THE WARS OF THE JEWS
OR
THE HISTORY OF THE DESTRUCTION OF JERUSALEM
Book I: Chapter 31
ANTIPATER IS CONVICTED BY BATHYLLUS; BUT HE S TILL
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 hisjourney 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 hishands, 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, and desired him to make haste,
because if he came quickly, he would then lay aside
the complaints he had against his mother; for
Antipater was not ignorant that his mother had been
expelled out of the palace. However, he had before
received a letter, which contained an account of the
death ofPheroras, at Tarentum, 46 and made great
lamentations at it; for which some commended him, as
being for his own uncle; though probably this
confusion arose on account of his having thereby
failed in his plot [on his father’s life]; and his
tears were more for the loss of him that was to have
been subservient therein, than for [an uncle]
Pheroras: moreover, a sort of fear came upon him as to
his designs, lest the poison should have been
discovered. However, when he was in Cilicia, he
received the forementioned epistle from his father,
and made great haste accordingly. But when he had
sailed to Celenderis, a suspicion came into his mind
relating to his mother’s misfortunes; as if his soul
foreboded some mischief to itself. Those therefore of
his friends which were the most considerate advised
him not rashly to go to his father, till he had
learned what were the occasions why his mother had
been ejected, because they were afraid that he might
be involved in the calumnies that had been cast upon
his mother: but those that were less considerate, and
had more regard to their own desires of seeing their
native country, than to Antipater’s safety, persuaded
him to make haste home, and not, by delaying his
journey,
afford his father ground for an ill suspicion, and
give a handle to those that raised stories against
him; for that in case any thing had been moved to his
disadvantage, it was owing to his absence, which durst
not have been done had he been present. And they said
it was absurd to deprive himself of certain happiness,
for the sake of an uncertain suspicion, and not rather
to return to his father, and take the royal authority
upon him, which was in a state of fluctuation on his
account only. Antipater complied with this last
advice, for Providence hurried him on [to his
destruction]. So he passed over the sea, and landed at
Sebastus, the haven of Cesarea.
4. And here he found a perfect and unexpected
solitude, while ever bodyavoided him, and nobody durst
come at him; for he was equally hated by all men; and
now that hatred had liberty to show itself, and the
dread men were in at the king’s anger made men keep
from him; for the whole city [of Jerusalem] was filled
with the rumors about Antipater, and Antipater himself
was the only person who was ignorant of them; for as
no man was dismissed more magnificently when he began
his voyage to Rome so was no man now received back
with greater ignominy. And indeed he began already to
suspect what misfortunes there were in Herod’s family;
yet did he cunningly conceal his suspicion; and while
he was inwardly ready to die for fear, he put on a
forced boldness of countenance. Nor could he now fly
any whither, nor had he any way of emerging out of the
difficulties which encompassed him; nor indeed had he
even there any certain intelligence of the affairs of
the royal family, by reason of the threats the king
had given out: yet had he some small hopes of better
tidings; for perhaps nothing had been discovered; or
if any discovery had been made, perhaps he should be
able to clear himself by impudence and artful tricks,
which were the only things he relied upon for his
deliverance.
5. And with these hopes did he screen himself, till
he came to the palace,without any friends with him;
for these were affronted, and shut out at the first
gate. Now Varus, the president of Syria, happened to
be in the palace [at this juncture]; so Antipater went
in to his father, and, putting on a bold face, he came
near to salute him. But Herod Stretched out his hands,
and turned his head away from him, and cried out,
“Even this is an indication of a parricide, to be
desirous to get me into his arms, when he is under
such heinous accusations. God confound thee, thou vile
wretch; do not thou touch me, till thou hast cleared
thyself of these crimes that are charged
upon thee. I appoint thee a court where thou art to
be judged, and this Varus, who is very seasonably
here, to be thy judge; and get thou thy defense ready
against tomorrow, for I give thee so much time to
prepare suitable excuses for thyself.” And as
Antipater was so confounded, that he was able to make
no answer to this charge, he went away; but his mother
and wife came to him, and told him of all the evidence
they had gotten against him. Hereupon he recollected
himself, and considered what defense he should make
against the accusations.
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