the wars of the jews-第28节

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ter　Herod　had　slain　Alexander　and　Aristobulus；　he　would　fall　upon　them；　and　upon　their　wives；　because；　after　he　Mariamne　and　her　children　he　would　spare　nobody；　and　that　for　this　reason　it　was　best　to　get　as　far　off　the　wild　beast　as　they　were　able：　…　and　that　Antipater　oftentimes　lamented　his　own　case　before　his　mother；　and　said　to　her；　that　he　had　already　gray　hairs　upon　his　head；　and　that　his　father　grew　younger　again　every　day；　and　that　perhaps　death　would　overtake　him　before　he　should　begin　to　be　a　king　in　earnest；　and　that　in　case　Herod　should　die；　which　yet　nobody　knew　when　it　would　be；　the　enjoyment　of　the　succession　could　certainly　be　but　for　a　little　time；　for　that　these　heads　of　Hydra；　the　sons　of　Alexander　and　Aristobulus；　were　growing　up：　that　he　was　deprived　by　his　father　of　the　hopes　of　being　succeeded　by　his　children；　for　that　his　successor　after　his　death　was　not　to　be　any　one　of　his　own　sons；　but　Herod　the　son　of　Mariamne：　that　in　this　point　Herod　was　plainly　distracted；　to　think　that　his　testament　should　therein　take　place；　for　he　would　take　care　that　not　one　of　his　posterity　should　remain；　because　he　was　of　all　fathers　the　greatest　hater　of　his　children。　Yet　does　he　hate　his　brother　still　worse；　whence　it　was　that　he　a　while　ago　gave　himself　a　hundred　talents；　that　he　should　not　have　any　intercourse　with　Pheroras。　And　when　Pheroras　said；　Wherein　have　we　done　him　any　harm？　Antipater　replied；　〃I　wish　he　would　but　deprive　us　of　all　we　have；　and　leave　us　naked　and　alive　only；　but　it　is　indeed　impossible　to　escape　this　wild　beast；　who　is　thus　given　to　murder；　who　will　not　permit　us　to　love　any　person　openly；　although　we　be　together　privately；　yet　may　we　be　so　openly　too；　if　we　have　but　the　courage　and　the　hands　of　men。〃

4。　These　things　were　said　by　the　women　upon　the　torture；　as　also　that　Pheroras　resolved　to　fly　with　them　to　Perea。　Now　Herod　gave　credit　to　all　they　said；　on　account　of　the　affair　of　the　hundred　talents；　for　he　had　no　discourse　with　any　body　about　them；　but　only　with　Antipater。　So　he　vented　his　anger　first　of　all　against　Antipater's　mother；　and　took　away　from　her　all　the　ornaments　which　he　had　given　her；　which　cost　a　great　many　talents；　and　cast　her　out　of　the　palace　a　second　time。　He　also　took　care　of　Pheroras's　women　after　their　tortures；　as　being　now　reconciled　to　them；　but　he　was　in　great　consternation　himself；　and　inflamed　upon　every　suspicion；　and　had　many　innocent　persons　led　to　the　torture；　out　of　his　fear　lest　he　should　leave　any　guilty　person　untortured。

5。　And　now　it　was　that　he　betook　himself　to　examine　Antipater　of　Samaria；　who　was　the　steward　of　＇his　son＇　Antipater；　and　upon　torturing　him；　he　learned　that　Antipater　had　sent　for　a　potion　of　deadly　poison　for　him　out　of　Egypt；　by　Antiphilus；　a　companion　of　his；　that　Theudio；　the　uncle　of　Antipater；　had　it　from　him；　and　delivered　it　to　Pheroras；　for　that　Antipater　had　charged　him　to　take　his　father　off　while　he　was　at　Rome；　and　so　free　him　from　the　suspicion　of　doing　it　himself：　that　Pheroras　also　committed　this　potion　to　his　wife。　Then　did　the　king　send　for　her；　and　bid　her　bring　to　him　what　she　had　received　immediately。　So　she　came　out　of　her　house　as　if　she　would　bring　it　with　her；　but　threw　herself　down　from　the　top　of　the　house；　in　order　to　prevent　any　examination　and　torture　from　the　king。　However；　it　came　to　pass；　as　it　seems　by　the　providence　of　God；　when　he　intended　to　bring　Antipater　to　punishment；　that　she　fell　not　upon　her　head；　but　upon　other　parts　of　her　body；　and　escaped。　The　king；　when　she　was　brought　to　him；　took　care　of　her；　（for　she　was　at　first　quite　senseless　upon　her　fall；）　and　asked　her　why　she　had　thrown　herself　down；　and　gave　her　his　oath；　that　if　she　would　speak　the　real　truth；　he　would　excuse　her　from　punishment；　but　that　if　she　concealed　any　thing；　he　would　have　her　body　torn　to　pieces　by　torments；　and　leave　no　part。　of　it　to　be　buried。

6。　Upon　this　the　woman　paused　a　little；　and　then　said；　〃Why　do　I　spare　to　speak　of　these　grand　secrets；　now　Pheroras　is　dead？　that　would　only　tend　to　save　Antipater；　who　is　all　our　destruction。　Hear　then；　O　king；　and　be　thou；　and　God　himself；　who　cannot　be　deceived；　witnesses　to　the　truth　of　what　I　am　going　to　say。　When　thou　didst　sit　weeping　by　Pheroras　as　he　was　dying；　then　it　was　that　he　called　me　to　him；　and　said；　My　dear　wife；　I　have　been　greatly　mistaken　as　to　the　disposition　of　my　brother　towards　me；　and　have　hated　him　that　is　so　affectionate　to　me；　and　have　contrived　to　kill　him　who　is　in　such　disorder　for　me　before　I　am　dead。　As　for　myself；　I　receive　the　recompence　of　my　impiety；　but　do　thou　bring　what　poison　was　left　with　us　by　Antipater；　and　which　thou　keepest　in　order　to　destroy　him；　and　consume　it　immediately　in　the　fire　in　my　sight；　that　I　may　not　be　liable　to　the　avenger　in　the　invisible　world。〃　This　I　brought　as　he　bid　me；　and　emptied　the　greatest　part　of　it　into　the　fire；　but　reserved　a　little　of　it　for　my　own　use　against　uncertain　futurity；　and　out　of　my　fear　of　thee。〃

7。　When　she　had　said　this；　she　brought　the　box；　which　had　a　small　quantity　of　this　potion　in　it：　but　the　king　let　her　alone；　and　transferred　the　tortures　to　Antiphilus's　mother　and　brother；　who　both　confessed　that　Antiphilus　brought　the　box　out　of　Egypt；　and　that　they　had　received　the　potion　from　a　brother　of　his；　who　was　a　physician　at　Alexandria。　Then　did　the　ghosts　of　Alexander　and　Aristobulus　go　round　all　the　palace；　and　became　the　inquisitors　and　discoverers　of　what　could　not　otherwise　have　been　found　out　and　brought　such　as　were　the　freest　from　suspicion　to　be　examined；　whereby　it　was　discovered　that　Mariamne；　the　high　priest's　daughter；　was　conscious　of　this　plot；　and　her　very　brothers；　when　they　were　tortured；　declared　it　so　to　be。　Whereupon　the　king　avenged　this　insolent　attempt　of　the　mother　upon　her　son；　and　blotted　Herod；　whom　he　had　by　her；　out　of　his　treament；　who　had　been　before　named　therein　as　successor　to　Antipater。

CHAPTER　31。

Antipater　Is　Convicted　By　Bathyllus　；　But　He　Still　Returns　From　Rome　Without　Knowing　It。　Herod　Brings　Him　To　His　Trial。

1。　After　these　things　were　over；　Bathyllus　came　under　examination；　in　order　to　convict　Antipater；　who　proved　the　concluding　attestation　to　Antipater's　designs；　for　indeed　he　was　no　other　than　his　freed…man。　This　man　came；　and　brought　another　deadly　potion；　the　poison　of　asps；　and　the　juices　of　other　serpents；　that　if　the　first　potion　did　not　do　the　business；　Pheroras　and　his　wife　might　be　armed　with　this　also　to　destroy　the　king。　He　brought　also　an　addition　to　Antipater's　insolent　attempt　against　his　father；　which　was　the　letters　which　he　wrote　against　his　brethren；　Archelaus　and　Philip；　which　were　the　king's　sons；　and　educated　at　Rome；　being　yet　youths；　but　of　generous　dispositions。　Antipater　set　himself　to　get　rid　of　these　as　soon　as　he　could；　that　they　might　not　be　prejudicial　to　his　hopes；　and　to　that　end　he　forged　letters　against　them　in　the　name　of　his　friends　at　Rome。　Some　of　these　he　corrupted　by　bribes　to　write　how　they　grossly　reproached　their　father；　and　did　openly　bewail　Alexander　and　Aristobulus；　and　were　uneasy　at　their　being　recalled；　for　their　father　had　already　sent　for　them；　which　was　the　very　thing　that　troubled　Antipater。

2。　Nay；　indeed；　while　Antipater　was　in　Judea；　and　before　he　was　upon　his　journey　to　Rome；　he　gave　money　to　have　the　like　letters　against　them　sent　from　Rome；　and　then　came　to　his　father；　who　as　yet　had　no　suspicion　of　him；　and　apologized　for　his　brethren；　and　alleged　on　their　behalf　that　some　of　the　things　contained　in　those　letters　were　false；　and　others　of　them　were　only　youthful　errors。　Yet　at　the　same　time　that　he　expended　a　great　deal　of　his　money；　by　making　presents　to　such　as　wrote　against　his　brethren；　did　he　aim　to　bring　his　accounts　into　confusion；　by　buying　costly　garments；　and　carpets　of　various　contextures；　with　silver　and　gold　cups；　and　a　great　many　more　curious　things；　that　so；　among　the　view　great　expenses　laid　out　upon　such　furniture；　he　might　conceal　the　money　he　had　used　in　hiring　men　＇to　write　the　letters＇；　for　he　brought　in　an　account　of　his　expenses；　amounting　to　two　hundred　talents；　his　main　pretense　for　which　was　file　law…suit　he　had　been　in　with　Sylleus。　So　while　all　his　rogueries；　even　those　of　a　lesser　sort　also；　were　covered　by　his　greater　villainy；　while　all　the　examinations　by　torture　proclaimed　his　attempt　to　murder　his　father；　and　the　letters　proclaimed　his　second　attempt　to　murder　his　brethren；　yet　did　no　one　of　those　that　came　to　Rome　inform　him　of　his　misfortunes　in　Judea；　although　seven　months　had　intervened　between　his　conviction　and　his　return；　so　great　was　the　hatred　which　they　all　bore　to　him。　And　perhaps　they　were　the　ghosts　of　those　brethren　of　his　that　had　been　murdered　that　stopped　the　mouths　of　those　that　intended　to　have　told　him。　He　then　wrote　from　Rome；　and　informed　his　＇friends＇　that　he　would　soon　come　to　them；　and　how　he　was　dismissed　with　honor　by　Caesar。

3。　Now　the　king；　being　desirous　to　get　this　plotter　against　him　into　his　hands；　and　being　also　afraid　lest　he　should　some　way　come　to　the　knowledge　how　his　affairs　stood；　and　be　upon　his　guard；　he　dissembled　his　anger　in　his　epistle　to　him；　as　in　other　points　he　wrote　kindly　to　him