| Chapter 20. Octavian (Caesar) confirms Herod as king, and restores all that Cleopatra had taken from him | ||||
1. But now Herod was under immediate concern about a most important affair, on account of his friendship with Antony, who was already overcome at Actium by Caesar; yet he was more afraid than hurt; for Caesar did not think he had quite undone Antony, while Herod continued his assistance to him. However, the king resolved to expose himself to dangers: accordingly he sailed to Rhodes, where Caesar then abode and came to him without his diadem and in the habit and appearance of a private person, but in his behaviour as a king. So he concealed nothing of the truth, but spike thus before his face: �O Caesar, as I was made king of the Jews by Antony, so do I profess that I have used my royal authority in the best manner and entirely for his advantage; nor will I conceal this further, that you had certainly found me in arms and an inseparable companion of his, had not the Arabians hindered me. However, I sent him as many auxiliaries as I was able and many ten thousand [cori] of corn. Indeed indeed, I did not desert my benefactor after the bow that was given him at Actium; but I gave him the best advice I was able, when I was no longer able to assist him in the war; and I told him that there was but one way of recovering his affairs and that was to kill Cleopatra; and I promised him that, if she were once dead, I would afford him money and walls for his security, with an army and myself to assist him in his war against you: but his affections for Cleopatra stopped his ears, as did God himself also who has bestowed the government on you. I own myself also to be overcome together with him; and with his last fortune I have laid aside my diadem and am come here to you, having my hopes of safety in your virtue; and I desire that you will first consider how faithful a friend and not whose friend, I have been." | ||||
2. Caesar replied to him as follows: �Indeed you shall not only be in safety, but you shall be a king; and that more firmly than you were before; for you are worthy to reign over a great many subjects, by reason of the fastness of your friendship; and do you endeavour to be equally constant in your friendship to me, upon my good success, which is what I depend upon from the generosity of your disposition. However, Antony has done well in preferring Cleopatra to you; for by this means we have gained you by her madness and thus you have begun to be my friend before I began to be your; on which account Quintus Didius has written to me that you sentest him assistance against the gladiators. I do therefore assure you that I will confirm the kingdom to you by decree: I shall also endeavour to do you some further kindness hereafter, that you mayst find no loss in the want of Antony." | ||||
3. When Caesar had spoken such obliging things to the king and had put the diadem again about his head, he proclaimed what he had bestowed on him by a decree, in which he enlarged in the commendation of the man after a magnificent manner. Whereupon Herod obliged him to be kind to him by the presents he gave him and he desired him to forgive Alexander, one of Antony's friends, who was become a supplicant to him. But Caesar's anger against him prevailed and he complained of the many and very great offenses the man whom he petitioned for had been guilty of; and by that means he rejected his petition. After this Caesar went for Egypt through Syria, when Herod received him with royal and rich entertainments; and then did he first of all ride along with Caesar, as he was reviewing his army about Ptolemais and feasted him with all his friends and then distributed among the rest of the army what was necessary to feast them also. He also made a plentiful provision of water for them, when they were to march as far as Pelusium, through a dry country, which he did also in like manner at their return thence; nor were there any necessaries wanting to that army. It was therefore the opinion, both of Caesar and of his soldiers, that Herod's kingdom was too small for those generous presents he made them; for which reason, when Caesar was come into Egypt and Cleopatra and Antony were dead, he did not only bestow other marks of honour upon him, but made an addition to his kingdom, by giving him not only the country which had been taken from him by Cleopatra, but besides that, Gadara and Hippos and Samaria; and moreover, of the maritime cities, Gaza and Anthedon and Joppa and Strato's Tower. He also made him a present of four hundred Galls [Galatians] as a guard for his body, which they had been to Cleopatra before. Nor did anything so strongly induce Caesar to make these presents as the generosity of him that received them. | ||||
4. Moreover, after the first games at Actium, he added to his kingdom both the region called Trachonitis and what lay in its neighbourhood, Batanea and the country of Auranitis; and that on the following occasion: Zenodorus, who had hired the house of Lysanias, had all along sent robbers out of Trachonitis among the Damascenes; who thereupon had recourse to Varro, the president of Syria and asked him that he would represent the calamity they were in to Caesar. When Caesar was acquainted with it, he sent back orders that this nest of robbers should be destroyed. Varro therefore made an expedition against them and cleared the land of those men and took it away from Zenodorus. Caesar did also afterward bestow it on Herod, that it might not again become a receptacle for those robbers that had come against Damascus. He also made him a procurator of all Syria and this on the tenth year afterward, when he came again into that province; and this was so established, that the other procurators could not do anything in the administration without his advice: but when Zenodorus was dead, Caesar bestowed on him all that land which lay between Trachonitis and Galilee. Yet, what was still of more consequence to Herod, he was beloved by Caesar next after Agrippa and by Agrippa next after Caesar; whence he arrived at a very great degree of felicity. Yet did the greatness of his soul exceed it and the main part of his magnanimity was extended to the promotion of piety. | ||||
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