"dy's weight, in which case it is not proper to cut off such "member, but to heal it by a gentle method of cure."

5. Upon Archelaus's saying this, and much more to the same purpose, Herod's displeasure against Pheroras was mollified; yet did he persevere in his own indignation against Alexander, and said, he would have his daughter divorced, and taken away from him, and this till he had brought Herod to that pass, that, contrary to his former behaviour to him, he petitioned Archelaus for the young man, and that he would let his daughter continue espoused to him: but Archelaus made him strongly believe that he would permit her to be married to any one else, but not to Alexander, because he looked upon it as a very valuable advantage, that the relation they had contracted by that affinity, and the privileges that went along with it might be preserved. And when the king said that his son would take it for a great favour to him, if he would not dissolve that marriage, especially since they had already children between the young man and her, and since that wife of his was so well beloved by him, and that as while she remains his wife she would be a great preservative to him, and keep him from offending, as he had formerly done; so if she should be once torn away from him, she would be the cause of his falling into despair; because such young men's attempts are best mollified, when they are diverted from them by settling their affections at home. So Archelaus complied with what Herod desired, but not without difficuity, and was both himself reconciled to the young man, and reconciled his father to him also. However, he said he must by all means be sent to Rome to discourse with Cæsar, because he had already written a full account to him of this whole matter.

6. Thus a period was put to Archelaus's stratagem, whereby he delivered his son-in-law out of the dangers he was in: but when these reconciliations were over, they spent their time in feastings and agreeable entertainments. And when Archelaus was going away, Herod made him a present of seventy talents, with a golden throne set with precious stones, and some eunuchs, and a concubine, who was called Pannychis. He also paid due honours to every one of his friends according to their dignity. In like manner did all the king's kindred, by his command, make glorious presents to Archelaus and so he was conducted on his way by Herod and his nobility as far as Antioch.

CHAP. XXVI.

How Eurycles calumniated the sons of Mariamne ; and how Euaratus of Cos's apology for them had no effect.

§ 1. No

Now a little afterward there came into Judea a man that was much superior to Archelaus's stratagems, who did not only overturn that reconciliation that had been so wisely made with Alexander, but proved the occasion of his ruin. He was a Lacedemonian, and his name was Eurycles. He was so corrupt a man, that out of the desire of getting money, he chose to live under a king, for Greece could not suffice his luxury. He presented Herod with splendid gifts, as a bait which he laid in order to compass his ends, and quickly received them back again manifold; yet did he esteem bare gifts as nothing, unless he embrued the kingdom in blood by his purchases. Accordingly he imposed upon the king by flattering him, and by talking subtilly to him, as also, by the lying encomiums which he made upon him; for as he soon perceived Herod's blind side, so he said and did every thing that might please him, and thereby became one of his most intimate friends; for both the king and all that were about him had a great regard for this Spartan, on account of his country.

2. Now as soon as this fellow perceived the rotten parts of the family, and what quarrels the brothers had one with another, and in what disposition the father was towards each of them, he chose to take his lodging at the first, in the house of Antipater, but deluded Alexander with a pretence of friendship to him, and falsely claimed to be an old acquaintance of Archelaus; for which reason he was presently admitted into Alexander's familiarity as a faithful friend. He also soon recommended himself to his brother Aristobulus. And when he had thus made trial of these several persons, he imposed upon one of them by one method, and upon another by another. But he was principally hired by Antipater, and so betrayed Alexander, and this by reproaching Antipater, because

This vile fellow, Eurycles the Lacedemonian, seems to have been the same who is mentioned by Plutarch, as 25 years before a companion to Mark Antony, and as living with Herod; whence he might easily insinuate himself into the acquaintance of Herod's sons, Antipater and Alexander, as Usher, Hudson, and Spanheim justly suppose. The reason why his being a Spartan rendered him acceptable to the Jews, as we here see he was, is visible from the public records of the Jews and Spartans, owning those Spartans to be of kin to the Jews, and derived from their common ancestor Abraham, the first patriarch of the Jewish nation. Antiq. B. XII. chap. iv. § 10. B. XIII. chap. v. § 8. and 1 Macc. B. XII. chap. vii.

while he was the eldest son, he overlooked the intrigues of those who stood in the way of his expectations; and by reproaching Alexander, because he who was born of a queen, and was married to a king's daughter, permitted one that was born of a mean woman to lay claim to the succession, and this when he had Archelaus to support him in the most complete manner. Nor was his advice thought to be other than faithful by the young man, because of his pretended friendship with Archelaus; on which account it was that Alexander lamented to him Antipater's behaviour with regard to himself, and this without concealing any thing from him; aud how it was no wonder if Herod, after he had killed their mother, should deprive them of her kingdom. Upon this Eurycles pretended to commiserate his condition, and to grieve with him. He also, by a bait that he laid for him, procured Aristobulus to say the same things. Thus did he inveigle both the brothers to make complaints of their father, and then went to Antipater, and carried these grand secrets to him. He also added a fiction of his own, as if his brothers had laid a plot against him, and were almost ready to come upon him with their drawn swords. For this intelligence, he received a great sum of money, and on that account he commended Antipater before his father, and at length undertook the work of bringing Alexander and Aristobulus to their graves, and accused them before their father. So he came to Herod and told him, That " he would save his life, as a requital for the "favours he had received from him, and would preserve his "light [of life] by way of retribution for his kind entertain-"ment for that a sword had been long whetted, and Alexan"der's right hand hath been long stretched out against him; "but that he had laid impediments in his way, which pre"vented his speed, and that by pretending to assist him in his design: how Alexander said, that Herod was not contented "to reign in a kingdom that belonged to others, and to make delapidations in their mother's government, after he had "killed her; but besides all this, that he introduced a spu"rious successor, and proposed to give the kingdom of their "ancestors to that pestilent fellow Antipater: that he would "now appease the ghosts of Hyrcanus and Mariamne, by taking vengeance on him; for that it was not fit for him to "take the succession to the government from such a father "without bloodshed: that many things happen every day, "to provoke him so do, insomuch, that he can say nothing "at all, but it affords occasion for calumny against him; for "that if any mention be made of nobility of birth, even in "other cases, he is abused unjustly, while his father would say, that nobody, to be sure, is of noble birth, but Alexander, "and that his, father was inglorious for want of such nobility.

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"If they be at any time bunting, and he says nothing, he gives offence; and if he commends any body, they take it "in way of jest: that they always find their father unmerci"fully severe, and to have no natural affection for any of them "but for Antipater; on which accounts, if his plot does not "take, he is very willing to die; but that in case he kills his "father, he hath sufficient opportunities for saving himself. "In the first place, he hath Archelaus, his father-in-law, to "whom he can easily fly; and in the next place, he hath "Cæsar who hath never known Herod's character to this day; "for that he shall not appear then before him with that dread "he used to do, when his father was there to terrify him; and "that he will not then produce the accusations that concerned "himself alone, but would, in the first place, openly insist "on the calamities of their nation, and how they are taxed to "death, and in what ways of luxury and wicked practices "that wealth is spent, which was gotten by bloodshed; what "sort of persons they are that get our riches; and to whom "those cities belong upon whom he bestows his favours: "that he would have inquiry made what became of his "grand-father [Hyrcanus] and his mother [Mariamne]; and "would openly proclaim the gross wickedness that was in "the kingdom; on which accounts he should not be deem"ed a parricide."

3. When Eurycles had made this portentous speech, he greatly commended Antipater, as the only child that had an affection for his father, and on that account was an impediment to the other's plot against him. Hereupon the king, who had hardly repressed his anger upon the former accusations, was exasperated to an incurable degree. At which time Antipater took another occasion to send in other persons to his father to accuse his brethren, and to tell him, that they had privately discoursed with Jucundus and Tyrannus, who had once been masters of the horse to the king, but for some offences had been put out of that honourable employment. Herod was in a very great rage at these informations, and presently ordered those men to be tortured: yet did not they confess any thing of what the king had been informed: but a certain letter was produced, as written by Alexander to the governor of a castle, to desire him to receive him and Aristobulus into the castle when he had killed his father, and to give them weapons and what other assistance he could upon that occasion. Alexander said, that this letter was a forgery of Diophantus's. This Diophantus was the king's secretary, a bold man, and cunning in counterfeiting any one's hand; and after he had counterfeited a great number, he was at last put to death for it. Herod did also order the governor of

the castle to be tortured, but got nothing out of him of what the accusation suggested.

4. However, although Herod found the proofs too weak, he gave order to have his sons kept in custody; for till now they had been at liberty. He also called that pest of his family, and forger of all this vile accusation, Eurycles, his saviour, and his benefactor, and gave him a reward of fifty talents. Upon which he prevented any accurate accounts that could come of what he had done, by going immediately into Cappadocia; and there he got money of Archelaus, having the impudence to pretend, that he had reconciled Herod to Alexander. He thence passed over into Greece, and used what he had thus wickedly gotten to the like wicked purposes. Accordingly he was twice accused before Cæsar, that he had filled Achaia with sedition, and had plundered its cities; and so he was sent into banishment. And thus was he punished for what wicked actions he had been guilty of about Aristobulus and Alexander.

5. But it will be now worth while to put Euaratus of Cos in opposition to this Spartan; for as he was one of Alexander's most intimate friends, and came to him in his travels, at the same time that Eurycles came, so the king put the question to him, whether those things of which Alexander was accused were true? He assured him upon oath, that he had never heard any such things from the young men yet did this testimony avail nothing for the clearing those miserable creatures; for Herod was only disposed and most ready to hearken to what made against them; and every one was most agreeable to him, that would believe they were guilty, and shewed their indignation at them.

CHAP. XXVII.

Herod, by Caesar's direction, accuses his sons at Berytus. They are not produced before the court, but yet are condemned and in a little time they are sent to Sebaste, and strangled there.

§ 1. MOREOVER, Salome exasperated Herod's cruelty

against his sons; for Aristobulus was desirous to bring her, who was his mother-in-law and his aunt, into the like dangers with themselves; so he sent to her to take care of her own safety, and told her, that the king was preparing to put her to death, on account of the accusation that was laid against her, as if, when she formerly endeavoured to marry herself to Sylleus the Arabian, she had discovered the king's grand secrets to him, who was the king's enemy and this it

VOL. III.