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1. Now when Antipater had cut off the hopes of the orphans, and
had contracted such affinities as would be most for his own
advantage, he proceeded briskly, as having a certain expectation
of the kingdom; and as he had now assurance added to his
wickedness, he became intolerable; for not being able to avoid
the hatred of all people, he built his security upon the terror
he struck into them. Pheroras also assisted him in his designs,
looking upon him as already fixed in the kingdom. There was also
a company of women in the court, which excited new disturbances;
for Pheroras's wife, together with her mother and sister, as also
Antipater's mother, grew very impudent in the palace. She also
was so insolent as to affront the king's two daughters, on
which account the king hated her to a great degree; yet although
these women were hated by him, they domineered over others: there
was only Salome who opposed their good agreement, and informed
the king of their meetings, as not being for the advantage of his
affairs. And when those women knew what calumnies she had raised
against them, and how much Herod was displeased, they left off
their public meetings, and friendly entertainments of one
another; nay, on the contrary, they pretended to quarrel one with
another when the king was within hearing. The like dissimulation
did Antipater make use of; and when matters were public, he
opposed Pheroras; but still they had private cabals and merry
meetings in the night time; nor did the observation of others do
any more than confirm their mutual agreement. However, Salome
knew every thing they did, and told every thing to Herod.
2. But he was inflamed with anger at them, and chiefly at
Pheroras's wife; for Salome had principally accused her. So he
got an assembly of his friends and kindred together, and there
accused this woman of many things, and particularly of the
affronts she had offered his daughters; and that she had supplied
the Pharisees with money, by way of rewards for what they had
done against him, and had procured his brother to become his
enemy, by giving him love potions. At length he turned his speech
to Pheroras, and told him that he would give him his choice of
these two things: Whether he would keep in with his brother, or
with his wife? And when Pheroras said that he would die rather
than forsake his wife? Herod, not knowing what to do further in
that matter, turned his speech to Antipater, and charged him to
have no intercourse either with Pheroras's wife, or with Pheroras
himself, or with any one belonging to her. Now though Antipater
did not transgress that his injunction publicly, yet did he in
secret come to their night meetings; and because he was afraid
that Salome observed what he did, he procured, by the means of
his Italian friends, that he might go and live at Rome; for when
they wrote that it was proper for Antipater to be sent to Caesar
for some time, Herod made no delay, but sent him, and that with a
splendid attendance, and a great deal of money, and gave him his
testament to carry with him, - wherein Antipater had the kingdom
bequeathed to him, and wherein Herod was named for Antipater's
successor; that Herod, I mean, who was the son of Mariarmne, the
high priest's daughter.
3. Sylleus also, the Arabian, sailed to Rome, without any regard
to Caesar's injunctions, and this in order to oppose Antipater
with all his might, as to that law-suit which Nicolaus had with
him before. This Sylleus had also a great contest with Aretas his
own king; for he had slain many others of Aretas's friends, and
particularly Sohemus, the most potent man in the city Petra.
Moreover, he had prevailed with Phabatus, who was Herod's
steward, by giving him a great sum of money, to assist him
against Herod; but when Herod gave him more, he induced him to
leave Syllcus, and by this means he demanded of him all that
Caesar had required of him to pay. But when Sylleus paid nothing
of what he was to pay, and did also accuse Phabatus to Caesar,
and said that he was not a steward for Caesar's advantage, but
for Herod's, Phabatus was angry at him on that account, but was
still in very great esteem with Herod, and discovered Sylleus's
grand secrets, and told the king that Sylleus had corrupted
Corinthus, one of the guards of his body, by bribing him, and of
whom he must therefore have a care. Accordingly, the king
complied; for this Corinthus, though he was brought up in Herod's
kingdom, yet was he by birth an Arabian; so the king ordered him
to be taken up immediately, and not only him, but two other
Arabians, who were caught with him; the one of them was Sylleus's
friend, the other the head of a tribe. These last, being put to
the torture, confessed that they had prevailed with Corinthus,
for a large sum of money, to kill Herod; and when they had been
further examined before Saturninus, the president of Syria, they
were sent to Rome.
4. However, Herod did not leave off importuning Pheroras, but
proceeded to force him to put away his wife; yet could he
not devise any way by which he could bring the woman herself to
punishment, although he had many causes of hatred to her; till at
length he was in such great uneasiness at her, that he cast both
her and his brother out of his kingdom. Pheroras took this injury
very patiently, and went away into his own tetrarchy, [Perea
beyond Jordan,] and sware that there should be but one end put to
his flight, and that should be Herod's death; and that he would
never return while he was alive. Nor indeed would he return when
his brother was sick, although he earnestly sent for him to come
to him, because he had a mind to leave some injunctions with him
before he died; but Herod unexpectedly recovered. A little
afterward Pheroras himself fell sick, when Herod showed great
moderation; for he came to him, and pitied his case, and took
care of him; but his affection for him did him no good, for
Pheroras died a little afterward. Now though Herod had so great
an affection for him to the last day of his life, yet was a
report spread abroad that he had killed him by poison. However,
he took care to have his dead body carried to Jerusalem, and
appointed a very great mourning to the whole nation for him, and
bestowed a most pompous funeral upon him. And this was the end
that one of Alexander's and Aristobulus's murderers came to.
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