rated, and the chief violence of his pain lay on his colon: an aqueous and transparent liquor also had settled itself about his feet, and a like matter afflicted him at the bottom of his belly. Nay, farther, his privy-member was putrified,. and produced worms; and when he sat upright, he had a difficulty of breathing, which was very loathsome on account, of the stench of his breath, and the quickness of its returns; he had also convulsions in all parts of his body, which increased his stench to an insufferable degree. It was said by those whe pretended to divine, and who were endued with wisdom to foretell such things, that God inflicted this punishment on the king, on account of his great impiety; yet was he still in hopes of recovering, though his afflictions seemed greater than any one could bear. He also sent for physicians, and did not refuse to follow what they prescribed for his assistance, and went beyond the river Jordan, and bathed himself in the warm baths that were at Callirrhoe, which, besides their other general virtues, were also fit to drink; which waters run into the lake called Asphaltitis. And when the physicians once thought fit to have him bathed in a veş sel full of oil, it was supposed that he was just dying; but upon the lamentable cries of his domestics, he revived; and having no longer the least hopes of recovering, he gave order that every soldier should be paid fifty drachmae; and he also gave a great deal to their commanders, and to his friends, and came again to Jericho, where he grew so choleric, that it brought him to do all things like a madman; and though he were near his death, he contrived the following wicked designs. He commanded that all the principal men of the entire Jewish nation, wheresoever they lived, should be called to him. Accordingly, they were a great number that came, because the whole nation was called, and all men heard of this call, and death was the penalty of such as should despise the epistles that were sent to call them. And now the king was in a wild rage against them all, the innocent as well as those that had afforded ground for accusations; and when they were come, he ordered them to be all shut up in the Hippodrome,* and sent for his sister Salome, and her husband Alexis, and spake thus to them: " I shall die in a little time, so great are my pains, which death ought to be cheerfully borne, and to be welcomed by all men; but what principally troubles me is this, that I shall die without being * A place for horse-races. lamented; and without such mourning as men usually expect at a king's death. For that he was not unacquainted with the temper of the Jews, that his death would be a thing very desirable, and exceedingly acceptable to them; because during his life-time they were ready to revolt from him, and to abuse the donations he had dedicated to God: that, therefore, it was their business to resolve to afford him some alleviation of his great sorrows on this occasion; for that if they do not refuse him their consent in what he desires, he shall have a great mourning at his funeral, and such as never any king had before him; for then the whole nation would mourn from their very soul, which otherwise would be done in sport and mockery only. He desired, therefore, that, as soon as they see he hath given up the ghost, they shall place soldiers round the Hippodrome, while they do not know that he is dead; and that they shall not declare his death to the multitude till this is done, but that they shall give orders to have those that are in custody shot with their darts; and that this slaughter of them all will cause that he shall not miss to rejoice on a double account. That, as he is dying, they will make him secure that his will shall be executed in what he charges them to do; and that he shall have the honour of a memorable mourning at his funeral. So he deplored his condition, with tears in his eyes, and obtested them by the kindness due from them as of his kindred, and by the faith they owed to God, and begged of them that they would not hinder him of this honourable mourning at his funeral." So they promised him not to transgress his commands. 6. Now any one may easily discover the temper of this man's mind, which not only took pleasure in doing what he had done, formerly against his relations, out of the love of life, but by those commands of his which favoured of no humanity since he took care, when he was departing out of this life, that the whole nation should be put into mourning, and indeed made desolate of their dearest kindred, when he gave order that one out of every family should be slain, although they had done nothing that was unjust, 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. CHAP. VII. Herod has thoughts of killing himself with his own hands 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 take away his life, which he pleased." When Herod heard this, he was somewhat 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 sfterwards 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 woful 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 gaoler 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 gaoler 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 gaoler 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 any farther de-* lay, and to do it presently, and to bury him in an ignoble manner at Hyrcania. CHAP. VIII. 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 Archelaus. He also gave Gaulonites, and Trachonitis, and Paneas to Philip, who was his son, but own brother * to Archelaus, by the name of tetrarchy; and bequeathed Jamnia, 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. 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 favoured 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 *When it is here said, that Philip the tetrarch, and Archelaus the king, or ethnarch, were adenpoi vuoioi, or genuine brothers, if these words mean own brothers, or born of the same father and nother, there must be here some mistake; because they had indeed the same father. Herod, but different mothers; the former Cleopatra, and Archelaus, Malthace. They were indeed brought up altogether privately at Rome, like own brothers; and Philip was Archelans's deputy when he went to have his kingdom confirmed to him at Rome chap. 9. § 3. and Of the War, B. ii. ch. ii. § 1. which intimacy is perhaps all that Josephus intended by the words before us. + These numbers of years for Herod's reign, 34 and 37 are the very same with those of the War, B. i. ch xxxii. 8 and are among the principal chronological characters belonging to the reign or death of Herod. See Harm. of the Eyang, p. 150-155. 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 Alexis gathered the soldiery together in the amphitheatre 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 sepulchre 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 sceptre 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 to Herodium; for there, by his * At eight stadia or farlongs a-day, as here, Herod's funeral, con * |