Antiquities Book 17, Chapter 12
Concerning A Spurious Alexander.
1. When these affairs had been thus settled by Cæsar, 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 Cæsar, 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 Cæsar; 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, Cæsar 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, Cæsar 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 Cæsar the contrivance, and after what manner and by
whom it was laid together. So Cæsar, 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.
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 Cæsar, 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 Cæsar; 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, Cæsar 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, Cæsar 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 Cæsar the contrivance, and after what manner and by
whom it was laid together. So Cæsar, 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.