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1. When these affairs had been thus settled by Caesar, a certain
young man, by birth a Jew, but brought up by a Roman freed-man in
the city Sidon, ingrafted himself into the kindred of Herod, by
the resemblance of his countenance, which those that saw him
attested to be that of Alexander, the son of Herod, whom he had
slain; and this was an incitement to him to endeavor to obtain
the government; so he took to him as an assistant a man of his
own country, (one that was well acquainted with the affairs of
the palace, but, on other accounts, an ill man, and one whose
nature made him capable of causing great disturbances to the
public, and one that became a teacher of such a mischievous
contrivance to the other,) and declared himself to be Alexander,
and the son of Herod, but stolen away. by one of those that were
sent to slay him, who, in reality, slew other men, in order to
deceive the spectators, but saved both him and his brother
Aristobulus. Thus was this man elated, and able to impose on
those that came to him; and when he was come to Crete, he made
all the Jews that came to discourse with him believe him [to be
Alexander]. And when he had gotten much money which had been
presented to him there, he passed over to Melos, where he got
much more money than he had before, out of the belief they had
that he was of the royal family, and their hopes that he would
recover his father's principality, and reward his benefactors; so
he made haste to Rome, and was conducted thither by those
strangers who entertained him. He was also so fortunate, as, upon
his landing at Dicearchia, to bring the Jews that were there into
the same delusion; and not only other people, but also all those
that had been great with Herod, or had a kindness for him, joined
themselves to this man as to their king. The cause of it was
this, that men were glad of his pretenses, which were seconded by
the likeness of his countenance, which made those that had been
acquainted with Alexander strongly to believe that he was no
other but the very same person, which they also confirmed to
others by oath; insomuch that when the report went about him that
he was coming to Rome, the whole multitude of the Jews that were
there went out to meet him, ascribing it to Divine Providence
that he has so unexpectedly escaped, and being very joyful on
account of his mother's family. And when he was come, he was
carried in a royal litter through the streets; and all the
ornaments about him were such as kings are adorned withal; and
this was at the expense of those that entertained him. The
multitude also flocked about him greatly, and made mighty
acclamations to him, and nothing was omitted which could be
thought suitable to such as had been so unexpectedly preserved.
2. When this thing was told Caesar, he did not believe it,
because Herod was not easily to be imposed upon in such affairs
as were of great concern to him; yet, having some suspicion it
might be so, he sent one Celadus, a freed-man of his, and one
that had conversed with the young men themselves, and bade him
bring Alexander into his presence; so he brought him, being no
more accurate in judging about him than the rest of the
multitude. Yet did not he deceive Caesar; for although there was
a resemblance between him and Alexander, yet was it not so exact
as to impose on such as were prudent in discerning; for this
spurious Alexander had his hands rough, by the labors he had been
put to and instead of that softness of body which the other had,
and this as derived from his delicate and generous education,
this man, for the contrary reason, had a rugged body. When,
therefore, Caesar saw how the master and the scholar agreed in
this lying story, and in a bold way of talking, he inquired about
Aristobulus, and asked what became of him who (it seems) was
stolen away together with him, and for what reason it was that he
did not come along with him, and endeavor to recover that
dominion which was due to his high birth also. And when he said
that he had been left in the isle of Crete, for fear of the
dangers of the sea, that, in case any accident should come to
himself, the posterity of Mariamne might not utterly perish, but
that Aristobulus might survive, and punish those that laid such
treacherous designs against them; and when he persevered in his
affirmations, and the author of the imposture agreed in
supporting it, Caesar took the young man by himself, and said to
him, "If thou wilt not impose upon me, thou shalt have this for
thy reward, that thou shalt escape with thy life; tell me, then,
who thou art, and who it was that had boldness enough to contrive
such a cheat as this. For this contrivance is too considerable a
piece of villainy to be undertaken by one of thy age."
Accordingly, because he had no other way to take, he told Caesar
the contrivance, and after what manner and by whom it was laid
together. So Caesar, upon observing the spurious Alexander to be
a strong active man, and fit to work with his hands, that he
might not break his promise to him, put him among those that were
to row among the mariners, but slew him that induced him to do
what he had done; for as for the people of Melos, he thought them
sufficiently punished, in having thrown away so much of their
money upon this spurious Alexander. And such was the ignominious
conclusion of this bold contrivance about the spurious Alexander.
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