THE WARS OF THE JEWS
OR
THE HISTORY OF THE DESTRUCTION OF JERUSALEM
Book I: Chapter 23
CALUMNIES AGAINST THE SONS OF MARIAMNE. ANTIPATERIS
PREFERRED BEFORE THEM. THEY ARE ACCUSED BEFORE CAESAR,
AND HEROD IS RECONCILED TO THEM.
1. NOW Mariamne’s
sons were heirs to that hatred which had been borne
their mother; and when they considered the greatness
of Herod’s crime towards her, they were suspicious of
him as of an enemy of theirs; and this first while
they were educated at Rome, but still more when they
were returned to Judea. This temper of theirs
increased upon them as they grew up to be men; and
when they were Come to an age fit for marriage, the
one of them married their aunt Salome’s daughter,
which Salome had been the accuser of their mother; the
other married the daughter of Archclaus, king of
Cappadocia. And now they used boldness in speaking, as
well as bore hatred in their minds. Now those that
calumniated them took a handle from such their
boldness, and certain of them spake now more plainly
to the king that there were treacherous designs laid
against him by both his sons; and he that was
son-in-law to Archelaus, relying upon his
father-in-law, was preparing to fly away, in order to
accuse Herod before Caesar; and when Herod’s head had
been long enough filled with these calumnies, he
brought Antipater, whom he had by Doris, into favor
again, as a defense to him against his other sons, and
began all the ways he possibly could to prefer him
before them.
2. But these sons were not able to bear this change
in their affairs; butwhen they saw him that was born
of a mother of no family, the nobility of their birth
made them unable to contain their indignation; but
whensoever they were uneasy, they showed the anger
they had at it. And as these sons did day after day
improve in that their anger, Antipater already
exercised all his own abilities, which were very
great, in flattering his father, and in contriving
many sorts of calumnies against his brethren, while he
told some stories of them himself, and put it upon
other proper persons to raise other stories against
them, till at length he entirely cut his brethren off
from all hopes of succeeding to the kingdom; for he
was already
publicly put into his father’s will as his
successor. Accordingly, he was sent with royal
ornaments, and other marks of royalty, to Caesar,
excepting the diadem. He was also able in time to
introduce his mother again into Mariamne’s bed. The
two sorts of weapons he made use of against his
brethren were flattery and calumny, whereby he brought
matters privately to such a pass, that the king had
thoughts of putting his sons to death.
3. So the father drew Alexander as far as Rome,
and. charged him with an attempt of poisoning him
before Caesar. Alexander could hardly speak for
lamentation; but having a judge that was more skillful
than Antipater, and more wise than Herod, he modestly
avoided laying any imputation upon his father, but
with great strength of reason confuted the calumnies
laid against him; and when he had demonstrated the
innocency of his brother, who was in the like danger
with himself, he at last bewailed the craftiness of
Antipater, and the disgrace they were under. He was
enabled also to justify himself, not only by a clear
conscience, which he carried within him, but by his
eloquence; for he was a shrewd man in making speeches.
And upon his saying at last, that if his father
objected this crime to them, it was in his power to
put them to death, he made all the audience weep; and
he brought Caesar to that pass, as to reject the
accusations, and to reconcile their father to them
immediately. But the conditions of this reconciliation
were these, that they should in all things be obedient
to their father, and that he should have power to
leave the kingdom to which of them he pleased.
4. After this the king came back from Rome, and
seemed to have forgiven his sons upon these
accusations; but still so that he was not without his
suspicions of them. They were followed by Antipater,
who was the fountain-head of those accusations; yet
did not he openly discover his hatred to them, as
revering him that had reconciled them. But as Herod
sailed by Cilicia, he touched at Eleusa, 38 where
Archclaus treated them in the most obliging manner,
and gave him thanks for the deliverance of his
son-in-law, and was much pleased at their
reconciliation; and this the more, because he had
formerly written to his friends at Rome that they
should be assisting to Alexander at his trial. So he
conducted Herod as far as Zephyrium, and made him
presents to the value of thirty talents.
5. Now when Herod was come to Jerusalem, he
gathered the people together, and presented to them
his three sons, and gave them an apologetic account of
his absence, and thanked God greatly, and thanked
Caesar greatly also, for settling his house when it
was under disturbances, and had procured concord among
his sons, which was of greater consequence than the
kingdom itself, —” and which I will render still more
firm; for Caesar hath put into my power to dispose of
the government, and to appoint my successor.
Accordingly, in way of requital for his kindness, and
in order to provide for mine own advantage, I do
declare that these three sons of mine shall be kings.
And, in the first place, I pray for the approbation of
God to what I am about; and, in the next place, I
desire your approbation also. The age of one of them,
and the nobility of the other two, shall procure them
the succession. Nay, indeed, my kingdom is so large
that it may be sufficient for more kings. Now do you
keep those in their places whom Caesar hath joined,
and their father hath appointed; and do not you pay
undue or unequal respects to them, but to every one
according to the prerogative of their births; for he
that pays such respects unduly, will thereby not make
him that is honored beyond what his age requires so
joyful, as he will make him that is dishonored
sorrowful. As for the kindred and friends that are to
converse with them, I will appoint them to each of
them, and will so constitute them, that they may be
securities for their concord; as well knowing that the
ill tempers of those with whom they converse will
produce quarrels and contentions among them; but that
if these with whom they converse be of good tempers,
they will preserve their natural affections for one
another. But still I desire that not these only, but
all the captains of my army, have for the present
their hopes placed on me alone; for I do not give away
my kingdom to these my sons, but give them royal
honors only; whereby it will come to pass that they
will enjoy the sweet parts of government as rulers
themselves, but that the burden of administration will
rest upon myself whether I will or not. And let every
one consider what age I am of, how I have conducted my
life, and what piety I have exercised; for my age is
not so great that men may soon expect the end of my
life; nor have I indulged such a luxurious way of
living as cuts men off when they are young; and we
have been so religious towards God, that we [have
reason to hope we] may arrive at a very great age. But
for such as cultivate a friendship with my sons, so as
to aim at my destruction, they shall be punished by me
on their account. I am not
one who envy my own children, and therefore forbid
men to pay them great respect; but I know that such
[extravagant] respects are the way to make them
insolent. And if every one that comes near them does
but revolve this in his mind, that if he prove a good
man, he shall receive a reward from me, but that if he
prove seditious, his ill-intended complaisance shall
get him nothing from him to whom it is shown, I
suppose they will all be of my side, that is, of my
sons’ side; for it will be for their advantage that I
reign, and that I be at concord with them. But do you,
O my good children, reflect upon the holiness of
nature itself, by whose means natural affection is
preserved, even among wild beasts; in the next place,
reflect upon Caesar, who hath made this reconciliation
among us; and in the third place, reflect upon me, who
entreat you to do what I have power to command you, —
continue brethren. I give you royal garments, and
royal honors; and I pray to God to preserve what I
have determined, in case you be at concord one with
another.” When the king had thus spoken, and had
saluted every one of his sons after an obliging
manner, he dismissed the multitude; some of which gave
their assent to what he had said, and wished it might
take effect accordingly; but for those who wished for
a change of affairs, they pretended they did not so
much as hear what he said.
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