d
[35] and security; and he permits you to come to him safely, and without
any violence upon the road; and he wants to have you address yourselves
to him as friends, without meaning any guile or deceit to you. He also
promises to make you presents, and to pay you those respects which
will make an addition of his power to your courage, and thereby be of
advantage to you." Yet did Asineus himself put off his journey thither,
but sent his brother Anileus with all such presents as he could procure.
So he went, and was admitted to the king's presence; and when Artabanus
saw Anileus coming alone, he inquired into the reason why Asineus
avoided to come along with him; and when he understood that he was
afraid, and staid by the lake, he took an oath, by the gods of his
country, that he would do them no harm, if they came to him upon the
assurances he gave them, and gave him his right hand. This is of the
greatest force there with all these barbarians, and affords a firm
security to those who converse with them; for none of them will deceive
you when once they have given you their right hands, nor will any one
doubt of their fidelity, when that is once given, even though they were
before suspected of injustice. When Artabanus had done this, he sent
away Anileus to persuade his brother to come to him. Now this the king
did, because he wanted to curb his own governors of provinces by the
courage of these Jewish brethren, lest they should make a league with
them; for they were ready for a revolt, and were disposed to rebel, had
they been sent on an expedition against them. He was also afraid, lest
when he was engaged in a war, in order to subdue those governors
of provinces that had revolted, the party of Asineus, and those in
Babylonia, should be augmented, and either make war upon him, when they
should hear of that revolt, or if they should be disappointed in that
case, they would not fail of doing further mischief to him.

4. When the king had these intentions, he sent away Anileus, and Anileus
prevailed on his brother [to come to the king], when he had related to
him the king's good-will, and the oath that he had taken. Accordingly,
they made haste to go to Artsbanus, who received them when they were
come with pleasure, and admired Asineus's courage in the actions he had
done, and this because he was a little man to see to, and at first sight
appeared contemptible also, and such as one might deem a person of no
value at all. He