Antiquities Book 14, Chapter 12
Herod Ejects Antigonus, The Son Of Aristobulus Out Of Judea, And Gains The Friendship Of Antony, Who Was Now Come Into Syria, By Sending Him Much Money; On Which Account He Would Not Admit Of Those That Would Have Accused Herod: And What It Was That Antony Wrote To The Tyrians In Behalf.
1. Now 22 Ptolemy, the son of Menneus, brought back into Judea
Antigonus, the son of Aristobulus, who had already raised an army, and
had, by money, made Fabius to be his friend, add this because he was of
kin to him. Marion also gave him assistance. He had been left by Cassius
to tyrannize over Tyre; for this Cassius was a man that seized on Syria,
and then kept it under, in the way of a tyrant. Marion also marched into
Galilee, which lay in his neighborhood, and took three of his
fortresses, and put garrisons into them to keep them. But when Herod
came, he took all from him; but the Tyrian garrison he dismissed in a
very civil manner; nay, to some of the soldiers he made presents out of
the good-will he bare to that city. When he had despatched these
affairs, and was gone to meet Antigonus, he joined battle with him, and
beat him, and drove him out of Judea presently, when he was just come
into its borders. But when he was come to Jerusalem, Hyrcanus and the
people put garlands about his head; for he had already contracted an
affinity with the family of Hyrcanus by having espoused a descendant of
his, and for that reason Herod took the greater care of him, as being to
marry the daughter of Alexander, the son of Aristobulus, add the
granddaughter of Hyrcanus, by which wife he became the father of three
male and two female children. He had also married before this another
wife, out of a lower family of his own nation, whose name was Doris, by
whom he had his eldest son Antipater.
2. Now Antonius and Cæsar had beaten Cassius near Philippi, as others
have related; but after the victory, Cæsar went into Gaul, [Italy,] and
Antony marched for Asia, who, when he was arrived at Bithynia, he had
ambassadors that met him from all parts. The principal men also of the
Jews came thither, to accuse Phasaelus and Herod; and they said that
Hyrcanus had indeed the appearance of reigning, but that these men had
all the power: but Antony paid great respect to Herod, who was come to
him to make his defense against his accusers, on which account his
adversaries could not so much as obtain a hearing; which favor Herod had
gained of Antony by money. But still, when Antony was come to Ephesus,
Hyrcanus the high priest, and our nation, sent an embassage to him,
which carried a crown of gold with them, and desired that he would write
to the governors of the provinces, to set those Jews free who had been
carried captive by Cassius, and this without their having fought against
him, and to restore them that country, which, in the days of Cassius,
had been taken from them. Antony thought the Jews' desires were just,
and wrote immediately to Hyrcanus, and to the Jews. He also sent, at the
same time, a decree to the Tyrians; the contents of which were to the
same purpose.
3. "Marcus Antonius, imperator, to Hyrcanus the high priest and ethnarch
of the Jews, sendeth greeting. It you be in health, it is well; I am
also in health, with the army. Lysimachus, the son of Pausanias, and
Josephus, the son of Menneus, and Alexander, the son of Theodorus, your
ambassadors, met me at Ephesus, and have renewed the embassage which
they had formerly been upon at Rome, and have diligently acquitted
themselves of the present embassage, which thou and thy nation have
intrusted to them, and have fully declared the goodwill thou hast for
us. I am therefore satisfied, both by your actions and your words, that
you are well-disposed to us; and I understand that your conduct of life
is constant and religious: so I reckon upon you as our own. But when
those that were adversaries to you, and to the Roman people, abstained
neither from cities nor temples, and did not observe the agreement they
had confirmed by oath, it was not only on account of our contest with
them, but on account of all mankind in common, that we have taken
vengeance on those who have been the authors of great injustice towards
men, and of great wickedness towards the gods; for the sake of which we
suppose it was that the sun turned away his light from us, 23 as
unwilling to view the horrid crime they were guilty of in the case of
Cæsar. We have also overcome their conspiracies, which threatened the
gods themselves, which Macedonia received, as it is a climate peculiarly
proper for impious and insolent attempts; and we have overcome that
confused rout of men, half mad with spite against us, which they got
together at Philippi in Macedonia, when they seized on the places that
were proper for their purpose, and, as it were, walled them round with
mountains to the very sea, and where the passage was open only through a
single gate. This victory we gained, because the gods had condemned
those men for their wicked enterprises. Now Brutus, when he had fled as
far as Philippi, was shut up by us, and became a partaker of the same
perdition with Cassius; and now these have received their punishment, we
suppose that we may enjoy peace for the time to come, and that Asia may
be at rest from war. We therefore make that peace which God hath given
us common to our confederates also, insomuch that the body of Asia is
now recovered out of that distemper it was under by the means of our
victory. I, therefore, bearing in mind both thee and your nation, shall
take care of what may be for your advantage. I have also sent epistles
in writing to the several cities, that if any persons, whether free-men
or bond-men, have been sold under the spear by Caius Cassius, or his
subordinate officers, they may be set free. And I will that you kindly
make use of the favors which I and Dolabella have granted you. I also
forbid the Tyrians to use any violence with you; and for what places of
the Jews they now possess, I order them to restore them. I have withal
accepted of the crown which thou sentest me."
4. "Marcus Antonius, imperator, to the magistrates, senate, and people
of Tyre, sendeth greeting. The ambassadors of Hyrcanus, the high priest
and ethnarch [of the Jews], appeared before me at Ephesus, and told me
that you are in possession of part of their country, which you entered
upon under the government of our adversaries. Since, therefore, we have
undertaken a war for the obtaining the government, and have taken care
to do what was agreeable to piety and justice, and have brought to
punishment those that had neither any remembrance of the kindnesses they
had received, nor have kept their oaths, I will that you be at peace
with those that are our confederates; as also, that what you have taken
by the means of our adversaries shall not be reckoned your own, but be
returned to those from whom you took them; for none of them took their
provinces or their armies by the gift of the senate, but they seized
them by force, and bestowed them by violence upon such as became useful
to them in their unjust proceedings. Since, therefore, those men have
received the punishment due to them, we desire that our confederates may
retain whatsoever it was that they formerly possessed without
disturbance, and that you restore all the places which belong to
Hyrcanus, the ethnarch of the Jews, which you have had, though it were
but one day before Caius Cassius began an unjustifiable war against us,
and entered into our province; nor do you use any force against him, in
order to weaken him, that he may not be able to dispose of that which is
his own; but if you have any contest with him about your respective
rights, it shall be lawful for you to plead your cause when we come upon
the places concerned, for we shall alike preserve the rights and hear
all the causes of our confederates."
5. "Marcus Antonius, imperator, to the magistrates, senate, and people
of Tyre, sendeth greeting. I have sent you my decree, of which I will
that ye take care that it be engraven on the public tables, in Roman and
Greek letters, and that it stand engraven in the most illustrious
places, that it may be read by all. Marcus Antonius, imperator, one of
the triumvirate over the public affairs, made this declaration: Since
Caius Cassius, in this revolt he hath made, hath pillaged that province
which belonged not to him, and was held by garrisons there encamped,
while they were our confederates, and hath spoiled that nation of the
Jews that was in friendship with the Roman people, as in war; and since
we have overcome his madness by arms, we now correct by our decrees and
judicial determinations what he hath laid waste, that those things may
be restored to our confederates. And as for what hath been sold of the
Jewish possessions, whether they be bodies or possessions, let them be
released; the bodies into that state of freedom they were originally in,
and the possessions to their former owners. I also will that he who
shall not comply with this decree of mine shall be punished for his
disobedience; and if such a one be caught, I will take care that the
offenders suffer condign punishment."
6. The same thing did Antony write to the Sidonians, and the
Antiochians, and the Aradians. We have produced these decrees,
therefore, as marks for futurity of the truth of what we have said, that
the Romans had a great concern about our nation.
Antigonus, the son of Aristobulus, who had already raised an army, and
had, by money, made Fabius to be his friend, add this because he was of
kin to him. Marion also gave him assistance. He had been left by Cassius
to tyrannize over Tyre; for this Cassius was a man that seized on Syria,
and then kept it under, in the way of a tyrant. Marion also marched into
Galilee, which lay in his neighborhood, and took three of his
fortresses, and put garrisons into them to keep them. But when Herod
came, he took all from him; but the Tyrian garrison he dismissed in a
very civil manner; nay, to some of the soldiers he made presents out of
the good-will he bare to that city. When he had despatched these
affairs, and was gone to meet Antigonus, he joined battle with him, and
beat him, and drove him out of Judea presently, when he was just come
into its borders. But when he was come to Jerusalem, Hyrcanus and the
people put garlands about his head; for he had already contracted an
affinity with the family of Hyrcanus by having espoused a descendant of
his, and for that reason Herod took the greater care of him, as being to
marry the daughter of Alexander, the son of Aristobulus, add the
granddaughter of Hyrcanus, by which wife he became the father of three
male and two female children. He had also married before this another
wife, out of a lower family of his own nation, whose name was Doris, by
whom he had his eldest son Antipater.
2. Now Antonius and Cæsar had beaten Cassius near Philippi, as others
have related; but after the victory, Cæsar went into Gaul, [Italy,] and
Antony marched for Asia, who, when he was arrived at Bithynia, he had
ambassadors that met him from all parts. The principal men also of the
Jews came thither, to accuse Phasaelus and Herod; and they said that
Hyrcanus had indeed the appearance of reigning, but that these men had
all the power: but Antony paid great respect to Herod, who was come to
him to make his defense against his accusers, on which account his
adversaries could not so much as obtain a hearing; which favor Herod had
gained of Antony by money. But still, when Antony was come to Ephesus,
Hyrcanus the high priest, and our nation, sent an embassage to him,
which carried a crown of gold with them, and desired that he would write
to the governors of the provinces, to set those Jews free who had been
carried captive by Cassius, and this without their having fought against
him, and to restore them that country, which, in the days of Cassius,
had been taken from them. Antony thought the Jews' desires were just,
and wrote immediately to Hyrcanus, and to the Jews. He also sent, at the
same time, a decree to the Tyrians; the contents of which were to the
same purpose.
3. "Marcus Antonius, imperator, to Hyrcanus the high priest and ethnarch
of the Jews, sendeth greeting. It you be in health, it is well; I am
also in health, with the army. Lysimachus, the son of Pausanias, and
Josephus, the son of Menneus, and Alexander, the son of Theodorus, your
ambassadors, met me at Ephesus, and have renewed the embassage which
they had formerly been upon at Rome, and have diligently acquitted
themselves of the present embassage, which thou and thy nation have
intrusted to them, and have fully declared the goodwill thou hast for
us. I am therefore satisfied, both by your actions and your words, that
you are well-disposed to us; and I understand that your conduct of life
is constant and religious: so I reckon upon you as our own. But when
those that were adversaries to you, and to the Roman people, abstained
neither from cities nor temples, and did not observe the agreement they
had confirmed by oath, it was not only on account of our contest with
them, but on account of all mankind in common, that we have taken
vengeance on those who have been the authors of great injustice towards
men, and of great wickedness towards the gods; for the sake of which we
suppose it was that the sun turned away his light from us, 23 as
unwilling to view the horrid crime they were guilty of in the case of
Cæsar. We have also overcome their conspiracies, which threatened the
gods themselves, which Macedonia received, as it is a climate peculiarly
proper for impious and insolent attempts; and we have overcome that
confused rout of men, half mad with spite against us, which they got
together at Philippi in Macedonia, when they seized on the places that
were proper for their purpose, and, as it were, walled them round with
mountains to the very sea, and where the passage was open only through a
single gate. This victory we gained, because the gods had condemned
those men for their wicked enterprises. Now Brutus, when he had fled as
far as Philippi, was shut up by us, and became a partaker of the same
perdition with Cassius; and now these have received their punishment, we
suppose that we may enjoy peace for the time to come, and that Asia may
be at rest from war. We therefore make that peace which God hath given
us common to our confederates also, insomuch that the body of Asia is
now recovered out of that distemper it was under by the means of our
victory. I, therefore, bearing in mind both thee and your nation, shall
take care of what may be for your advantage. I have also sent epistles
in writing to the several cities, that if any persons, whether free-men
or bond-men, have been sold under the spear by Caius Cassius, or his
subordinate officers, they may be set free. And I will that you kindly
make use of the favors which I and Dolabella have granted you. I also
forbid the Tyrians to use any violence with you; and for what places of
the Jews they now possess, I order them to restore them. I have withal
accepted of the crown which thou sentest me."
4. "Marcus Antonius, imperator, to the magistrates, senate, and people
of Tyre, sendeth greeting. The ambassadors of Hyrcanus, the high priest
and ethnarch [of the Jews], appeared before me at Ephesus, and told me
that you are in possession of part of their country, which you entered
upon under the government of our adversaries. Since, therefore, we have
undertaken a war for the obtaining the government, and have taken care
to do what was agreeable to piety and justice, and have brought to
punishment those that had neither any remembrance of the kindnesses they
had received, nor have kept their oaths, I will that you be at peace
with those that are our confederates; as also, that what you have taken
by the means of our adversaries shall not be reckoned your own, but be
returned to those from whom you took them; for none of them took their
provinces or their armies by the gift of the senate, but they seized
them by force, and bestowed them by violence upon such as became useful
to them in their unjust proceedings. Since, therefore, those men have
received the punishment due to them, we desire that our confederates may
retain whatsoever it was that they formerly possessed without
disturbance, and that you restore all the places which belong to
Hyrcanus, the ethnarch of the Jews, which you have had, though it were
but one day before Caius Cassius began an unjustifiable war against us,
and entered into our province; nor do you use any force against him, in
order to weaken him, that he may not be able to dispose of that which is
his own; but if you have any contest with him about your respective
rights, it shall be lawful for you to plead your cause when we come upon
the places concerned, for we shall alike preserve the rights and hear
all the causes of our confederates."
5. "Marcus Antonius, imperator, to the magistrates, senate, and people
of Tyre, sendeth greeting. I have sent you my decree, of which I will
that ye take care that it be engraven on the public tables, in Roman and
Greek letters, and that it stand engraven in the most illustrious
places, that it may be read by all. Marcus Antonius, imperator, one of
the triumvirate over the public affairs, made this declaration: Since
Caius Cassius, in this revolt he hath made, hath pillaged that province
which belonged not to him, and was held by garrisons there encamped,
while they were our confederates, and hath spoiled that nation of the
Jews that was in friendship with the Roman people, as in war; and since
we have overcome his madness by arms, we now correct by our decrees and
judicial determinations what he hath laid waste, that those things may
be restored to our confederates. And as for what hath been sold of the
Jewish possessions, whether they be bodies or possessions, let them be
released; the bodies into that state of freedom they were originally in,
and the possessions to their former owners. I also will that he who
shall not comply with this decree of mine shall be punished for his
disobedience; and if such a one be caught, I will take care that the
offenders suffer condign punishment."
6. The same thing did Antony write to the Sidonians, and the
Antiochians, and the Aradians. We have produced these decrees,
therefore, as marks for futurity of the truth of what we have said, that
the Romans had a great concern about our nation.