159

he had become savage; and the reason was that he seemed to be despised and that everyone rejoiced at his misfortunes. He was driven to this by the following. Many things had been done by Herod contrary to the law, one of which was the golden eagle set up beside the great gate of the temple. For the law forbids the setting up of images or the representation of living creatures. This eagle, Judas and Matthias, the most learned of the Jews and beloved by the people for their teaching of the youth, ordered to be pulled down. For even if some danger should come about because of this, they said, blessed is he who dies for the laws. So when they were inciting the youth with such words, a report arose that the king had died. And immediately, at midday, they pulled down the eagle and cut it to pieces with axes. Therefore, many of the young men were arrested, as well as Judas and Matthias, the instigators of the daring act and the inciters of those who did this, and they were brought to Herod. And he asked if they had dared to take down his offering. And the men said, "It has been done, and one should not be surprised if we prefer the laws which Moses, taught by God, has left to us, over your decrees." He therefore sent the bound men to Jericho, and having summoned the leaders of the Jews, while reclining on a 1.400 couch, he reminded them of his benefactions toward them and of the building of the temple, and he cried out that they were insulting him even while he was still alive by taking down his offerings, so that they seemed to insult him, but in truth to commit sacrilege. But they, fearing his cruelty, said that those who had dared this were worthy of punishment. And the king treated the others more mildly, but he deprived Matthias the high priest of his office, and appointed another to be priest, Joazar, the brother of his own wife; but Matthias, who had incited the sedition, and some of the rebels he burned alive. The disease, however, grew more bitter for him, as he paid the penalty for his transgressions. For a low-grade fire afflicted his inner parts, and there were ulcerations of the intestines, and especially pains of the colon, and a moist and clear phlegm about his feet, and an affliction of the abdomen and a putrefaction of the genitals producing worms, and in addition to these, shortness of breath both offensive in its odor and with its incessant gasping, and spasms occurred throughout every limb of his. But even though he was so badly afflicted, he was in hope of life, not refusing to use even desperate measures. And having crossed the Jordan, he used the hot springs at Callirrhoe, which, along with their other virtue, are also potable. There, having been put by the physicians into a tub full of oil, he seemed to pass away. But having revived, he was carried to Jericho, where black bile seized him on top of everything else. And as he was dying, he devised an impious deed. For by his command, when the most honored men 1.401 of the entire nation had arrived there, he shut them all up in the hippodrome and commanded his sister Salome and her husband Alexas, that when he himself gave up his spirit, to kill all the prisoners, "so that the people," he said, "may not rejoice at my death, nor applaud, but with each mourning their own, so I too will seem to be mourned and my passing may be honored with many tears." And he enjoined these things, weeping and beseeching, and they promised not to transgress the command. During these events, letters sent by those in Rome were brought, announcing that Acme had been executed and committing the matters concerning Antipater to his father's judgment. Hearing these things, Herod was pleased and revived a little. But with his pains having become great, he refrained from food, and asking for an apple and a knife, he was of a mind to kill himself. And he would have done the deed, if someone had not foreseen it and restrained his right hand. And when he cried out loudly, there was wailing and a great uproar as if the king had departed. And Antipater, as if he had already died, took courage, and he asked the jailer to release him, promising great things. But he made known his intention to the king. And he cried out and sent some men to kill him immediately. And he again alters the

159

ἐξηγρίωτο· αιτιον δ' ην οτι καταφρονεῖσθαι ἐδόκει καὶ ηδεσθαι πάντας ἐπὶ τοῖς αὐτοῦ δυστυχήμασιν. εἰς τοῦτο δ' ἐκ τοιοῦδε παρώρμητο. πολλὰ παρὰ τὸν νόμον ̔Ηρώδῃ πεποίητο, ων εν ην καὶ ὁ παρὰ τὸν μέγαν τοῦ ναοῦ πυλῶνα ἀνατεθεὶς χρυσοῦς ἀετός. κωλύει δὲ ὁ νόμος εἰκόνων ἀναθέσεις η ζῴων ἐπιτηδεύεσθαι. τοῦτον τὸν ἀετὸν ̓Ιούδας καὶ Ματθίας ̓Ιουδαίων λογιώτατοι καὶ δήμῳ προσφιλεῖς διὰ παιδείαν τῶν νεωτέρων ἐκέλευον κατασπᾶν. καν γάρ τινι κίνδυνος διὰ τοῦτο γένηται, ελεγον, μακάριός ἐστιν ἐκεῖνος ὑπὲρ τῶν νόμων θανούμενος. τοιούτοις ουν λόγοις ἐπαλειφόντων τὴν νεότητα, γίνεται λόγος τεθνάναι τὸν βασιλέα. καὶ αὐτίκα μεσούσης ἡμέρας κατέσπων τὸν ἀετὸν καὶ συνέκοπτον τοῖς πελέκεσι. συλλαμβάνονται τοίνυν καὶ τῶν νέων πολλοὶ καὶ ̓Ιούδας καὶ Ματθίας οἱ τοῦ τολμήματος εἰσηγηταὶ καὶ ἀλεῖπται τῶν τοῦτο ἐργασαμένων, καὶ ἀνήχθησαν πρὸς ̔Ηρώδην. ὁ δὲ ηρετο εἰ ἐτόλμησαν καθελεῖν αὐτοῦ τὸ ἀνάθημα. καὶ οἱ ανδρες "πέπρακται" ειπον, "καὶ θαυμάζειν οὐ χρὴ εἰ τῶν σῶν δογμάτων τοὺς νόμους ους Μωυσῆς ἡμῖν καταλέλοιπεν ἐκ θεοῦ διδαχθεὶς προτιμώμεθα." τοὺς μὲν ουν δεδεμένους επεμψεν εἰς ̔Ιεριχώ, καλέσας δὲ τοὺς ἐν τέλει τῶν ̓Ιουδαίων, κατακεκλιμένος ἐν κλι1.400 νιδίῳ τῶν εἰς αὐτοὺς εὐποιιῶν ἀνεμίμνησκε καὶ τῆς δομήσεως τοῦ ναοῦ, καὶ κατεβόα οτι καὶ ετι ζῶντα ἐξυβρίζοιεν καθαιροῦντες τὰ αὐτοῦ ἀναθήματα, ὡς δοκεῖν μὲν αὐτὸν ὑβρίζειν, κατὰ δέ γε τὸ ἀληθὲς ἱεροσυλεῖν. οἱ δὲ δεδιότες τὴν ἐκείνου ὠμότητα, τοὺς τοῦτο τολμήσαντας ἀξίους ειναι κολάσεως εφασκον. καὶ ὁ βασιλεὺς τοῖς μὲν αλλοις πρᾳότερον προσεφέρετο, Ματθίαν δὲ τὸν ἀρχιερέα τὴν τιμὴν ἀφελόμενος, ετερον εἰς τὸ ἱερᾶσθαι κατέστησεν, ̓Ιώζαρον ἀδελφὸν γυναικὸς ἰδίας· Ματθίαν δὲ τὸν τὴν στάσιν ἐγείραντα καί τινας τῶν στασιαστῶν κατέκαυσε ζῶντας. ̔Η μέντοι νόσος ἐπὶ μᾶλλον ἐκείνῳ ἐνεπικραίνετο, δίκην ων παρηνόμησε τίνοντι. πῦρ γὰρ μαλθακὸν τὰ ἐντὸς ἐκάκου αὐτοῦ, καὶ τῶν ἐντέρων ησαν ἑλκώσεις, καὶ μάλιστα τοῦ κώλου ἀλγήματα, καὶ φλέγμα περὶ τοὺς πόδας ὑγρόν τε καὶ διαυγές, τοῦ ητρου τε κάκωσις καὶ τοῦ αἰδοίου σῆψις γεννῶσα σκώληκας, καὶ ἐπὶ τούτοις ὀρθόπνοια τῇ τε ἀποφορᾷ ἀηδὴς καὶ τῷ τοῦ ασθματος συνεχεῖ, καὶ σπασμοὶ περὶ πᾶν μέλος αὐτοῦ ἐγίνοντο. ὁ δὲ καὶ ουτω κακῶς διακείμενος ἐν ἐλπίδι ζωῆς ην, οὐδὲ ἀποτετραμμένοις κεχρῆσθαι ἀπαναινόμενος. περάσας δὲ καὶ τὸν ̓Ιορδάνην τοῖς κατὰ Καλλιρρόην ἐχρῆτο θερμοῖς, α σὺν τῇ λοιπῇ ἀρετῇ τυγχάνει καὶ πότιμα. ενθα εἰς πύελον ἐλαίου πλέων παρὰ τῶν ἰατρῶν ἐμβληθεὶς εδοξεν ἐκλιπεῖν. ἀνενεγκὼν δὲ εἰς ̔Ιεριχοῦντα κεκόμιστο, ενθα μέλαινα αὐτὸν ἐπὶ πᾶσιν ῃρει χολή. Τελευτῶν δὲ ἀνοσίαν πρᾶξιν ἐπινοεῖ. προστάγματι γὰρ αὐτοῦ ἐκ παντὸς τοῦ εθνους τῶν ἐντιμοτέ1.401 ρων ἀφικομένων ἐκεῖ, συγκλείσας πάντας ἐν τῷ ἱπποδρόμῳ τῇ ἀδελφῇ Σαλώμῃ καὶ τῷ ἀνδρὶ αὐτῆς ̓Αλεξᾷ ἐνετέλλετο, ἐπὰν αὐτὸς ἀφῇ τὴν ψυχήν, τοὺς καθειργμένους απαντας ἀνελεῖν, "ινα μὴ ἐφήδοιντό μου" λέγων "οἱ δῆμοι τῇ τελευτῇ, μηδ' ἐπικροτοῖεν, ἀλλ' ἑκάστων θρηνούντων τοὺς ἑαυτῶν ουτως καὶ αὐτὸς δόξω θρηνεῖσθαι καὶ πολλοῖς ἡ εξοδός μου τιμηθείη τοῖς δάκρυσι." καὶ ὁ μὲν ἐπέσκηπτε ταῦτα δακρύων καὶ ποτνιώμενος, οἱ δὲ μὴ παραβήσεσθαι τὴν ἐντολὴν ἐπηγγέλλοντο. ̓Εν τούτοις γράμματα ὑπὸ τῶν ἐν ̔Ρώμῃ ἀπεσταλμένα κεκόμιστο, τήν τε ̓Ακμὴν ἀνῃρημένην δηλοῦντα καὶ τὰ περὶ τὸν ̓Αντίπατρον τῇ τοῦ πατρὸς γνώμῃ ἀνατιθέμενα. τούτων ἀκούσας ̔Ηρώδης ησθη καὶ βραχύ τι ἀνήνεγκε. τῶν δ' ἀλγηδόνων εἰς μέγα ἠρμένων ἀπείχετο μὲν σιτίων, μῆλον δ' αἰτήσας καὶ μάχαιραν γνώμης ην ἑαυτὸν ἀναιρήσων. καὶ πέπραχεν αν τὸ ἐνθύμημα, εἰ μή τις αὐτοῦ προγνοὺς κατέσχε τὴν δεξιάν. καὶ μέγα ἀνακραγόντος οἰμωγή τε ην καὶ θόρυβος μέγας ὡς οἰχομένου τοῦ βασιλέως. καὶ ὁ ̓Αντίπατρος ὡς ηδη θανόντος ἀνεθάρσησε, καὶ τῷ δεσμοφύλακι ἀφεῖναι αὐτὸν ἠξίου μεγάλα ὑπισχνούμενος. ὁ δὲ τῷ βασιλεῖ γνωρίζει τὴν ἐκείνου διάνοιαν. καὶ ος ἀνεβόησέ τε καὶ πέμπει τινὰς τοὺς αὐτίκα κτενοῦντας αὐτόν. μεταποιεῖ δὲ αυθις τὰς