of his sword nor of his hands, he prevented all abuses, by dashing his head against a stone. So he demonstrated himself to be Herod's own brother, and Hyrcanus a most degenerate relation; and died with great bravery; and made the end of his life agreeable to the actions of it.

There is also another report about his end: viz. that he recovered of that stroke; and that a surgeon who was sent by Antigonus to heal him, filled the wound with poisonous ingredients, and so killed him.* It is also reported, that before he expired, he was informed, by a certain poor woman, how Herod had escaped out of their hands: and that he said thereupon, "I now die with comfort, since I leave behind me one alive, that will avenge me of mine enemies."

This was the death of Phasaelus. But the Parthians, although they had failed of the women they had chiefly desired, yet did they put the government of Jerusalem into the hand of Antigonus; and took away Hyrcanus, and bound him, and carried him to Parthia.

CHAP. XIV.

HEROD, BEING REJECTED IN ARABIA, HASTENS TO ROME; WHERE ANTONY AND CESAR JOIN THEIR INTERESTS TO MAKE HIM KING OF THE JEWS.

NOW Herod did the more zealously pursue his journey into Arabia, as making haste to get money of the king, while his brother was yet alive by which money alone it was that he hoped to prevail upon the covetous temper of the barbarians to spare Phasaelus. For he reasoned thus with himself: that if the Arabian king was too forgetful of his father's friendship with him, and was too covetous to make him a free gift, he would, however, borrow of him as much as might redeem his brother; and put into his hands, as a pledge, the son of him that was to be redeemed. Accordingly he led his brother's son along with him, who was of the age of seven years. Now he

* Those who practise treachery towards others. may certainly expect retaliation upon themselves. B.

was ready to give three hundred talents for his brother; and intended the intercession of the Tyrians, to get them accepted. However, fate had been too quick for his diligence: and, since Phasaelus was dead, Herod's brotherly love was now in vain. Moreover, he was not able to find any lasting friendship among the Arabians. For their king Malichus sent to him immediately, and commanded him to return back out of his country: and used the name of the Parthians as a pretence for so doing: as though these had denounced to him by their ambassadors to cast Herod out of Arabia. While in reality they had a mind to keep back what they had owed to Antipater: and not be obliged to make requitals to his sons, for the free gifts the father had made them. He also took the impudent advice of those who, equally with himself, were willing to deprive Herod of what Antipater had deposited among them. And these men were the most potent of all whom he had in his kingdom.

So when Herod had found that the Arabians were his enemies, and this for those very reasons whence he hoped they would have been the most friendly; and had given them such an answer as his passion suggested; he returned back, and went to Egypt. He lodged the first evening at one of the temples of that country, in order to meet with those whom he had left behind. But on the next day word was brought him, as he was going to Rhinocurura, that this brother was dead, and how he came by his death. And when he had lamented him as much as his present circumstances would bear, he laid aside such cares; and proceeded on his journey. But after some time the king of Arabia repented of what he had done; and sent away messengers to call him back. Herod, however, had prevented them; and was come to Pelusium; and as he could not obtain a passage from those that lay with the fleet, he besought their captains to let him go by them. Accordingly, out of the reverence they bore to the fame and dignity of the man, they conducted him to Alexandria. And when he came into the city he was received with great splendour by Cleopatra, who hoped he might be persuaded to be commander of her forces in the expedition she was now about. But he rejected the queen's solicitations: and being neither affrighted at the

height of that storm which then happened, nor at the tumults that were now in Italy, he sailed for Rome.

But as he was in peril about Pamphylia, and obliged to cast out the greatest part of the ship's lading, he, with difficulty, got safe to Rhodes: a place which had been grievously harassed in the war with Cassius. He was there received by his friends, Ptolemy an Sappinius. And although he was then in want of money, he fitted up a three-decked ship, of very great magnitude; wherein he and his friends sailed to *Brundusium, and went thence to Rome, with all speed; where he first of all went to Antony, on account of the friendship his father had with him; and laid before him the calamities of himself and his family; and that he had left his nearest relations besieged in a fortress; and had sailed to him through a storm, to make a supplication to him for assistance.†

Hereupon Antony was moved to compassion at the change that had been made in Herod's affairs: and this both upon his calling to mind how hospitably he had been treated by Antipater ; but more especially on account of Herod's own virtue. So he then resolved to get him made king of the Jews, whom he had himself formerly made tetrarch.

The contest also that he had with Antigonus was another inducement and that of no less weight than the great regard he had for Herod. For he looked upon Antigonus as a seditious person, and an enemy of the Romans. And as for Cæsar, Herod found him better prepared than Antony: as remembering the wars he had gone through together with his father; the hospitable treatment he had met with from him; and the entire good will he had showed to him; besides that activity which he saw in Herod himself. So he called the senate together: wherein Massalas, and after him Aratinus, produced Herod before them, and gave a full account of the merits of his father, and his own good will to the Romans.

At the same time they demonstrated that Antigonus was their enemy; not only because he soon quarrelled with them, but be

* This Brentesium, or Brundusium, has coins still preserved; on which it is written BPENAHEIOON, as Spanheim informs us.

Antiq. XIV. 14..

;

cause he now overlooked the Romans, and took the government by the means of the Parthians.

These reasons greatly moved the senate. At which juncture, Antony came in, and told them, that it was for their advantage in the Parthian war that Herod should be king.

So they all gave their votes for it. And when the senate was separated, Antony and Cæsar went out with Herod between them while the consul and the rest of the magistrates, went before them; in order to offer sacrifice, and to lay the decree in the capitol. Antony also made a feast for Herod on the first day of his reign.

CHAP. XV.

ANTIGONUS BESIEGES THOSE THAT WERE IN MASADA; BUT HE→ ROD FREES THEM FROM CONFINEMENT, ON HIS RETURN FROM ROME; AND MARCHES TO JERUSALEM : WHERE HE FINDS SILO CORRUPTED BY BRIBES.

:

IN the mean time, Antigonus besieged those that were in Masada who had all other necessaries in sufficient quantity, but were in want of water. On which account Joseph, Herod's brother, was disposed to run away to the Arabians, with two hundred of his own friends: because he had heard that Malichus repented of his offences with regard to Herod. And he had been so quick, as to have been gone out of the fortress already, unless on that very night, when he was going away, there had fallen a great deal of rain, insomuch that his reservoirs were full of water and so he was under no necessity of running away. After which, therefore, they made an irruption upon Antigonus's party, and slew a great many of them some in open battles, and some in private ambush. Nor had they always success in their attempts: for sometimes they were beaten and ran away.*

In the mean time +Ventidius, the Roman general, was sent

Antiq. XIV. 14.

+ Dr. Hudson and Dean Aldrich both refer us, upon this occasion, to Dio, XLVIII. as giving us this history of Ventidius, when he was sent to assist Herod against Antigonus.

out of Syria, to restrain the incursions of the Parthians, and after he had done that, he came into Judea : in pretence, indeed, to assist Joseph and his party; but in reality to get money of Antigonus. And when he had pitched his camp very near to Jerusalem, as soon as he had got money enough, he went away with the greatest part of his forces. Yet still did he leave Silo, with some part of them; lest if he had taken them all away, his taking of bribes might have been too openly discovered. Now Antigonus hoped the Parthians would come again to his assistance; and therefore cultivated a good understanding with Silo in the mean time; lest any interruption should be given to his hopes.

By this time Herod had sailed out of Italy, and was come to Ptolemais. And as soon as he had gotten together a large army of foreigners, and of his own countrymen, he marched through Galilee, against Antigonus: wherein he was assisted both by Ventidius, and Silo: whom *Dellius, a person sent by Antony, persuaded to bring Herod into his kingdom. Now Ventidius was at this time among the cities, and composing the disturbances which had happened by means of the Parthians : while Silo was in Judea, corrupted by the bribes that Antigonus had given him. Yet was not Herod himself destitute of power; but the number of his forces increased every day, as he went along; and all Galilee, with few exceptions, joined themselves to him. So he proposed to set about his most necessary enterprise, and that was at Masada; in order to deliver his relations from the siege they endured. But still Joppa stood in his way; and hindered his going thither. For it was necessary to take that city first, which was in the enemy's hands: that when he should go to Jerusalem, no fortress might be left in the enemy's power behind him. Silo also willingly joined him: as having now a plausible occasion of drawing off his forces from Jerusalem. And when the Jews pursued and pressed upon him in his retreat; Herod made an excursion upon them, with a small body of his men; and soon put them to flight, and saved Silo, when he was in distress.

*This Dellius is famous, or rather infamous, in the history of Mark Antony : as Spanheim and Aldrich here note from the coins; from Plutarch and Dio.