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up these men, and that by the same oaths, and by the same "time that he sware and fixed for payment of his debt: nor can he by any means shew that any other persons have at "this time been taken out of Arabia besides these, and indeed "not all these neither, but only so many as could not conceal "themselves. And thus does the calumny of the captives, "which hath been so odiously represented, appear to be no "better than a fiction and a lie made on purpose to provoke "thy indignation; for I venture to affirm, that when the forces of the Arabians came upon us, and one or two of He"rod's party fell, he then only defended himself, and there "fell Nacebus their general, and, in all, about twenty-five "others, and no more; whence Sylleus, by multiplying every "single soldier to an hundred, he reckons the slain to have "been two thousand five hundred."

7. This provoked Cæsar more than ever: So he turned to Sylleus full of rage, and asked him how many of the Arabians were slain? Hereupon he hesitated, and said he had been imposed upon. The covenants also were read about the money he had borrowed, and the letters of the presidents of Syria, and the complaints of the several cities, so many as had been injured by the robbers. The conclusion was this, that Sylleus was condemned to die, and that Cæsar was reconciled to Herod, and owed his repentance for what severe things he had written to him, occasioned by calumny, insomuch, that he told Sylleus that he had compelled him, by his lying account of things, to be guilty of ingratitude against a man that was his friend. At the last all came to this, Sylleus was sent away to answer Herod's suit, and to repay the debt that he owed, and after that to be punished [with death:] But still Cæsar was offended with Aretas, that he had taken upon himself the government, without his consent first obtained, for he had determined to bestow Arabia upon Herod; but that the letters he had sent hindered him from so doing, for Olympus and Volumnius perceiving that Cæsar was now become favourable to Herod, thought fit immediately to deliver him the letters they were commanded by Herod to give him concerning his sons. When Cæsar had read them, he thought it would not be proper to add another government to him, now he was old, and in an ill state with relation to his sons, so he admitted Áretas's ambassadors; and after he had just reproved him for his rashness, in not tarrying till he received the kingdom from him, he accepted of his presents, and confirmed him in his government.

CHAP. XI.

How Herod, by permission from Cæsar, accused his sons before an assembly of judges at Berytus; and what Tero suffered for using a boundless and military liberty of speech. Concerning also the death of the young men, and their burial at Alexandrium.

§ 1. So Cæsar was now reconciled to Herod; and wrote thus to him, That " he was grieved for him on account of his "sons; and that in case they had been guilty of any profane "and insolent crimes against him, it would behove him to "punish them as parricides, for which he gave him power "accordingly; but if they had only contrived to fly away, "he would have him give them an admonition, and not pro"ceed to extremity with them. He also advised him to get "an assembly together, and to appoint some place near * "Berytus, which is a city belonging to the Romans, and to "take the presidents of Syria, and Archelaus king of Cappa"docia, and as many more as he thought to be illustrious, "for their friendship to him, and the dignities they were in, "and determine what should be done by their approbation. These were the directions that Cæsar gave him. Accordingly Herod, when the letter was brought to him, was immediately very glad of Cæsar's reconciliation to him, and very glad also that he had a complete authority given him over his sons. And it strangely came about, that whereas before, in his adversity, though he had indeed shewed himself severe, yet had he not been very rash, nor hasty in procuring the destruction of his sons, he now, in his prosperity, took advantage of this change for the better, and the freedom he now had, to exercise his hatred against them, after an unheard-of manner; he therefore sent and called as many as he thought fit to this assembly, excepting Archelaus, for as for him he either hated him, so that he would not invite him, or he thought he would be an obstacle to his designs.

2. When the presidents, and the rest that belonged to the cities, were come to Berytus, he kept his sons in a certain village belonging to Sidon, called Platana, but near to this city, that if they were called he might produce them, for he

What Josephus relates Augustus to have here said, that Berytus was a city belonging to the Romans, is confirmed by Spanheim's notes here. "It was, says "he, a colony placed there by Augustus. Whence Ulpian, De cens. bel. L. T. "XV. The colony of Berytus was rendered famous by the benefits of Cæsar: And "thence it is that, among the coins of Augustus, we meet with some having this inscription: The happy colony of Augustus at Berytus."

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did not think fit to bring them before the assembly: and when there were one hundred and fifty assessors present, Herod came by himself alone and accused his sons, and that in such a way as if it were not a melancholy accusation, and not made but out of necessity, and upon the misfortunes he was under; indeed in such a way, as was very indecent for a father to accuse his sons, for he was very vehement, and disordered, when he came to the demonstration of the crime they were accused of, and gave the greatest signs of passion and barbarity: nor would he suffer the assessors to consider of the weight of the evidence, but asserted them to be true by his own authority, after a manner most indecent in a father against his sons, and read himself what they themselves had written, wherein there was no confession of any plots or contrivances against him. But only how they had contrived to fly away, and containing withal certain reproaches against him, on account of the ill-will he bare them; and when he came to those reproaches, he cried out most of all, and exaggerated what they said, as if they had confessed the design against him, and took his oath that he had rather lose his life than hear such reproachful words. At last he said, That "he "had sufficient authority both by nature, and by Cæsar's

grant to him, [to do what he thought fit.] He also added "an allegation of a law of their country, which enjoined this: "That if parents laid their hands on the head of him that "was accused, the standers-by were obliged to cast stones at him, and thereby to slay him: which though he were "ready to do in his own country and kingdom, yet did he "wait for their determination; that yet they came thither "not so much as judges, to condemn them for such manifest "designs against him, whereby he had almost perished by "his son's means, but as persons that had an opportunity of

shewing their detestation of such practices, and declaring "how unworthy a thing it must be in any, even the most re"mote, to pass over such treacherous designs [without pu"nishment."]

3. When the king had said this, and the young men had not been produced to make any defence for themselves, the assessors perceived there was no room for equity and reconciliation, so they confirmed his authority. And in the first place, Saturninus, a person that had been consul, and one of great dignity, pronounced his sentence, but with great moderation, and trouble; and said, That "he condemned Herod's "sons, but did not think they should be put to death. He "had sons of his own, and to put one's son to death, is a "greater misfortune than any other that could befal him by "their means." After him Saturninus's sons, for he had

three sons that followed him, and were his legates, pronounced the same sentence with their father: On the contrary, Volumnius's sentence was, to inflict death on such as had been so impiously undutiful to their father; and the greatest part of the rest said the same, insomuch that the conclusion seemed to be, that the young men were condemned to die. Immediately after this Herod came away from thence, and took his sons to Tyre, where Nicolaus met him in his voyage from Rome; of whom he enquired, after he had related to him what had passed at Berytus, what his sentiments were about his sons, and what his friends at Rome thought of that matter? His answer was, "That what they had determined "to do to thee was impious, and that thou oughtest to keep "them in prison; and if thou thinkest any thing farther necessary, thou mayest indeed so punish them, that thou mayest not appear to indulge thy anger more than to go"vern thyself by judgment; but if thou inclinest to the "milder side, thou mayest absolve them, lest perhaps thy "misfortunes be rendered incurable: And this is the opinion "of the greatest part of thy friends at Rome also." Whereupon Herod was silent, and in great thoughtfulness, and bid Nicolaus sail along with him.

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4. Now as they came to Cesarea, every body was there talking of Herod's sons, and the kingdom was in suspense, and the people in great expectation of what would become of them, for a terrible fear seized upon all men, lest the ancient disorders of the family should come to a sad conclusion, and they were in great trouble about their sufferings; nor was it without danger to say any rash thing about this matter, nor even to hear another saying it, but mens pity was forced to be shut up in themselves, which rendered the excess of their sorrow very irksome, but very silent; yet was there an old soldier of Herod's, whose name was Tero, who had a son of the same age with Alexander, and his friend, who was so very free, as openly to speak out what others silently thought about that matter; and was forced to cry out often among the multitude, and said, in the most unguarded manner, "That "truth was perished, and justice taken away from men, "while lies and ill-will prevailed, and brought such a mist "before public affairs, that the offenders were not able to see the greatest mischiefs that can befal men And as he was so bold, he seemed not to have kept himself out of danger, by speaking so freely; but the reasonableness of what he said, moved men to regard him, as having behaved himself with great manhood, and this at a proper time also, for which reason every one heard what he said with pleasure; and although they first took care of their own safety, by keep

ing silent themselves, yet did they kindly receive the great freedom he took, for the expectation they were in of so great an affliction, put a force upon them to speak of Tero whatsoever they pleased.

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5. This man had thrust himself into the king's presence with the greatest freedom, and desired to speak with him by himself alone, which the king permitted him to do, where he said this: "Since I am not able, O king, to bear up under so great a concern, as I am under, 1 have preferred the use "of this bold liberty that I now take, which may be for thy "advantage, if thou mind to get any profit by it, before my "own safety. Whither is thy understanding gone, and left "thy soul empty? Whither is that extraordinary sagacity of "thine gone, whereby thou hast performed so many and "such glorious actions? Whence comes this solitude, and "desertion of thy friends and relations? Of which I cannot "but determine, that they are neither thy friends nor rela❝tions, while they overlook such horrid wickedness in thy "once happy kingdom. Dost not thou perceive what is do"ing? Wilt thou slay these two young men, born of thy 66 queen, who are accomplished with every virtue in the "highest degree, and leave thyself destitute in thy old age, "but exposed to one son, who hath very ill managed the "hopes thou hast given him, and to relations, whose death "thou hast so often resolved on thyself? Dost not thou take "notice that the very silence of the multitude at once sees "the crime, and abhors the fact? The whole army and the "officers have commiseration on the poor unhappy youths, "and hatred to those that are the actors in this matter." These words the king heard, and for some time with good temper. But what can one say? When Tero plainly touched upon the bad behaviour and perfidiousness of his domestics, he was moved at it; but Tero went on farther, and by degrees used an unbounded military freedom of speech, nor was he so well disciplined as to accommodate himself to the time: So Herod was greatly disturbed, and seeming to be rather reproached by this speech, than to be hearing what was for his advantage, while he learned hereby, that both the soldiers abhorred the thing he was about, and the officers had indignation at it, he gave order that all whom Tero had named, and Tero himself, should be bound and kept in prison.

6. When this was over, one Trypho, who was the king's barber, took the opportunity and came and told the king, that Tero would often have persuaded him, when he trimmed. him with a razor, to cut his throat, for that by this means he should be among the chief of Alexander's friends, and receive great rewards from him. When he had said this, the king