the antiquities of the jews-1- 第291部分

（4）　Here　Josephus　supposes　that　it　was　Augustus；　and　not　Julius
Caesar；　who　first　changed　the　Roman　commonwealth　into　a　monarchy；
for　these　shows　were　in　honor　of　Augustus；　as　we　shall　learn　in
the　next　section。

（5）　Suetonius　says　Caius　was　slain　about　the　seventh　hour　of　the
day；　the　ninth。　The　series　of　the　narration　favors　Josephus。

（6）　The　rewards　proposed　by　the　Roman　laws　to　informers　was
sometimes　an　eigth　partm　as　Spanheim　assures　us；　from　the
criminal's　goods；　as　here；　and　sometimes　a　fourth　part。

（7）　These　consuls　are　named　in　the　War　of　the　Jews；　B。　II。　ch。
11。　sect；　1；　Sentius　Saturninus　and　Pomponius　Secundus；　as
Spanheim　notes　here。　The　speech　of　the　former　of　them　is　set　down
in　the　next　chapter；　sect。　2。

（8）　In　this　oration　of　Sentius　Saturninus；　we　may　see　the　great
value　virtuous　men　put　upon　public　liberty；　and　the　sad　misery
they　underwent；　while　they　were　tyrannized　over　by　such　emperors
as　Caius。　See　Josephus's　own　short　but　pithy　reflection　at　the
end　of　the　chapter：　〃So　difficult；〃　says　he；　〃it　is　for　those　to
obtain　the　virtue　that　is　necessary　to　a　wise　man；　who　have　the
absolute　power　to　do　what　they　please　without　control。〃

（9）　Hence　we　learn　that；　in　the　opinion　of　Saturninus；　the
sovereign　authority　of　the　consuls　and　senate　had　been　taken　away
just　a　hundred　years　before　the　death　of　Caius；　A。D。　41；　or　in
the　sixtieth　year　before　the　Christian　saga；　when　the　first
triumvirate　began　under　Caesar；　Pompey；　and　Crassus。

（10）　Spanheim　here　notes　from　Suetonius；　that　the　name　of　Caius's
sister　with　whom　he　was　guilty　of　incest；　was　Drusilla　and　that
Suetonius　adds；　he　was　guilty　of　the　same　crime　with　all　his
sisters　also。　He　notes　further；　that　Suetonius　omits　the　mention
of　the　haven　for　ships；　which　our　author　esteems　the　only　public
work　for　the　good　of　the　present　and　future　ages　which　Caius　left
behind　him；　though　in　an　imperfect　condition。　

（11）　This　Caius　was　the　son　of　that　excellent　person　Germanicus；
who　was　the　son　of　Drusus；　the　brother　of　Tiberius　the　emperor。

（11）　The　first　place　Claudius　came　to　was　inhabited；　and　called
Herincure；　as　Spanheim　here　informs　us　from　Suetonius；　in　Claud。
ch。　10。

（12）　How　Claudius；　another　son　of　Drusus；　which　Drusus　was　the
father　of　Germanicus；　could　be　here　himself　called　Germanicus；
Suetonius　informs　us；　when　he　assures　us　that；　by　a　decree　of　the
senate；　the　surname　of　Germanicus　was　bestowed　upon　Drusus；　and
his　posterity　also。In　Claud。　ch。　1。

（13）　This　number　of　drachmae　to　be　distributed　to　each　private
soldier；　five　thousand　drachmae；　equal　to　twenty　thousand
sesterces；　or　one　hundred　and　sixty…one　pounds　sterling；　seems
much　too　large；　and　directly　contradicts　Suetonius；　ch。　10。；　who
makes　them　in　all　but　fifteen　sesterces；　or　two　shillings　and
four　pence。　Yet　might　Josephus　have　this　number　from　Agrippa；
junior；　though　I　doubt　the　thousands；　or　at　least　the　hundreds；
have　been　added　by　the　transcribers；　of　which　we　have　had　several
examples　already　in　Josephus。

（14）　This　piercing　cold　here　complained　of　by　Lupus　agrees　well
to　the　time　of　the　year　when　Claudius　began　his　reign；　it　being
for　certain　about　the　months　of　November；　December；　or　January；
and　most　probably　a　few　days　after　January　the　twenty…fourth；　and
a　few　days　before　the　Roman　Parentalia。

（15）　It　is　both　here　and　elsewhere　very　remarkable；　that　the
murders　of　the　vilest　tyrants；　who　yet　highly　deserved　to　die；
when　those　murderers　were　under　oaths；　or　other　the　like
obligations　of　fidelity　to　them；　were　usually　revenged；　and　the
murderers　were　cut　off　themselves；　and　that　after　a　remarkable
manner；　and　this　sometimes；　as　in　the　present　case；　by　those　very
persons　who　were　not　sorry　for　such　murders；　but　got　kingdoms　by
them。　The　examples　are　very　numerous；　both　in　sacred　and　profane
histories；　and　seem　generally　indications　of　Divine　vengeance　on
such　murderers。　Nor　is　it　unworthy　of　remark；　that　such　murderers
of　tyrants　do　it　usually　on　such　ill　principles；　in　such　a　cruel
manner；　and　as　ready　to　involve　the　innocent　with　the　guilty；
which　was　the　case　here；　ch。　1。　sect。　14；　and　ch。　2。　sect。　4；　as
justly　deserved　the　Divine　vengeance　upon　them。　Which　seems　to
have　been　the　case　of　Jehu　also；　when；　besides　the　house　of　Ahab；
for　whose　slaughter　he　had　a　commission　from　God；　without　any
such　commission；　any　justice　or　commiseration；　he　killed　Ahab's
great　men；　and　acquaintance；　and　priests；　and　forty…two　of　the
kindred　of　Ahaziah；　2　Kings　10：11…14。　See　Hosea　1：4。　I　do　not
mean　here　to　condemn　Ehud　or　Judith；　or　the　like　executioners　of
God's　vengeance　on　those　wicked　tyrants　who　had　unjustly
oppressed　God's　own　people　under　their　theocracy；　who；　as　they
appear　still　to　have　had　no　selfish　designs　nor　intentions　to
slay　the　innocent；　so　had　they　still　a　Divine　commission；　or　a
Divine　impulse；　which　was　their　commission　for　what　they　did；
Judges　3：15；　19；　20；　Judith　9：2；　Test。　Levi。　sect。　5；　in　Authent。
Rec。　p。　312。　See　also　page　432。

（16）　Here　St。　Luke　is　in　some　measure　confirmed；　when　he　reforms
us；　ch。　3：1；　that　Lysanias　was　some　time　before　tetrarch　of
Abilene；　whose　capital　was　Abila；　as　he　is　further　confirmed　by
Ptolemy；　the　great　geographer；　which　Spanheim　here　observes；　when
he　calls　that　city　Abila　of　Lysanias。　See　the　note　on　B。　XVII。
ch。　11。　sect。　4；　and　Prid。　at　the　years　36　and　22。　I　esteem　this
principality　to　have　belonged　to　the　land　of　Canaan　originally；
to　have　been　the　burying…place　of　Abel；　and　referred　to　as　such；
Matthew　23：35；　Luke　11：51。　See　Authent。　Rec。　Part。　II。　p。
883885。

（17）　This　form　was　so　known　and　frequent　among　the　Romans；　as　Dr。
Hudson　here　tells　us　from　the　great　Selden；　that　it　used　to　be
thus　represented　at　the　bottom　of　their　edicts　by　the　initial
letters　only；　U。　D。　P。　R。　L。　P；　Unde　De　Plano　Recte　Lege　Possit；
〃Whence　it　may　be　plainly　read　from　the　ground。〃

（18）　Josephus　shows；　both　here　and　ch。　7。　sect。　3；　that　he　had　a
much　greater　opinion　of　king　Agrippa　I。　than　Simon　the　learned
Rabbi；　than　the　people　of　Cesarea　and　Sebaste；　ch。　7。　sect。　4；
and　ch。　9。　sect。　1；　and　indeed　than　his　double…dealing　between
the　senate　and　Claudius；　ch。　4。　sect。　2；　than　his　slaughter　of
James　the　brother　of　John；　and　his　imprisonment　of　Peter；　or　his
vain…glorious　behavior　before　he　died；　both　in　Acts　12：13；　and
here；　ch。　4。　sect。　1；　will　justify　or　allow。　Josephus's　character
was　probably　taken　from　his　son　Agrippa；　junior。

（19）　This　treasury…chamber　seems　to　have　been　the　very　same　in
which　our　Savior　taught；　and　where　the　people　offered　their
charity　money　for　the　repairs　or　other　uses　of　the　temple；　Mark
12：41；　etc。；　Luke　22：1；　John　8：20。

（20）　A　strange　number　of　condemned　criminals　to　be　under　the
sentence　of　death　at　once；　no　fewer；　it　seems；　than　one　thousand
four　hundred！

（21）　We　have　a　mighty　cry　made　here　by　some　critics；　as　the　great
Eusebius　had　on　purpose　falsified　this　account　of　Josephus；　so　as
to　make　it　agree　with　the　parallel　account　in　the　Acts　of　the
Apostles；　because　the　present　copies　of　his　citation　of　it；　Hist。
Eceles。　B。　II。　ch。　10。；　omit　the　words　an　owlon　a　certain　rope；
which　Josephus's　present　copies　retain；　and　only　have　the
explicatory　word　or　angel；　as　if　he　meant　that　angel　of　the　Lord
which　St。　Luke　mentions　as　smiting　Herod；　Acts　12：23；　and　not
that　owl　which　Josephus　called　an　angel　or　messenger；　formerly　of
good；　but　now　of　bad　news；　to　Agrippa。　This　accusation　is　a
somewhat　strange　one　in　the　case　of　the　great　Eusebius；　who　is
known　to　have　so　accurately　and　faithfully　produced　a　vast　number
of　other　ancient　records；　and　particularly　not　a　few　out　of　our
Josephus　also；　without　any　suspicion　of　prevarication。　Now；　not
to　allege　how　uncertain　we　are　whether　Josephus's　and　Eusebius's
copies　of　the　fourth　century　were　just　like　the　present　in　this
clause；　which　we　have　no　distinct　evidence　of；　the　following
words；　preserved　still　in　Eusebius；　will　not　admit　of　any　such
exposition：　〃This　＇bird＇　（says　Eusebius）　Agrippa　presently
perceived　to　be　the　cause　of　ill　fortune；　as　it　was　once　of　good
fortune；　to　him；〃　which　can　only　belong　to　that　bird；　the　owl；
which　as　it　had　formerly　foreboded　his　happy　deliverance　from
imprisonment；　Antiq。　B。　XVIII。　ch。　6。　sect。　7；　so　was　it　then
foretold　to　prove　afterward　the　unhappy　forerunner　of　his　death
in　five　days'　time。　If　the　improper　words　signifying　cause；　be
changed　for　Josephus's　proper　word　angel　or　messenger；　and　the
foregoing　words；　be　inserted；　Esuebius's　text　will　truly
represent　that　in　Josephus。　Had　this　imperfection　been　in　some
heathen　author　that　was　in　good　esteem　with　our　modern　critics；
they　would　have　readily　corrected　these　as　barely　errors　in　the
copies；　but　being　in　an　ancient　Christian　writer；　not　so　well
relished　by　many　of　those　critics；　nothing　will　serve　but　the
ill…grounded　supposal　of　willful　corruption　and　prevarication。

（22）　This　sum　of　twelve　millions　of　drachmae；　which　is　equal　to
three　millions　of　shekels；　i。e。　at　2s。　10d。　a　shekel；　equal　to
four　hundred　and　twenty…five　thousand　pounds　sterling；　was
Agrippa　the　Great's　yearly　income；　or　about　three　quarters　of　his
grandfather　Herod's　income；　he　having　abated　the　tax　upon　houses
at　Jerusalem；　ch。　6。　sect。　3；　and　was　not　so　tyrannical　as　Herod
had　been　to　the　Jews。　See　the　note　on　Antiq。　B。　XVII。　ch。　11。
sect。　4。　A　large　sum　this！　but　not；　it　seems；　sufficient　for　his
extravagant　expenses。

（23）　Reland　takes　notice　here；　not　improperly；　that　Josephus
omits　the　reconciliation　of　this　Herod　Agrippa　to　the　Tyrians　and
Sidoninus；　by　the　means　of　Blastus　the　king's　chamberlain；
mentioned　Acts　12：20。　Nor　is　there　any　history　in　the　world　so
complete；　as　to　omit　nothing　that　other　historians　take　notice
of；　unless　the　one　be　taken　out　of　the　other；　and　accommodated　to
it。

（24）　Photius；　who　made　an　extract　out　of　this　section；　says　they
were　not　the　statues　or　images；　but　the　ladies　themselves；　who
were　thus　basely　abused　by　the　soldiers。

BOOK　20　FOOTNOTES

（1）　Here　is　some　error　in　the　copies；　or　mistake　in　Josephus；　for
the　power　of　appointing　high　priests；　alter　Herod　king　of　Chalcis
was　dead；　and　Agrippa；　junior；　was