Antiquities Book 15, Chapter 1
Concerning Pollio And Sameas. Herod Slays The Principal Of Antigonus's Friends, And Spoils The City Of Its Wealth. Antony Beheads Antigonus.
1. How Sosius and Herod took Jerusalem by force; and besides that, how
they took Antigonus captive, has been related by us in the foregoing
book. We will now proceed in the narration. And since Herod had now the
government of all Judea put into his hands, he promoted such of the
private men in the city as had been of his party, but never left off
avenging and punishing every day those that had chosen to be of the
party of his enemies. But Pollio the Pharisee, and Sameas, a disciple of
his, were honored by him above all the rest; for when Jerusalem was
besieged, they advised the citizens to receive Herod, for which advice
they were well requited. But this Pollio, at the time when Herod was
once upon his trial of life and death, foretold, in way of reproach, to
Hyrcanus and the other judges, how this Herod, whom they suffered now to
escape, would afterward inflict punishment on them all; which had its
completion in time, while God fulfilled the words he had spoken.
2. At this time Herod, now he had got Jerusalem under his power, carried
off all the royal ornaments, and spoiled the wealthy men of what they
had gotten; and when, by these means, he had heaped together a great
quantity of silver and gold, he gave it all to Antony, and his friends
that were about him. He also slew forty-five of the principal men of
Antigonus's party, and set guards at the gates of the city, that nothing
might be carried out together with their dead bodies. They also searched
the dead, and whatsoever was found, either of silver or gold, or other
treasure, it was carried to the king; nor was there any end of the
miseries he brought upon them; and this distress was in part occasioned
by the covetousness of the prince regent, who was still in want of more,
and in part by the Sabbatic year, which was still going on, and forced
the country to lie still uncultivated, since we are forbidden to sow our
land in that year. Now when Antony had received Antigonus as his
captive, he determined to keep him against his triumph; but when he
heard that the nation grew seditious, and that, out of their hatred to
Herod, they continued to bear good-will to Antigonus, he resolved to
behead him at Antioch, for otherwise the Jews could no way be brought to
be quiet. And Strabo of Cappadocia attests to what I have said, when he
thus speaks: "Antony ordered Antigonus the Jew to be brought to Antioch,
and there to be beheaded. And this Antony seems to me to have been the
very first man who beheaded a king, as supposing he could no other way
bend the minds of the Jews so as to receive Herod, whom he had made king
in his stead; for by no torments could they be forced to call him king,
so great a fondness they had for their former king; so he thought that
this dishonorable death would diminish the value they had for
Antigonus's memory, and at the same time would diminish the hatred they
bare to Herod." Thus far Strabo.
they took Antigonus captive, has been related by us in the foregoing
book. We will now proceed in the narration. And since Herod had now the
government of all Judea put into his hands, he promoted such of the
private men in the city as had been of his party, but never left off
avenging and punishing every day those that had chosen to be of the
party of his enemies. But Pollio the Pharisee, and Sameas, a disciple of
his, were honored by him above all the rest; for when Jerusalem was
besieged, they advised the citizens to receive Herod, for which advice
they were well requited. But this Pollio, at the time when Herod was
once upon his trial of life and death, foretold, in way of reproach, to
Hyrcanus and the other judges, how this Herod, whom they suffered now to
escape, would afterward inflict punishment on them all; which had its
completion in time, while God fulfilled the words he had spoken.
2. At this time Herod, now he had got Jerusalem under his power, carried
off all the royal ornaments, and spoiled the wealthy men of what they
had gotten; and when, by these means, he had heaped together a great
quantity of silver and gold, he gave it all to Antony, and his friends
that were about him. He also slew forty-five of the principal men of
Antigonus's party, and set guards at the gates of the city, that nothing
might be carried out together with their dead bodies. They also searched
the dead, and whatsoever was found, either of silver or gold, or other
treasure, it was carried to the king; nor was there any end of the
miseries he brought upon them; and this distress was in part occasioned
by the covetousness of the prince regent, who was still in want of more,
and in part by the Sabbatic year, which was still going on, and forced
the country to lie still uncultivated, since we are forbidden to sow our
land in that year. Now when Antony had received Antigonus as his
captive, he determined to keep him against his triumph; but when he
heard that the nation grew seditious, and that, out of their hatred to
Herod, they continued to bear good-will to Antigonus, he resolved to
behead him at Antioch, for otherwise the Jews could no way be brought to
be quiet. And Strabo of Cappadocia attests to what I have said, when he
thus speaks: "Antony ordered Antigonus the Jew to be brought to Antioch,
and there to be beheaded. And this Antony seems to me to have been the
very first man who beheaded a king, as supposing he could no other way
bend the minds of the Jews so as to receive Herod, whom he had made king
in his stead; for by no torments could they be forced to call him king,
so great a fondness they had for their former king; so he thought that
this dishonorable death would diminish the value they had for
Antigonus's memory, and at the same time would diminish the hatred they
bare to Herod." Thus far Strabo.