　the　favor　of　Saturninus's　brother
with　the　large　presents　he　bestowed　on　him；　as　also　he　used　the
same　art　to　＇Salome＇　the　king's　sister；　who　had　married　one　of
Herod's　chief　friends。　And　when　he　counterfeited　friendship　to
those　with　whom　he　conversed；　he　was　very　subtle　in　gaining　their
belief；　and　very　cunning　to　hide　his　hatred　against　any　that　he
really　did　hate。　But　he　could　not　impose　upon　his　aunt；　who
understood　him　of　a　long　time；　and　was　a　woman　not　easily　to　be
deluded；　especially　while　she　had　already　used　all　possible
caution　in　preventing　his　pernicious　designs。　Although
Antipeter's　uncle　by　the　mother's　side　was　married　to　her
daughter；　and　this　by　his　own　connivance　and　management；　while
she　had　before　been　married　to　Aristobulus；　and　while　Salome's
other　daughter　by　that　husband　was　married