the antiquities of the jews-1-第245节

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or　that　was　against　him；　nor　were　they　accused　of　any　other
crimes；　while　it　is　usual　for　those　who　have　any　regard　to　virtue
to　lay　aside　their　hatred　at　such　a　time；　even　with　respect　to
those　they　justly　esteemed　their　enemies。

CHAPTER　7。

Herod　Has　Thoughts　Of　Killing　Himself　With　His　Own　Hand；　And　A
Little　Afterwards　He　Orders　Antipater　To　Be　Slain。

1。　As　he　was　giving　these　commands　to　his　relations；　there　came
letters　from　his　ambassadors；　who　had　been　sent　to　Rome　unto
Caesar；　which；　when　they　were　read；　their　purport　was　this：　That
Acme　was　slain　by　Caesar；　out　of　his　indignation　at　what　hand；
she　had　in　Antipater's　wicked　practices；　and　that　as　to　Antipater
himself；　Caesar　left　it　to　Herod　to　act　as　became　a　father　and　a
king；　and　either　to　banish　him；　or　to　take　away　his　life；　which
he　pleased。　When　Herod　heard　this；　he　was　some…what　better；　out
of　the　pleasure　he　had　from　the　contents　of　the　letters；　and　was
elevated　at　the　death　of　Acme；　and　at　the　power　that　was　given
him　over　his　son；　but　as　his　pains　were　become　very　great；　he　was
now　ready　to　faint　for　want　of　somewhat　to　eat；　so　he　called　for
an　apple　and　a　knife；　for　it　was　his　custom　formerly　to　pare　the
apple　himself；　and　soon　afterwards　to　cut　it；　and　eat　it。　When　he
had　got　the　knife；　he　looked　about；　and　had　a　mind　to　stab
himself　with　it；　and　he　had　done　it；　had　not　his　first　cousin；
Achiabus；　prevented　him；　and　held　his　hand；　and　cried　out　loudly。
Whereupon　a　woeful　lamentation　echoed　through　the　palace；　and　a
great　tumult　was　made；　as　if　the　king　were　dead。　Upon　which
Antipater；　who　verily　believed　his　father　was　deceased；　grew　bold
in　his　discourse；　as　hoping　to　be　immediately　and　entirely
released　from　his　bonds；　and　to　take　the　kingdom　into　his　hands
without　any　more　ado；　so　he　discoursed　with　the　jailer　about
letting　him　go；　and　in　that　case　promised　him　great　things；　both
now　and　hereafter；　as　if　that　were　the　only　thing　now　in
question。　But　the　jailer　did　not　only　refuse　to　do　what　Antipater
would　have　him；　but　informed　the　king　of　his　intentions；　and　how
many　solicitations　he　had　had　from　him　＇of　that　nature＇。　Hereupon
Herod；　who　had　formerly　no　affection　nor　good…will　towards　his
son　to　restrain　him；　when　he　heard　what　the　jailer　said；　he　cried
out；　and　beat　his　head；　although　he　was　at　death's　door；　and
raised　himself　upon　his　elbow；　and　sent　for　some　of　his　guards；
and　commanded　them　to　kill　Antipater　without　tiny　further　delay；
and　to　do　it　presently；　and　to　bury　him　in　an　ignoble　manner　at
Hyrcania。

CHAPTER　8。

Concerning　Herod's　Death；　And　Testament；　And　Burial。

1。　And　now　Herod　altered　his　testament　upon　the　alteration　of　his
mind；　for　he　appointed　Antipas；　to　whom　he　had　before　left　the
kingdom；　to　be　tetrarch　of　Galilee　and　Perea；　and　granted　the
kingdom　to　Archclaus。　He　also　gave　Gaulonitis；　and　Trachonitis；
and　Paneas　to　Philip；　who　was　his　son；　but　own　brother　to
Archclaus　（10）　by　the　name　of　a　tetrarchy；　and　bequeathed
Jarnnia；　and　Ashdod；　and　Phasaelis　to　Salome　his　sister；　with
five　hundred　thousand　＇drachmae＇　of　silver　that　was　coined。　He
also　made　provision　for　all　the　rest　of　his　kindred；　by　giving
them　sums　of　money　and　annual　revenues；　and　so　left　them　all　in　a
wealthy　condition。　He　bequeathed　also　to　Caesar　ten　millions　＇of
drachmae＇　of　coined　money；　besides　both　vessels　of　gold　and
silver；　and　garments　exceeding　costly；　to　Julia；　Caesar's　wife；
and　to　certain　others；　five　millions。　When　he　had　done　these
things；　he　died；　the　fifth　day　after　he　had　caused　Antipater　to
be　slain；　having　reigned；　since　he　had　procured　Antigonus　to　be
slain；　thirty…four　years；　but　since　he　had　been　declared　king　by
the　Romans；　thirty…seven。　（11）　A　man　he　was　of　great　barbarity
towards　all　men　equally；　and　a　slave　to　his　passion；　but　above
the　consideration　of　what　was　right；　yet　was　he　favored　by
fortune　as　much　as　any　man　ever　was；　for　from　a　private　man　he
became　a　king；　and　though　he　were　encompassed　with　ten　thousand
dangers；　he　got　clear　of　them　all；　and　continued　his　life　till　a
very　old　age。　But　then；　as　to　the　affairs　of　his　family　and
children；　in　which　indeed；　according　to　his　own　opinion；　he　was
also　very　fortunate；　because　he　was　able　to　conquer　his　enemies；
yet；　in　my　opinion；　he　was　herein　very　unfortunate。

2。　But　then　Salome　and　Alexas；　before　the　king's　death　was　made
known；　dismissed　those　that　were　shut　up　in　the　hippodrome；　and
told　them　that　the　king　ordered　them　to　go　away　to　their　own
lands；　and　take　care　of　their　own　affairs；　which　was　esteemed　by
the　nation　a　great　benefit。　And　now　the　king's　death　was　made
public；　when　Salome　and　Alexas　gathered　the　soldiery　together　in
the　amphitheater　at　Jericho；　and　the　first　thing　they　did　was；
they　read　Herod's　letter；　written　to　the　soldiery；　thanking　them
for　their　fidelity　and　good…will　to　him；　and　exhorting　them　to
afford　his　son　Archelaus；　whom　he　had　appointed　for　their　king；
like　fidelity　and　good…will。　After　which　Ptolemy；　who　had　the
king's　seal　intrusted　to　him；　read　the　king's　testament；　which
was　to　be　of　force　no　otherwise　than　as　it　should　stand　when
Caesar　had　inspected　it；　so　there　was　presently　an　acclamation
made　to　Archelaus；　as　king；　and　the　soldiers　came　by　bands；　and
their　commanders　with　them；　and　promised　the　same　good…will　to
him；　and　readiness　to　serve　him；　which　they　had　exhibited　to
Herod；　and　they　prayed　God　to　be　assistant　to　him。

3。　After　this　was　over；　they　prepared　for　his　funeral；　it　being
Archelaus's　care　that　the　procession　to　his　father's　sepulcher
should　be　very　sumptuous。　Accordingly；　he　brought　out　all　his
ornaments　to　adorn　the　pomp　of　the　funeral。　The　body　was　carried
upon　a　golden　bier；　embroidered　with　very　precious　stones　of
great　variety；　and　it　was　covered　over　with　purple；　as　well　as
the　body　itself；　he　had　a　diadem　upon　his　head；　and　above　it　a
crown　of　gold：　he　also　had　a　scepter　in　his　right　hand。　About　the
bier　were　his　sons　and　his　numerous　relations；　next　to　these　was
the　soldiery；　distinguished　according　to　their　several　countries
and　denominations；　and　they　were　put　into　the　following　order：
First　of　all　went　his　guards；　then　the　band　of　Thracians；　and
after　them　the　Germans；　and　next　the　band　of　Galatians；　every　one
in　their　habiliments　of　war；　and　behind　these　marched　the　whole
army　in　the　same　manner　as　they　used　to　go　out　to　war；　and　as
they　used　to　be　put　in　array　by　their　muster…masters　and
centurions；　these　were　followed　by　five　hundred　of　his　domestics
carrying　spices。　So　they　went　eight　furlongs　（12）　to　Herodium；
for　there　by　his　own　command　he　was　to　be　buried。　And　thus　did
Herod　end　his　life。

4。　Now　Archelaus　paid　him　so　much　respect；　as　to　continue　his
mourning　till　the　seventh　day；　for　so　many　days　are　appointed　for
it　by　the　law　of　our　fathers。　And　when　he　had　given　a　treat　to
the　multitude；　and　left　off　his　motoring；　he　went　up　into　the
temple；　he　had　also　acclamations　and　praises　given　him；　which　way
soever　he　went；　every　one　striving　with　the　rest　who　should
appear　to　use　the　loudest　acclamations。　So　he　ascended　a　high
elevation　made　for　him；　and　took　his　seat；　in　a　throne　made　of
gold；　and　spake　kindly　to　the　multitude；　and　declared　with　what
joy　he　received　their　acclamations；　and　the　marks　of　the
good…will　they　showed　to　him；　and　returned　them　thanks　that　they
did　not　remember　the　injuries　his　father　had　done　them　to　his
disadvantage；　and　promised　them　he　would　endeavor　not　to　be
behindhand　with　them　in　rewarding　their　alacrity　in　his　service；
after　a　suitable　manner；　but　that　he　should　abstain　at　present
from　the　name　of　king；　and　that　he　should　have　the　honor　of　that
dignity；　if　Caesar　should　confirm　and　settle　that　testament　which
his　father　had　made；　and　that　it　was　on　this　account；　that　when
the　army　would　have　put　the　diadem　on　him　at　Jericho；　he　would
not　accept　of　that　honor；　which　is　usually　so　much　desired；
because　it　was　not　yet　evident　that　he　who　was　to　be　principally
concerned　in　bestowing　it　would　give　it　him；　although；　by　his
acceptance　of　the　government；　he　should　not　want　the　ability　of
rewarding　their　kindness　to　him　and　that　it　should　be　his
endeavor；　as　to　all　things　wherein　they　were　concerned；　to　prove
in　every　respect　better　than　his　father。　Whereupon　the　multitude；
as　it　is　usual　with　them；　supposed　that　the　first　days　of　those
that　enter　upon　such　governments　declare　the　intentions　of　those
that　accept　them；　and　so　by　how　much　Archelaus　spake　the　more
gently　and　civilly　to　them；　by　so　much　did　they　more　highly
commend　him；　and　made　application　to　him　for　the　grant　of　what
they　desired。　Some　made　a　clamor　that　he　would　ease　them　of　some
of　their　annual　payments；　but　others　desired　him　to　release　those
that　were　put　into　prison　by　Herod；　who　were　many；　and　had　been
put　there　at　several　times；　others　of　them　required　that　he　would
take　away　those　taxes　which　had　been　severely　laid　upon　what　was
publicly　sold　and　bought。　So　Archelaus　contradicted　them　in
nothing；　since　he　pretended　to　do　all　things　so　as　to　get　the
good…will　of　the　multitude　to　him；　as　looking　upon　that　good…will
to　be　a　great　step　towards　his　preservation　of　the　gover