HOW HEROD THE TETRARCH WAS BANISHED. FJAJ 18.49
1. BUT Herodias, Agrippa's sister, who now lived as wife to that Herod
who was tetrarch of Galilee and Peres, took this authority of her brother
in an envious manner, particularly when she saw that he had a greater dignity
bestowed on him than her husband had; since, when he ran away, it was because
he was not able to pay his debts; and now he was come back, he was in a
way of dignity, and of great good fortune
She was therefore grieved and
much displeased at so great a mutation of his affairs; and chiefly when
she saw him marching among the multitude with the usual ensigns of royal
authority, she was not able to conceal how miserable she was, by reason
of the envy she had towards him; but she excited her husband, and desired
him that he would sail to Rome, to court honors equal to his; for she said
that she could not bear to live any longer, while Agrippa, the son of that
Aristobulus who was condemned to die by his father, one that came to her
husband in such extreme poverty, that the necessaries of life were forced
to be entirely supplied him day by day; and when he fled away from his
creditors by sea, he now returned a king; while he was himself the son
of a king, and while the near relation he bare to royal authority called
upon him to gain the like dignity, he sat still, and was contented with
a privater life. FJAJ 18.50
"But then, Herod, although thou wast formerly not
concerned to be in a lower condition than thy father from whom thou wast
derived had been, yet do thou now seek after the dignity which thy kinsman
hath attained to; and do not thou bear this contempt, that a man who admired
thy riches should he in greater honor than thyself, nor suffer his poverty
to show itself able to purchase greater things than our abundance; nor
do thou esteem it other than a shameful thing to be inferior to one who,
the other day, lived upon thy charity
But let us go to Rome, and let us
spare no pains nor expenses, either of silver or gold, since they cannot
be kept for any better use than for the obtaining of a kingdom." FJAJ 18.51
2. But for Herod, he opposed her request at this time, out of the love
of ease, and having a suspicion of the trouble he should have at Rome;
so he tried to instruct her better
But the more she saw him draw back,
the more she pressed him to it, and desired him to leave no stone unturned
in order to be king; and at last she left not off till she engaged him,
whether he would or not, to be of her sentiments, because he could no otherwise
avoid her importunity
So he got all things ready, after as sumptuous a
manner as he was able, and spared for nothing, and went up to Rome, and
took Herodias along with him
But Agrippa, when he was made sensible of
their intentions and preparations, he also prepared to go thither; and
as soon as he heard they set sail, he sent Fortunatus, one of his freed-men,
to Rome, to carry presents to the emperor, and letters against Herod, and
to give Caius a particular account of those matters, if he should have
any opportunity
This man followed Herod so quick, and had so prosperous
a voyage, and came so little after Herod, that while Herod was with Caius,
he came himself, and delivered his letters; for they both sailed to Dicearchia,
and found Caius at Bairn, which is itself a little city of Campania, at
the distance of about five furlongs from Dicearchia
There are in that
place royal palaces, with sumptuous apartments, every emperor still endeavoring
to outdo his predecessor's magnificence; the place ,also affords warm baths,
that spring out of the ground of their own accord, which are of advantage
for the recovery of the health of those that make use of them; and, besides,
they minister to men's luxury also
Now Caius saluted Herod, for he first
met with him, and then looked upon the letters which Agrippa had sent him,
and which were written in order to accuse Herod; wherein he accused him,
that he had been in confederacy with Sejanus against Tiberius's and that
he was now confederate with Artabanus, the king of Parthia, in opposition
to the government of Caius; as a demonstration of which he alleged, that
he had armor sufficient for seventy thousand men ready in his armory
Caius
was moved at this information, and asked Herod whether what was said about
the armor was true; and when he confessed there was such armor there, for
he could not deny the same, the truth of it being too notorious, Caius
took that to be a sufficient proof of the accusation, that he intended
to revolt
So he took away from him his tetrarchy, and gave it by way of
addition to Agrippa's kingdom; he also gave Herod's money to Agrippa, and,
by way of punishment, awarded him a perpetual banishment, and appointed
Lyons, a city of Gaul, to be his place of habitation
But when he was informed
that Herodias was Agrippa's sister, he made her a present of what money
was her own, and told her that it was her brother who prevented her being
put under the same calamity with her husband
But she made this reply:
"Thou, indeed, O emperor! actest after a magnificent manner, and as
becomes thyself in what thou offerest me; but the kindness which I have
for my husband hinders me from partaking of the favor of thy gift; for
it is not just that I, who have been made a partner in his prosperity,
should forsake him in his misfortunes." Hereupon Caius was angry at
her, and sent her with Herod into banishment, and gave her estate to Agrippa.
And thus did God punish Herodias for her envy at her brother, and Herod
also for giving ear to the vain discourses of a woman
Now Caius managed
public affairs with great magnanimity during the first and second year
of his reign, and behaved himself with such moderation, that he gained
the good-will of the Romans themselves, and of his other subjects
But,
in process of time, he went beyond the bounds of human nature in his conceit
of himself, and by reason of the vastness of his dominions made himself
a god, and took upon himself to act in all things to the reproach of the
Deity itself. FJAJ 18.52