the wars of the jews-第17部分

快捷操作: 按键盘上方向键 ← 或 → 可快速上下翻页 按键盘上的 Enter 键可回到本书目录页 按键盘上方向键 ↑ 可回到本页顶部! 如果本书没有阅读完，想下次继续接着阅读，可使用上方 "收藏到我的浏览器" 功能 和 "加入书签" 功能！


have　gained　thee　by　her　madness；　and　thus　thou　hast　begun　to　be　my　friend　before　I　began　to　be　thine；　on　which　account　Quintus　Didius　hath　written　to　me　that　thou　sentest　him　assistance　against　the　gladiators。　I　do　therefore　assure　thee　that　I　will　confirm　the　kingdom　to　thee　by　decree：　I　shall　also　endeavor　to　do　thee　some　further　kindness　hereafter；　that　thou　mayst　find　no　loss　in　the　want　of　Antony。〃

3。　When　Caesar　had　spoken　such　obliging　things　to　the　king；　and　had　put　the　diadem　again　about　his　head；　he　proclaimed　what　he　had　bestowed　on　him　by　a　decree；　in　which　he　enlarged　in　the　commendation　of　the　man　after　a　magnificent　manner。　Whereupon　Herod　obliged　him　to　be　kind　to　him　by　the　presents　he　gave　him；　and　he　desired　him　to　forgive　Alexander；　one　of　Antony's　friends；　who　was　become　a　supplicant　to　him。　But　Caesar's　anger　against　him　prevailed；　and　he　complained　of　the　many　and　very　great　offenses　the　man　whom　he　petitioned　for　had　been　guilty　of；　and　by　that　means　he　rejected　his　petition。　After　this　Caesar　went　for　Egypt　through　Syria；　when　Herod　received　him　with　royal　and　rich　entertainments；　and　then　did　he　first　of　all　ride　along　with　Caesar；　as　he　was　reviewing　his　army　about　Ptolemais；　and　feasted　him　with　all　his　friends；　and　then　distributed　among　the　rest　of　the　army　what　was　necessary　to　feast　them　withal。　He　also　made　a　plentiful　provision　of　water　for　them；　when　they　were　to　march　as　far　as　Pelusium；　through　a　dry　country；　which　he　did　also　in　like　manner　at　their　return　thence；　nor　were　there　any　necessaries　wanting　to　that　army。　It　was　therefore　the　opinion；　both　of　Caesar　and　of　his　soldiers；　that　Herod's　kingdom　was　too　small　for　those　generous　presents　he　made　them；　for　which　reason；　when　Caesar　was　come　into　Egypt；　and　Cleopatra　and　Antony　were　dead；　he　did　not　only　bestow　other　marks　of　honor　upon　him；　but　made　an　addition　to　his　kingdom；　by　giving　him　not　only　the　country　which　had　been　taken　from　him　by　Cleopatra；　but　besides　that；　Gadara；　and　Hippos；　and　Samaria；　and　moreover；　of　the　maritime　cities；　Gaza　（31）　and　Anthedon；　and　Joppa；　and　Strato's　Tower。　He　also　made　him　a　present　of　four　hundred　Galls　＇Galatians＇　as　a　guard　for　his　body；　which　they　had　been　to　Cleopatra　before。　Nor　did　any　thing　so　strongly　induce　Caesar　to　make　these　presents　as　the　generosity　of　him　that　received　them。

4。　Moreover；　after　the　first　games　at　Actium；　he　added　to　his　kingdom　both　the　region　called　Trachonitis；　and　what　lay　in　its　neighborhood；　Batanea；　and　the　country　of　Auranitis；　and　that　on　the　following　occasion：　Zenodorus；　who　had　hired　the　house　of　Lysanias；　had　all　along　sent　robbers　out　of　Trachonitis　among　the　Damascenes；　who　thereupon　had　recourse　to　Varro；　the　president　of　Syria；　and　desired　of　him　that　he　would　represent　the　calamity　they　were　in　to　Caesar。　When　Caesar　was　acquainted　with　it；　he　sent　back　orders　that　this　nest　of　robbers　should　be　destroyed。　Varro　therefore　made　an　expedition　against　them；　and　cleared　the　land　of　those　men；　and　took　it　away　from　Zenodorus。　Caesar　did　also　afterward　bestow　it　on　Herod；　that　it　might　not　again　become　a　receptacle　for　those　robbers　that　had　come　against　Damascus。　He　also　made　him　a　procurator　of　all　Syria；　and　this　on　the　tenth　year　afterward；　when　he　came　again　into　that　province；　and　this　was　so　established；　that　the　other　procurators　could　not　do　any　thing　in　the　administration　without　his　advice：　but　when　Zenodorus　was　dead；　Caesar　bestowed　on　him　all　that　land　which　lay　between　Trachonitis　and　Galilee。　Yet；　what　was　still　of　more　consequence　to　Herod；　he　was　beloved　by　Caesar　next　after　Agrippa；　and　by　Agrippa　next　after　Caesar；　whence　he　arrived　at　a　very　great　degree　of　felicity。　Yet　did　the　greatness　of　his　soul　exceed　it；　and　the　main　part　of　his　magnanimity　was　extended　to　the　promotion　of　piety。

CHAPTER　21。

Of　The　＇Temple　And＇　Cities　That　Were　Built　By　Herod　And　Erected　From　The　Very　Foundations；　As　Also　Of　Those　Other　Edifices　That　Were　Erected　By　Him；　And　What　Magnificence　He　Showed　To　Foreigners；　And　How　Fortune　Was　In　All　Things　Favorable　To　Him。　　1。　Accordingly；　in　the　fifteenth　year　of　his　reign；　Herod　rebuilt　the　temple；　and　encompassed　a　piece　of　land　about　it　with　a　wall；　which　land　was　twice　as　large　as　that　before　enclosed。　The　expenses　he　laid　out　upon　it　were　vastly　large　also；　and　the　riches　about　it　were　unspeakable。　A　sign　of　which　you　have　in　the　great　cloisters　that　were　erected　about　the　temple；　and　the　citadel　which　was　on　its　north　side。　The　cloisters　he　built　from　the　foundation；　but　the　citadel　（32）　he　repaired　at　a　vast　expense；　nor　was　it　other　than　a　royal　palace；　which　he　called　Antonia；　in　honor　of　Antony。　He　also　built　himself　a　palace　in　the　Upper　city；　containing　two　very　large　and　most　beautiful　apartments；　to　which　the　holy　house　itself　could　not　be　compared　＇in　largeness＇。　The　one　apartment　he　named　Caesareum；　and　the　other　Agrippium；　from　his　＇two　great＇　friends。

2。　Yet　did　he　not　preserve　their　memory　by　particular　buildings　only；　with　their　names　given　them；　but　his　generosity　went　as　far　as　entire　cities；　for　when　he　had　built　a　most　beautiful　wall　round　a　country　in　Samaria；　twenty　furlongs　long；　and　had　brought　six　thousand　inhabitants　into　it；　and　had　allotted　to　it　a　most　fruitful　piece　of　land；　and　in　the　midst　of　this　city；　thus　built；　had　erected　a　very　large　temple　to　Caesar；　and　had　laid　round　about　it　a　portion　of　sacred　land　of　three　furlongs　and　a　half；　he　called　the　city　Sebaste；　from　Sebastus；　or　Augustus；　and　settled　the　affairs　of　the　city　after　a　most　regular　manner。　　3。　And　when　Caesar　had　further　bestowed　upon　him　another　additional　country；　he　built　there　also　a　temple　of　white　marble；　hard　by　the　fountains　of　Jordan：　the　place　is　called　Panium；　where　is　a　top　of　a　mountain　that　is　raised　to　an　immense　height；　and　at　its　side；　beneath；　or　at　its　bottom；　a　dark　cave　opens　itself；　within　which　there　is　a　horrible　precipice；　that　descends　abruptly　to　a　vast　depth；　it　contains　a　mighty　quantity　of　water；　which　is　immovable；　and　when　any　body　lets　down　any　thing　to　measure　the　depth　of　the　earth　beneath　the　water；　no　length　of　cord　is　sufficient　to　reach　it。　Now　the　fountains　of　Jordan　rise　at　the　roots　of　this　cavity　outwardly；　and；　as　some　think；　this　is　the　utmost　origin　of　Jordan：　but　we　shall　speak　of　that　matter　more　accurately　in　our　following　history。

4。　But　the　king　erected　other　places　at　Jericho　also；　between　the　citadel　Cypros　and　the　former　palace；　such　as　were　better　and　more　useful　than　the　former　for　travelers；　and　named　them　from　the　same　friends　of　his。　To　say　all　at　once；　there　was　not　any　place　of　his　kingdom　fit　for　the　purpose　that　was　permitted　to　be　without　somewhat　that　was　for　Caesar's　honor；　and　when　he　had　filled　his　own　country　with　temples；　he　poured　out　the　like　plentiful　marks　of　his　esteem　into　his　province；　and　built　many　cities　which　he　called　Cesareas。

5。　And　when　he　observed　that　there　was　a　city　by　the　sea…side　that　was　much　decayed；　（its　name　was　Strato's　Tower；）　but　that　the　place；　by　the　happiness　of　its　situation；　was　capable　of　great　improvements　from　his　liberality；　he　rebuilt　it　all　with　white　stone；　and　adorned　it　with　several　most　splendid　palaces；　wherein　he　especially　demonstrated　his　magnanimity；　for　the　case　was　this；　that　all　the　sea…shore　between　Dora　and　Joppa；　in　the　middle；　between　which　this　city　is　situated；　had　no　good　haven；　insomuch　that　every　one　that　sailed　from　Phoenicia　for　Egypt　was　obliged　to　lie　in　the　stormy　sea；　by　reason　of　the　south　winds　that　threatened　them；　which　wind；　if　it　blew　but　a　little　fresh；　such　vast　waves　are　raised；　and　dash　upon　the　rocks；　that　upon　their　retreat　the　sea　is　in　a　great　ferment　for　a　long　way。　But　the　king；　by　the　expenses　he　was　at；　and　the　liberal　disposal　of　them；　overcame　nature；　and　built　a　haven　larger　than　was　the　Pyrecum　（33）　＇at　Athens＇；　and　in　the　inner　retirements　of　the　water　he　built　other　deep　stations　＇for　the　ships　also＇。

6。　Now　although　the　place　where　he　built　was　greatly　opposite　to　his　purposes；　yet　did　he　so　fully　struggle　with　that　difficulty；　that　the　firmness　of　his　building　could　not　easily　be　conquered　by　the　sea；　and　the　beauty　and　ornament　of　the　works　were　such；　as　though　he　had　not　had　any　difficulty　in　the　operation；　for　when　he　had　measured　out　as　large　a　space　as　we　have　before　mentioned；　he　let　down　stones　into　twenty　fathom　water；　the　greatest　part　of　which　were　fifty　feet　in　length；　and　nine　in　depth；　and　ten　in　breadth；　and　some　still　larger。　But　when　the　haven　was　filled　up　to　that　depth；　he　enlarged　that　wall　which　was　thus　already　extant　above　the　sea；　till　it　was　two　hundred　feet　wide；　one　hundred　of　which　had　buildings　before　it；　in　order　to　break　the　force　of　the　waves；　whence　it　was　called　Procumatia；　or　the　first　breaker　of　the　waves；　but　the　rest　of　the　space　was　under　a　stone　wall　that　ran　round　it。　On　this　wall　were　very　large　towers；　the　principal　and　most　beautiful　of　which　was　called　Drusium；　from　Drusus；　who　was　son…in…law　to　Caesar。　　7。　There　were　also　a　great　number　of　arches；　where　the　mariners　dwelt；　and　all　the　places　before　them　round　about　was　a　large　valley；　or　walk；　for　a　quay　＇or　landing…place＇　to　those　that　came　on　shore；　but　the　entrance　was　on　the　north；　because　the　north　wind　was　there　the　most　gentle　of　all　the　winds。　At　the　mouth　of　the　haven　were　on　each　side　three　great　Colossi；　supported　by　pillars；　where　those　Colossi　that　are　on　your　left　hand　as　you　sail　into　the　port　are　supported　by　a　solid　tower；　but　those　on　the　right　hand　are　supported　by　two　upright　stones　joined　together；　which　stones　were　larger　than　that　tower　which　was　on　the　other　side　of　the　entrance。　Now　there　were　continual　edifices　joined　to　the　haven；　which　were　also　themselves　of　white　stone；　and　to　this　haven　did　the　narrow　streets　of　the　city　lead；　and　were　built　at　equal　distances　one　from　another。　And　over　against　the　mouth　of　the　haven；　upon　an　elevation；　there　was　a　temple　for　Caesar；　which　was　excellent　both　in　beauty　and　largeness；　and　therein　was　a　Colossus　of　Caesar；　not　less　than　that　of　Jupiter　Olympius；　which　it　was　made　to　resemble。　The　other　Colossus　of　Rome　was　equal　to　that　of　Juno　at　Argos。　So　he　dedicated　the　city　to　the　pro