HOW HEROD SLEW HYRCANUS AND THEN HASTED AWAY TO CAESAR, AND OBTAINED THE KINGDOM FROM HIM ALSO; AND HOW A LITTLE TIME AFTERWARD, HE ENTERTAINED CAESAR IN A MOST HONORABLE MANNER. FJAJ 15.36
1. HEROD'S other affairs were now very prosperous, and he was not to
be easily assaulted on any side
Yet did there come upon him a danger that
would hazard his entire dominions, after Antony had been beaten at the
battle of Actium by Caesar [Octarian]; for at that time both Herod's enemies
and friends despaired of his affairs, for it was not probable that he would
remain without punishment, who had showed so much friendship for Antony.
So it happened that his friends despaired, and had no hopes of his escape;
but for his enemies, they all outwardly appeared to be troubled at his
case, but were privately very glad of it, as hoping to obtain a change
for the better
As for Herod himself he saw that there was no one of royal
dignity left but Hyrcanus, and therefore he thought it would be for his
advantage not to suffer him to be an obstacle in his way any longer; for
that in case he himself survived, and escaped the danger he was in, he
thought it the safest way to put it out of the power of such a man to make
any attempt against him, at such junctures of affairs, as was more worthy
of the kingdom than himself; and in case he should be slain by Caesar,
his envy prompted him to desire to slay him that would otherwise be king
after him. FJAJ 15.37
2. While Herod had these things in his mind, there was a certain occasion
afforded him: for Hyrcanus was of so mild a temper, both then and at other
times, that he desired not to meddle with public affairs, nor to concern
himself with innovations, but left all to fortune, and contented himself
with what that afforded him: but Alexandra [his daughter] was a lover of
strife, and was exceeding desirous of a change of the government, and spake
to her father not to bear for ever Herod's injurious treatment of their
family, but to anticipate their future hopes, as he safely might; and desired
him to write about these matters to Malchus, who was then governor of Arabia,
to receive them, and to secure them [from Herod], for that if they went
away, and Herod's affairs proved to be as it was likely they would be,
by reason of Caesar's enmity to him, they should then be the only persons
that could take the government; and this, both on account of the royal
family they were of, and on account of the good disposition of: the multitude
to them
While she used these persuasions, Hyrcanus put off her suit; but
as she showed that she was a woman, and a contentious woman too, and would
not desist either night or day, but would always be speaking to him about
these matters, and about Herod's treacherous designs, she at last prevailed
with him to intrust Dositheus, one of his friends, with a letter, wherein
his resolution was declared; and he desired the Arabian governor to send
to him some horsemen, who should receive him, and conduct him to the lake
Asphaltites, which is from the bounds of Jerusalem three hundred furlongs:
and he did therefore trust Dositheus with this letter, because he was a
careful attendant on him, and on Alexandra, and had no small occasions
to bear ill-will to Herod; for he was a kinsman of one Joseph, whom he
had slain, and a brother of those that were formerly slain at Tyre by Antony:
yet could not these motives induce Dositheus to serve Hyrcanus in this
affair; for, preferring the hopes he had from the present king to those
he had from him, he gave Herod the letter
So he took his kindness in good
part, and bid him besides do what he had already done, that is, go on in
serving him, by rolling up the epistle and sealing it again, and delivering
it to Malchus, and then to bring back his letter in answer to it; for it
would be much better if he could know Malchus's intentions also
And when
Dositheus was very ready to serve him in this point also, the Arabian governor
returned back for answer, that he would receive Hyrcanus, and all that
should come with him, and even all the Jews that were of his party; that
he would, moreover, send forces sufficient to secure them in their journey;
and that he should be in no want of any thing he should desire
Now as
soon as Herod had received this letter, he immediately sent for Hyrcanus,
and questioned him about the league he had made with Malchus; and when
he denied it, he showed his letter to the Sanhedrim, and put the man to
death immediately. FJAJ 15.38
3. And this account we give the reader, as it is contained in the commentaries
of king Herod: but other historians do not agree with them, for they suppose
that Herod did not find, but rather make, this an occasion for thus putting
him to death, and that by treacherously laying a snare for him; for thus
do they write: That Herod and he were once at a treat, and that Herod had
given no occasion to suspect [that he was displeased at him], but put this
question to Hyrcanus, Whether he had received any letters from Malchus?
and when he answered that he had received letters, but those of salutation
only; and when he asked further, whether he had not received any presents
from him? and when he had replied that he had received no more than four
horses to ride on, which Malchus had sent him; they pretended that Herod
charged these upon him as the crimes of bribery and treason, and gave order
that he should be led away and slain
And in order to demonstrate that
he had been guilty of no offense, when he was thus brought to his end,
they alleged how mild his temper had been, and that even in his youth he
had never given any demonstration of boldness or rashness, and that the
case was the same when he came to be king, but that he even then committed
the management of the greatest part of public affairs to Antipater; and
that he was now above fourscore years old, and knew that Herod's government
was in a secure state
He also came over Euphrates, and left those who
greatly honored him beyond that river, though he were to be entirely under
Herod's government; and that it was a most incredible thing that he should
enterprise any thing by way of innovation, and not at all agreeable to
his temper, but that this was a plot of Herod's contrivance. FJAJ 15.39
4. And this was the fate of Hyrcanus; and thus did he end his life,
after he had endured various and manifold turns of fortune in his lifetime.
For he was made high priest of the Jewish nation in the beginning of his
mother Alexandra's reign, who held the government nine years; and when,
after his mother's death, he took the kingdom himself, and held it three
months, he lost it, by the means of his brother Aristobulus
He was then
restored by Pompey, and received all sorts of honor from him, and enjoyed
them forty years; but when he was again deprived by Antigonus, and was
maimed in his body, he was made a captive by the Parthians, and thence
returned home again after some time, on account of the hopes that Herod
had given him; none of which came to pass according to his expectation,
but he still conflicted with many misfortunes through the whole course
of his life; and, what was the heaviest calamity of all, as we have related
already, he came to an end which was undeserved by him
His character appeared
to be that of a man of a mild and moderate disposition, and suffered the
administration of affairs to be generally done by others under him
He
was averse to much meddling with the public, nor had shrewdness enough
to govern a kingdom
And both Antipater and Herod came to their greatness
by reason of his mildness; and at last he met with such an end from them
as was not agreeable either to justice or piety. FJAJ 15.40
5. Now Herod, as soon as he had put Hyrcanus out of the way, made haste
to Caesar; and because he could not have any hopes of kindness from him,
on account of the friendship he had for Antony, he had a suspicion of Alexandra,
lest she should take this opportunity to bring the multitude to a revolt,
and introduce a sedition into the affairs of the kingdom; so he committed
the care of every thing to his brother Pheroras, and placed his mother
Cypros, and his sister [Salome], and the whole family at Masada, and gave
him a charge, that if he should hear any sad news about him, he should
take care of the government
But as to Mariamne his wife, because of the
misunderstanding between her and his sister, and his sister's mother, which
made it impossible for them to live together, he placed her at Alexandrium,
with Alexandra her mother, and left his treasurer Joseph and Sohemus of
Iturea to take care of that fortress
These two had been very faithful
to him from the beginning, and were now left as a guard to the women
They
also had it in charge, that if they should hear any mischief had befallen
him, they should kill them both, and, as far as they were able, to preserve
the kingdom for his sons, and for his brother Pheroras. FJAJ 15.41
6. When he had given them this charge, he made haste to Rhodes, to meet
Caesar; and when he had sailed to that city, he took off his diadem, but
remitted nothing else of his usual dignity
And when, upon his meeting
him, he desired that he would let him speak to him, he therein exhibited
a much more noble specimen of a great soul; for he did not betake himself
to supplications, as men usually do upon such occasions, nor offered him
any petition, as if he were an offender; but, after an undaunted manner,
gave an account of what he had done; for he spake thus to Caesar: That
he had the greatest friendship for Antony, and did every thing he could
that he might attain the government; that he was not indeed in the army
with him, because the Arabians had diverted him; but that he had sent him
both money and corn, which was but too little in comparison of what he
ought to have done for him; "for if a man owns himself to be another's
friend, and knows him to be a benefactor, he is obliged to hazard every
thing, to use every faculty of his soul, every member of his body, and
all the wealth he hath, for him, in which I confess I have been too deficient.
However, I am conscious to myself, that so far I have done right, that
I have not deserted him upon his defeat at Actium; nor upon the evident
change of his fortune have I transferred my hopes from him to another,
but have preserved myself, though not as a valuable fellow soldier, yet
certainly as a faithful counselor, to Antony, when I demonstrated to him
that the only way that he had to save himself, and not to lose all his
authority, was to slay Cleopatra; for when she was once dead, there would
be room for him to retain his authority, and rather to bring thee to make
a composition with him, than to continue at enmity any longer
None of
which advises would he attend to, but preferred his own rash resolution
before them, which have happened unprofitably for him, but profitably for
thee
Now, therefore, in case thou determinest about me, and my alacrity
in serving Antony, according to thy anger at him, I own there is no room
for me to deny what I have done, nor will I be ashamed to own, and that
publicly too, that I had a great kindness for him
But if thou wilt put
him out of the case, and only examine how I behave myself to my benefactors
in general, and what sort of friend I am, thou wilt find by experience
that we shall do and be the same to thyself, for it is but changing the
names, and the firmness of friendship that we shall bear to thee will not
be disapproved by thee." FJAJ 15.42
7. By this speech, and by his behavior, which showed Caesar the frankness
of his mind, he greatly gained upon him, who was himself of a generous
and magnificent temper, insomuch that those very actions, which were the
foundation of the accusation against him, procured him Caesar's good-will.
Accordingly, he restored him his diadem again; and encouraged him to exhibit
himself as great a friend to himself as he had been to Antony, and then
had him in great esteem
Moreover, he added this, that Quintus Didius had
written to him that Herod had very readily assisted him in the affair of
the gladiators
So when he had obtained such a kind reception, and had,
beyond all his hopes, procured his crown to be more entirely and firmly
settled upon him than ever by Caesar's donation, as well as by that decree
of the Romans, which Caesar took care to procure for his greater security,
he conducted Caesar on his way to Egypt, and made presents, even beyond
his ability, to both him and his friends, and in general behaved himself
with great magnanimity
He also desired that Caesar would not put to death
one Alexander, who had been a companion of Antony; but Caesar had sworn
to put him to death, and so he could not obtain that his petition
And
now he returned to Judea again with greater honor and assurance than ever,
and affrighted those that had expectations to the contrary, as still acquiring
from his very dangers greater splendor than before, by the favor of God
to him
So he prepared for the reception of Caesar, as he was going out
of Syria to invade Egypt; and when he came, he entertained him at Ptolemais
with all royal magnificence
He also bestowed presents on the army, and
brought them provisions in abundance
He also proved to be one of Caesar's
most cordial friends, and put the army in array, and rode along with Caesar,
and had a hundred and fifty men, well appointed in all respects, after
a rich and sumptuous manner, for the better reception of him and his friends.
He also provided them with what they should want, as they passed over the
dry desert, insomuch that they lacked neither wine nor water, which last
the soldiers stood in the greatest need of; and besides, he presented Caesar
with eight hundred talents, and procured to himself the good-will of them
all, because he was assisting to them in a much greater and more splendid
degree than the kingdom he had obtained could afford; by which means he
more and more demonstrated to Caesar the firmness of his friendship, and
his readiness to assist him; and what was of the greatest advantage to
him was this, that his liberality came at a seasonable time also
And when
they returned again out of Egypt, his assistances were no way inferior
to the good offices he had formerly done them. FJAJ 15.43