er;
for as he was then young, and appointed to be my successor, I took care
chiefly to secure him from danger: but this profligate wild beast, when
he had been over and above satiated with that patience which I showed
him, he made use of that abundance I had given him against myself; for I
seemed to him to live too long, and he was very uneasy at the old age
I was arrived at; nor could he stay any longer, but would be a king by
parricide. And justly I am served by him for bringing him back out of
the country to court, when he was of no esteem before, and for thrusting
out those sons of mine that were born of the queen, and for making him a
successor to my dominions. I confess to thee, O Varus, the great folly I
was guilty for I provoked those sons of mine to act against me, and cut
off their just expectations for the sake of Antipater; and indeed what
kindness did I do them; that could equal what I have done to Antipater?
to I have, in a manner, yielded up my royal while I am alive, and whom I
have openly named for the successor to my dominions in my testament, and
given him a yearly revenue of his own of fifty talents, and supplied him
with money to an extravagant degree out of my own revenue; and' when
he was about to sail to Rome, I gave him three talents, and recommended
him, and him alone of all my children, to Caesar, as his father's
deliverer. Now what crimes were those other sons of mine guilty of like
these of Antipater? and what evidence was there brought against them so
strong as there is to demonstrate this son to have plotted against
me? Yet does this parricide presume to speak for himself, and hopes
to obscure the truth by his cunning tricks. Thou, O Varus, must guard
thyself against him; for I know the wild beast, and I foresee how
plausibly he will talk, and his counterfeit lamentation. This was he who
exhorted me to have a care of Alexander when he was alive, and not to
intrust my body with all men! This was he who came to my very bed, and
looked about lest any one should lay snares for me! This was he who took
care of my sleep, and secured me from fear of danger, who comforted me
under the trouble I was in upon the slaughter of my sons, and looked to
see what affection my surviving brethren bore me! This was my protector,
and the guardian of my body! And when I call to mind, O Varus, his
craftiness upon every occasion, and his art of dissembling, I can hardly
believe that I am still alive, and I wonder h