CONCERNING A SPURIOUS ALEXANDER. FJAJ 17.74
1. WHEN these affairs had been thus settled by Caesar, a certain young
man, by birth a Jew, but brought up by a Roman freed-man in the city Sidon,
ingrafted himself into the kindred of Herod, by the resemblance of his
countenance, which those that saw him attested to be that of Alexander,
the son of Herod, whom he had slain; and this was an incitement to him
to endeavor to obtain the government; so he took to him as an assistant
a man of his own country, (one that was well acquainted with the affairs
of the palace, but, on other accounts, an ill man, and one whose nature
made him capable of causing great disturbances to the public, and one that
became a teacher of such a mischievous contrivance to the other,) and declared
himself to be Alexander, and the son of Herod, but stolen away
by one
of those that were sent to slay him, who, in reality, slew other men, in
order to deceive the spectators, but saved both him and his brother Aristobulus.
Thus was this man elated, and able to impose on those that came to him;
and when he was come to Crete, he made all the Jews that came to discourse
with him believe him [to be Alexander]
And when he had gotten much money
which had been presented to him there, he passed over to Melos, where he
got much more money than he had before, out of the belief they had that
he was of the royal family, and their hopes that he would recover his father's
principality, and reward his benefactors; so he made haste to Rome, and
was conducted thither by those strangers who entertained him
He was also
so fortunate, as, upon his landing at Dicearchia, to bring the Jews that
were there into the same delusion; and not only other people, but also
all those that had been great with Herod, or had a kindness for him, joined
themselves to this man as to their king
The cause of it was this, that
men were glad of his pretenses, which were seconded by the likeness of
his countenance, which made those that had been acquainted with Alexander
strongly to believe that he was no other but the very same person, which
they also confirmed to others by oath; insomuch that when the report went
about him that he was coming to Rome, the whole multitude of the Jews that
were there went out to meet him, ascribing it to Divine Providence that
he has so unexpectedly escaped, and being very joyful on account of his
mother's family
And when he was come, he was carried in a royal litter
through the streets; and all the ornaments about him were such as kings
are adorned withal; and this was at the expense of those that entertained
him
The multitude also flocked about him greatly, and made mighty acclamations
to him, and nothing was omitted which could be thought suitable to such
as had been so unexpectedly preserved. FJAJ 17.75
2. When this thing was told Caesar, he did not believe it, because Herod
was not easily to be imposed upon in such affairs as were of great concern
to him; yet, having some suspicion it might be so, he sent one Celadus,
a freed-man of his, and one that had conversed with the young men themselves,
and bade him bring Alexander into his presence; so he brought him, being
no more accurate in judging about him than the rest of the multitude
Yet
did not he deceive Caesar; for although there was a resemblance between
him and Alexander, yet was it not so exact as to impose on such as were
prudent in discerning; for this spurious Alexander had his hands rough,
by the labors he had been put to and instead of that softness of body which
the other had, and this as derived from his delicate and generous education,
this man, for the contrary reason, had a rugged body
When, therefore,
Caesar saw how the master and the scholar agreed in this lying story, and
in a bold way of talking, he inquired about Aristobulus, and asked what
became of him who (it seems) was stolen away together with him, and for
what reason it was that he did not come along with him, and endeavor to
recover that dominion which was due to his high birth also
And when he
said that he had been left in the isle of Crete, for fear of the dangers
of the sea, that, in case any accident should come to himself, the posterity
of Mariamne might not utterly perish, but that Aristobulus might survive,
and punish those that laid such treacherous designs against them; and when
he persevered in his affirmations, and the author of the imposture agreed
in supporting it, Caesar took the young man by himself, and said to him,
"If thou wilt not impose upon me, thou shalt have this for thy reward,
that thou shalt escape with thy life; tell me, then, who thou art, and
who it was that had boldness enough to contrive such a cheat as this
For
this contrivance is too considerable a piece of villainy to be undertaken
by one of thy age." Accordingly, because he had no other way to take,
he told Caesar the contrivance, and after what manner and by whom it was
laid together
So Caesar, upon observing the spurious Alexander to be a
strong active man, and fit to work with his hands, that he might not break
his promise to him, put him among those that were to row among the mariners,
but slew him that induced him to do what he had done; for as for the people
of Melos, he thought them sufficiently punished, in having thrown away
so much of their money upon this spurious Alexander
And such was the ignominious
conclusion of this bold contrivance about the spurious Alexander. FJAJ 17.76