to them. And if any one were
able to enumerate the prosperity you have conferred on every nation,
which they possess by your means, he could never put an end to his
discourse; but that we may demonstrate that we are not unworthy of all
those advantages we have obtained, it will be sufficient for us, to
say nothing of other things, but to speak freely of this king who now
governs us, and is now one of thy assessors; and indeed in what instance
of good-will, as to your house, hath he been deficient? What mark of
fidelity to it hath he omitted? What token of honor hath he not devised?
What occasion for his assistance of you hath he not regarded at the very
first? What hindereth; therefore, but that your kindnesses may be as
numerous as his so great benefits to you have been? It may also
perhaps be fit not here to pass over in silence the valor of his father
Antipater, who, when Caesar made an expedition into Egypt, assisted him
with two thousand armed men, and proved inferior to none, neither in the
battles on land, nor in the management of the navy; and what need I say
any thing of how great weight those soldiers were at that juncture?
or how many and how great presents they were vouchsafed by Caesar? And
truly I ought before now to have mentioned the epistles which Caesar
wrote to the senate; and how Antipater had honors, and the freedom of
the city of Rome, bestowed upon him; for these are demonstrations both
that we have received these favors by our own deserts, and do on that
account petition thee for thy confirmation of them, from whom we had
reason to hope for them, though they had not been given us before,
both out of regard to our king's disposition towards you, and your
disposition towards him. And further, we have been informed by those
Jews that were there with what kindness thou camest into our country,
and how thou offeredst the most perfect sacrifices to God, and honoredst
him with remarkable vows, and how thou gavest the people a feast, and
acceptedst of their own hospitable presents to thee. We ought to esteem
all these kind entertainments made both by our nation and to our city,
to a man who is the ruler and manager of so much of the public affairs,
as indications of that friendship which thou hast returned to the Jewish
nation, and which hath been procured them by the family of Herod. So
we put thee in mind of these things in the presence of the king, now
sitting by thee, and make our request for no more b