him, he would make her a
happy woman. Accordingly she acted ill, and because she was desirous to
avoid her sister Bernice's envy, for she was very ill treated by her on
account of her beauty, was prevailed upon to transgress the laws of her
forefathers, and to marry Felix; and when he had had a son by her, he
named him Agrippa. But after what manner that young man, with his wife,
perished at the conflagration of the mountain Vesuvius, [14] in the days
of Titus Caesar, shall be related hereafter. [15]

3. But as for Bernice, she lived a widow a long while after the death
of Herod [king of Chalcis], who was both her husband and her uncle;
but when the report went that she had criminal conversation with her
brother, [Agrippa, junior,] she persuaded Poleme, who was king of
Cilicia, to be circumcised, and to marry her, as supposing that by this
means she should prove those calumnies upon her to be false; and Poleme
was prevailed upon, and that chiefly on account of her riches. Yet did
not this matrimony endure long; but Bernice left Poleme, and, as was
said, with impure intentions. So he forsook at once this matrimony, and
the Jewish religion; and, at the same time, Mariamne put away Archclaus,
and was married to Demetrius, the principal man among the Alexandrian
Jews, both for his family and his wealth; and indeed he was then their
alabarch. So she named her son whom she had by him Agrippinus. But of
all these particulars we shall hereafter treat more exactly. [16]

CHAPTER 8. After What Manner Upon The Death Of Claudius, Nero Succeeded
In The Government; As Also What Barbarous Things He Did. Concerning The
Robbers, Murderers And Impostors, That Arose While Felix And Festus Were
Procurators Of Judea.

1. Now Claudius Caesar died when he had reigned thirteen years, eight
months, and twenty days; [17] and a report went about that he was
poisoned by his wife Agrippina. Her father was Germanicus, the brother
of Caesar. Her husband was Domitius Aenobarbus, one of the most
illustrious persons that was in the city of Rome; after whose death,
and her long continuance in widowhood, Claudius took her to wife.
She brought along with her a son, Domtitus, of the same name with his
father. He had before this slain his wife Messalina, out of jealousy,
by whom he had his children Britannicus and Octavia; their eldest sister
was Antonia, whom he had by Pelina his first wife. He also married
Octavia to Nero; for that was the name