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[365]
At which time Herod released to his subjects the third part of their
taxes, under pretense indeed of relieving them, after the dearth they had
had; but the main reason was, to recover their good-will, which he now
wanted; for they were uneasy at him, because of the innovations he had
introduced in their practices, of the dissolution of their religion, and
of the disuse of their own customs; and the people every where talked against
him, like those that were still more provoked and disturbed at his procedure;
against which discontents he greatly guarded himself, and took away the
opportunities they might have to disturb him, and enjoined them to be always
at work; nor did he permit the citizens either to meet together, or to
walk or eat together, but watched every thing they did, and when any were
caught, they were severely punished; and many there were who were brought
to the citadel Hyrcania, both openly and secretly, and were there put to
death; and there were spies set every where, both in the city and in the
roads, who watched those that met together; nay, it is reported that he
did not himself neglect this part of caution, but that he would oftentimes
himself take the habit of a private man, and mix among the multitude, in
the night time, and make trial what opinion they had of his government:
and as for those that could no way be reduced to acquiesce under his scheme
of government, he prosecuted them all manner of ways; but for the rest
of the multitude, he required that they should be obliged to take an oath
of fidelity to him, and at the same time compelled them to swear that they
would bear him good-will, and continue certainly so to do, in his management
of the government; and indeed a great part of them, either to please him,
or out of fear of him, yielded to what he required of them; but for such
as were of a more open and generous disposition, and had indignation at
the force he used to them, he by one means or other made away, with them.
He endeavored also to persuade Pollio the Pharisee, and Satneas, and the
greatest part of their scholars, to take the oath; but these would neither
submit so to do, nor were they punished together with the rest, out of
the reverence he bore to Pollio. The Essens also, as we call a sect of
ours, were excused from this imposition. These men live the same kind of
life as do those whom the Greeks call Pythagoreans, concerning whom I shall
discourse more fully elsewhere. However, it is but fit to set down here
the reasons wherefore Herod had these Essens in such honor, and thought
higher of them than their mortal nature required; nor will this account
be unsuitable to the nature of this history, as it will show the opinion
men had of these Essens.
Flavius Josephus. The Works of Flavius Josephus. Translated by. William Whiston, A.M. Auburn and Buffalo. John E. Beardsley. 1895.
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- LSJ, ἐξαυθα_δίζομαι
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