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[622]
Hereupon Herod cried out to him to hold his peace, and spake thus
to Varus: "I cannot but think that thou, Varus, and every other upright
judge, will determine that Antipater is a vile wretch. I am also afraid
that thou wilt abhor my ill fortune, and judge me also myself worthy of
all sorts of calamity for begetting such children; while yet I ought rather
to be pitied, who have been so affectionate a father to such wretched sons;
for when I had settled the kingdom on my former sons, even when they were
young, and when, besides the charges of their education at Rome, I had
made them the friends of Caesar, and made them envied by other kings, I
found them plotting against me. These have been put to death, and that,
in great measure, for the sake of Antipater; for as he was then young,
and appointed to be my successor, I took care chiefly to secure him from
danger: but this profligate wild beast, when he had been over and above
satiated with that patience which I showed him, he made use of that abundance
I had given him against myself; for I seemed to him to live too long, and
he was very uneasy at the old age I was arrived at; nor could he stay any
longer, but would be a king by parricide. And justly I am served by him
for bringing him back out of the country to court, when he was of no esteem
before, and for thrusting out those sons of mine that were born of the
queen, and for making him a successor to my dominions. I confess to thee,
O Varus, the great folly I was guilty for I provoked those sons of mine
to act against me, and cut off their just expectations for the sake of
Antipater; and indeed what kindness did I do them; that could equal what
I have done to Antipater? to I have, in a manner, yielded up my royal while
I am alive, and whom I have openly named for the successor to my dominions
in my testament, and given him a yearly revenue of his own of fifty talents,
and supplied him with money to an extravagant degree out of my own revenue;
and' when he was about to sail to Rome, I gave him three talents, and recommended
him, and him alone of all my children, to Caesar, as his father's deliverer.
Now what crimes were those other sons of mine guilty of like these of Antipater?
and what evidence was there brought against them so strong as there is
to demonstrate this son to have plotted against me? Yet does this parricide
presume to speak for himself, and hopes to obscure the truth by his cunning
tricks. Thou, O Varus, must guard thyself against him; for I know the wild
beast, and I foresee how plausibly he will talk, and his counterfeit lamentation.
This was he who exhorted me to have a care of Alexander when he was alive,
and not to intrust my body with all men! This was he who came to my very
bed, and looked about lest any one should lay snares for me! This was he
who took care of my sleep, and secured me from fear of danger, who comforted
me under the trouble I was in upon the slaughter of my sons, and looked
to see what affection my surviving brethren bore me! This was my protector,
and the guardian of my body! And when I call to mind, O Varus, his craftiness
upon every occasion, and his art of dissembling, I can hardly believe that
I am still alive, and I wonder how I have escaped such a deep plotter of
mischief. However, since some fate or other makes my house desolate, and
perpetually raises up those that are dearest to me against me, I will,
with tears, lament my hard fortune, and privately groan under my lonesome
condition; yet am I resolved that no one who thirsts after my blood shall
escape punishment, although the evidence should extend itself to all my
sons."
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