as to meet with Caesar at the city Aquilei [3] so
when he came to the speech of Caesar, he asked for a time for hearing
this great cause, wherein he thought himself very miserable, and
presented his sons there, and accused them of their mad actions, and of
their attempts against him: That they were enemies to him; and by all
the means they were able, did their endeavors to show their hatred
to their own father, and would take away his life, and so obtain his
kingdom, after the most barbarous manner: that he had power from Caesar
to dispose of it, not by necessity, but by choice, to him who shall
exercise the greatest piety towards him; while these my sons are not
so desirous of ruling, as they are, upon a disappointment thereof, to
expose their own life, if so be they may but deprive their father of his
life; so wild and polluted is their mind by time become, out of
their hatred to him: that whereas he had a long time borne this his
misfortune, he was now compelled to lay it before Caesar, and to
pollute his ears with such language, while he himself wants to know what
severity they have ever suffered from him, or what hardships he hath
ever laid upon them to make them complain of him; and how they can think
it just that he should not be lord of that kingdom which he in a long
time, and with great danger, had gained, and not allow him to keep it
and dispose of it to him who should deserve best; and this, with other
advantages, he proposes as a reward for the piety of such a one as will
hereafter imitate the care he hath taken of it, and that such a one may
gain so great a requital as that is: and that it is an impious thing for
them to pretend to meddle with it beforehand; for he who hath ever the
kingdom in his view, at the same time reckons upon procuring the death
of his father, because otherwise he cannot come at the government: that
as for himself, he had hitherto given them all that he was able, and
what was agreeable to such as are subject to the royal authority,
and the sons of a king; what ornaments they wanted, with servants and
delicate fare, and had married them into the most illustrious families,
the one [Aristobulus] to his sister's daughter, but Alexander to the
daughter of king Archelaus; and, what was the greatest favor of all,
when their crimes were so very bad, and he had authority to punish them,
yet had he not made use of it against them, but had brought them before
Caesar, their common benefactor, and