the wars of the jews-第17节

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3。　But　Herod's　concern　at　present；　now　he　had　gotten　his　enemies　under　his　power；　was　to　restrain　the　zeal　of　his　foreign　auxiliaries；　for　the　multitude　of　the　strange　people　were　very　eager　to　see　the　temple；　and　what　was　sacred　in　the　holy　house　itself；　but　the　king　endeavored　to　restrain　them；　partly　by　his　exhortations；　partly　by　his　threatenings；　nay；　partly　by　force；　as　thinking　the　victory　worse　than　a　defeat　to　him；　if　any　thing　that　ought　not　to　be　seen　were　seen　by　them。　He　also　forbade；　at　the　same　time；　the　spoiling　of　the　city；　asking　Sosius　in　the　most　earnest　manner；　whether　the　Romans；　by　thus　emptying　the　city　of　money　and　men；　had　a　mind　to　leave　him　king　of　a　desert；　…　and　told　him　that　he　judged　the　dominion　of　the　habitable　earth　too　small　a　compensation　for　the　slaughter　of　so　many　citizens。　And　when　Sosius　said　that　it　was　but　just　to　allow　the　soldiers　this　plunder　as　a　reward　for　what　they　suffered　during　the　siege；　Herod　made　answer；　that　he　would　give　every　one　of　the　soldiers　a　reward　out　of　his　own　money。　So　he　purchased　the　deliverance　of　his　country；　and　performed　his　promises　to　them；　and　made　presents　after　a　magnificent　manner　to　each　soldier；　and　proportionably　to　their　commanders；　and　with　a　most　royal　bounty　to　Sosius　himself；　whereby　nobody　went　away　but　in　a　wealthy　condition。　Hereupon　Sosius　dedicated　a　crown　of　gold　to　God；　and　then　went　away　from　Jerusalem；　leading　Antigonus　away　in　bonds　to

Antony；　then　did　the　axe　bring　him　to　his　end；　（27）　who　still　had　a　fond　desire　of　life；　and　some　frigid　hopes　of　it　to　the　last；　but　by　his　cowardly　behavior　well　deserved　to　die　by　it。

4。　Hereupon　king　Herod　distinguished　the　multitude　that　was　in　the　city；　and　for　those　that　were　of　his　side；　he　made　them　still　more　his　friends　by　the　honors　he　conferred　on　them；　but　for　those　of　Antigonus's　party；　he　slew　them；　and　as　his　money　ran　low；　he　turned　all　the　ornaments　he　had　into　money；　and　sent　it　to　Antony；　and　to　those　about　him。　Yet　could　he　not　hereby　purchase　an　exemption　from　all　sufferings；　for　Antony　was　now　bewitched　by　his　love　to　Cleopatra；　and　was　entirely　conquered　by　her　charms。　Now　Cleopatra　had　put　to　death　all　her　kindred；　till　no　one　near　her　in　blood　remained　alive；　and　after　that　she　fell　a　slaying　those　no　way　related　to　her。　So　she　calumniated　the　principal　men　among　the　Syrians　to　Antony；　and　persuaded　him　to　have　them　slain；　that　so　she　might　easily　gain　to　be　mistress　of　what　they　had；　nay；　she　extended　her　avaricious　humor　to　the　Jews　and　Arabians；　and　secretly　labored　to　have　Herod　and　Malichus；　the　kings　of　both　those　nations；　slain　by　his　order。

5。　Now　is　to　these　her　injunctions　to　Antony；　he　complied　in　part；　for　though　he　esteemed　it　too　abominable　a　thing　to　kill　such　good　and　great　kings；　yet　was　he　thereby　alienated　from　the　friendship　he　had　for　them。　He　also　took　away　a　great　deal　of　their　country；　nay；　even　the　plantation　of　palm　trees　at　Jericho；　where　also　grows　the　balsam　tree；　and　bestowed　them　upon　her；　as　also　all　the　cities　on　this　side　the　river　Eleutherus；　Tyre　and　Sidon　（28）　excepted。　And　when　she　was　become　mistress　of　these；　and　had　conducted　Antony　in　his　expedition　against　the　Parthians　as　far　as　Euphrates；　she　came　by　Apamia　and　Damascus　into　Judea　and　there　did　Herod　pacify　her　indignation　at　him　by　large　presents。　He　also　hired　of　her　those　places　that　had　been　torn　away　from　his　kingdom；　at　the　yearly　rent　of　two　hundred　talents。　He　conducted　her　also　as　far　as　Pelusium；　and　paid　her　all　the　respects　possible。　Now　it　was　not　long　after　this　that　Antony　was　come　back　from　Parthia；　and　led　with　him　Artabazes；　Tigranes's　son；　captive；　as　a　present　for　Cleopatra；　for　this　Parthian　was　presently　given　her；　with　his　money；　and　all　the　prey　that　was　taken　with　him。

CHAPTER　19。

How　Antony　At　The　Persuasion　Of　Cleopatra　Sent　Herod　To　Fight　Against　The　Arabians；　And　Now　After　Several　Battles；　He　At　Length　Got　The　Victory。　As　Also　Concerning　A　Great　Earthquake。

1。　Now　when　the　war　about　Actium　was　begun；　Herod　prepared　to　come　to　the　assistance　of　Antony；　as　being　already　freed　from　his　troubles　in　Judea；　and　having　gained　Hyrcania；　which　was　a　place　that　was　held　by　Antigonus's　sister。　However；　he　was　cunningly　hindered　from　partaking　of　the　hazards　that　Antony　went　through　by　Cleopatra；　for　since；　as　we　have　already　noted；　she　had　laid　a　plot　against　the　kings　＇of　Judea　and　Arabia＇；　she　prevailed　with　Antony　to　commit　the　war　against　the　Arabians　to　Herod；　that　so；　if　he　got　the　better；　she　might　become　mistress　of　Arabia；　or；　if　he　were　worsted；　of　Judea；　and　that　she　might　destroy　one　of　those　kings　by　the　other。

2。　However；　this　contrivance　tended　to　the　advantage　of　Herod；　for　at　the　very　first　he　took　hostages　from　the　enemy；　and　got　together　a　great　body　of　horse；　and　ordered　them　to　march　against　them　about　Diespous；　and　he　conquered　that　army；　although　it　fought　resolutely　against　him。　After　which　defeat；　the　Arabians　were　in　great　motion；　and　assembled　themselves　together　at　Kanatha；　a　city　of　Celesyria；　in　vast　multitudes；　and　waited　for　the　Jews。　And　when　Herod　was　come　thither；　he　tried　to　manage　this　war　with　particular　prudence；　and　gave　orders　that　they　should　build　a　wall　about　their　camp；　yet　did　not　the　multitude　comply　with　those　orders；　but　were　so　emboldened　by　their　foregoing　victory；　that　they　presently　attacked　the　Arabians；　and　beat　them　at　the　first　onset；　and　then　pursued　them；　yet　were　there　snares　laid　for　Herod　in　that　pursuit；　while　Athenio；　who　was　one　of　Cleopatra's　generals；　and　always　an　antagonist　to　Herod；　sent　out　of　Kanatha　the　men　of　that　country　against　him；　for；　upon　this　fresh　onset；　the　Arabians　took　courage；　and　returned　back；　and　both　joined　their　numerous　forces　about　stony　places；　that　were　hard　to　be　gone　over；　and　there　put　Herod's　men　to　the　rout；　and　made　a　great　slaughter　of　them；　but　those　that　escaped　out　of　the　battle　fled　to　Ormiza；　where　the　Arabians　surrounded　their　camp；　and　took　it；　with　all　the　men　in　it。　　3。　In　a　little　time　after　this　calamity；　Herod　came　to　bring　them　succors；　but　he　came　too　late。　Now　the　occasion　of　that　blow　was　this；　that　the　officers　would　not　obey　orders；　for　had　not　the　fight　begun　so　suddenly；　Athenio　had　not　found　a　proper　season　for　the　snares　he　laid　for　Herod：　however；　he　was　even　with　the　Arabians　afterward；　and　overran　their　country；　and　did　them　more　harm　than　their　single　victory　could　compensate。　But　as　he　was　avenging　himself　on　his　enemies；　there　fell　upon　him　another　providential　calamity；　for　in　the　seventh　（29）　year　of　his　reign；　when　the　war　about　Actium　was　at　the　height；　at　the　beginning　of　the　spring；　the　earth　was　shaken；　and　destroyed　an　immense　number　of　cattle；　with　thirty　thousand　men；　but　the　army　received　no　harm；　because　it　lay　in　the　open　air。　In　the　mean　time；　the　fame　of　this　earthquake　elevated　the　Arabians　to　greater　courage；　and　this　by　augmenting　it　to　a　fabulous　height；　as　is　constantly　the　case　in　melancholy　accidents；　and　pretending　that　all　Judea　was　overthrown。　Upon　this　supposal；　therefore；　that　they　should　easily　get　a　land　that　was　destitute　of　inhabitants　into　their　power；　they　first　sacrificed　those　ambassadors　who　were　come　to　them　from　the　Jews；　and　then　marched　into　Judea　immediately。　Now　the　Jewish　nation　were　affrighted　at　this　invasion；　and　quite　dispirited　at　the　greatness　of　their　calamities　one　after　another；　whom　yet　Herod　got　together；　and　endeavored　to　encourage　to　defend　themselves　by　the　following　speech　which　he　made　to　them：

4。　〃The　present　dread　you　are　under　seems　to　me　to　have　seized　upon　you　very　unreasonably。　It　is　true；　you　might　justly　be　dismayed　at　that　providential　chastisement　which　hath　befallen　you；　but　to　suffer　yourselves　to　be　equally　terrified　at　the　invasion　of　men　is　unmanly。　As　for　myself；　I　am　so　far　from　being　aftrighted　at　our　enemies　after　this　earthquake；　that　I　imagine　that　God　hath　thereby　laid　a　bait　for　the　Arabians；　that　we　may　be　avenged　on　them；　for　their　present　invasion　proceeds　more　from　our　accidental　misfortunes；　than　that　they　have　any　great　dependence　on　their　weapons；　or　their　own　fitness　for　action。　Now　that　hope　which　depends　not　on　men's　own　power；　but　on　others'　ill　success；　is　a　very　ticklish　thing；　for　there　is　no　certainty　among　men；　either　in　their　bad　or　good　fortunes；　but　we　may　easily　observe　that　fortune　is　mutable；　and　goes　from　one　side　to　another；　and　this　you　may　readily　learn　from　examples　among　yourselves；　for　when　you　were　once　victors　in　the　former　fight；　your　enemies　overcame　you　at　last；　and　very　likely　it　will　now　happen　so；　that　these　who　think　themselves　sure　of　beating　you　will　themselves　be　beaten。　For　when　men　are　very　confident；　they　are　not　upon　their　guard；　while　fear　teaches　men　to　act　with　caution；　insomuch　that　I　venture　to　prove　from　your　very　timorousness　that　you　ought　to　take　courage；　for　when　you　were　more　bold　than　you　ought　to　have　been；　and　than　I　would　have　had　you；　and　marched　on；　Athenio's　treachery　took　place；　but　your　present　slowness　and　seeming　dejection　of　mind　is　to　me　a　pledge　and　assurance　of　victory。　And　indeed　it　is　proper　beforehand　to　be　thus　provident；　but　when　we　come　to　action；　we　ought　to　ere