Antiquities Book 15, Chapter 2
How Hyrcanus Was Set At Liberty By The Parthians, And Returned To Herod; And What Alexandra Did When She Heard That Ananelus Was Made High Priest.
1. Now after Herod was in possession of the kingdom, Hyrcanus the high
priest, who was then a captive among the Parthians, came to him again,
and was set free from his captivity, in the manner following:
Barzapharnes and Pacorus, the generals of the Parthians, took Hyrcanus,
who was first made high priest and afterward king, and Herod's brother,
Phasaelus captives, and were them away into Parthia. Phasaelus indeed
could not bear the reproach of being in bonds; and thinking that death
with glory was better than any life whatsoever, he became his own
executioner, as I have formerly related.
2. But when Hyrcanus was brought into Parthia the king Phraates treated
him after a very gentle manner, as having already learned of what an
illustrious family he was; on which account he set him free from his
bonds, and gave him a habitation at Babylon, 1 where there were Jews in
great numbers. These Jews honored Hyrcanus as their high priest and
king, as did all the Jewish nation that dwelt as far as Euphrates; which
respect was very much to his satisfaction. But when he was informed that
Herod had received the kingdom, new hopes came upon him, as having been
himself still of a kind disposition towards him, and expecting that
Herod would bear in mind what favor he had received from him; and when
he was upon his trial, and when he was in danger that a capital sentence
would be pronounced against him, he delivered him from that danger, and
from all punishment. Accordingly, he talked of that matter with the Jews
that came often to him with great affection; but they endeavored to
retain him among them, and desired that he would stay with them, putting
him in mind of the kind offices and honors they did him, and that those
honors they paid him were not at all inferior to what they could pay to
either their high priests or their kings; and what was a greater motive
to determine him, they said, was this, that he could not have those
dignities [in Judea] because of that maim in his body, which had been
inflicted on him by Antigonus; and that kings do not use to requite men
for those kindnesses which they received when they were private persons,
the height of their fortune making usually no small changes in them.
3. Now although they suggested these arguments to him for his own
advantage, yet did Hyrcanus still desire to depart. Herod also wrote to
him, and persuaded him to desire of Phraates, and the Jews that were
there, that they should not grudge him the royal authority, which he
should have jointly with himself, for that now was the proper time for
himself to make him amends for the favors he had received from him, as
having been brought up by him, and saved by him also, as well as for
Hyrcanus to receive it. And as he wrote thus to Hyrcanus, so did he send
also Saramallas, his ambassador, to Phraates, and many presents with
him, and desired him in the most obliging way that he would be no
hinderance to his gratitude towards his benefactor. But this zeal of
Herod's did not flow from that principle, but because he had been made
governor of that country without having any just claim to it, he was
afraid, and that upon reasons good enough, of a change in his condition,
and so made what haste he could to get Hyrcanus into his power, or
indeed to put him quite out of the way; which last thing he compassed
afterward.
4. Accordingly, when Hyrcanus came, full of assurance, by the permission
of the king of Parthia, and at the expense of the Jews, who supplied him
with money, Herod received him with all possible respect, and gave him
the upper place at public meetings, and set him above all the rest at
feasts, and thereby deceived him. He called him his father, and
endeavored, by all the ways possible, that he might have no suspicion of
any treacherous design against him. He also did other things, in order
to secure his government, which yet occasioned a sedition in his own
family; for being cautious how he made any illustrious person the high
priest of God, 2 he sent for an obscure priest out of Babylon, whose
name was Ananelus, and bestowed the high priesthood upon him.
5. However, Alexandra, the daughter of Hyrcanus, and wife of Alexander,
the son of Aristobulus the king, who had also brought Alexander [two]
children, could not bear this indignity. Now this son was one of the
greatest comeliness, and was called Aristobulus; and the daughter,
Mariamne, was married to Herod, and eminent for her beauty also. This
Alexandra was much disturbed, and took this indignity offered to her son
exceeding ill, that while he was alive, any one else should be sent for
to have the dignity of the high priesthood conferred upon him.
Accordingly, she wrote to Cleopatra [a musician assisting her in taking
care to have her letters carried] to desire her intercession with
Antony, in order to gain the high priesthood for her son.
6. But as Antony was slow in granting this request, his friend Dellius 3
came into Judea upon some affairs; and when he saw Aristobulus, he stood
in admiration at the tallness and handsomeness of the child, and no less
at Mariamne, the king's wife, and was open in his commendations of
Alexandra, as the mother of most beautiful children. And when she came
to discourse with him, he persuaded her to get pictures drawn of them
both, and to send them to Antony, for that when he saw them, he would
deny her nothing that she should ask. Accordingly, Alexandra was
elevated with these words of his, and sent the pictures to Antony.
Dellius also talked extravagantly, and said that these children seemed
not derived from men, but from some god or other. His design in doing so
was to entice Antony into lewd pleasures with them, who was ashamed to
send for the damsel, as being the wife of Herod, and avoided it, because
of the reproaches he should have from Cleopatra on that account; but he
sent, in the most decent manner he could, for the young man; but added
this withal, unless he thought it hard upon him so to do. When this
letter was brought to Herod, he did not think it safe for him to send
one so handsome as was Aristobulus, in the prime of his life, for he was
sixteen years of age, and of so noble a family, and particularly not to
Antony, the principal man among the Romans, and one that would abuse him
in his amours, and besides, one that openly indulged himself in such
pleasures as his power allowed him without control. He therefore wrote
back to him, that if this boy should only go out of the country, all
would be in a state of war and uproar, because the Jews were in hopes of
a change in the government, and to have another king over them.
7. When Herod had thus excused himself to Antony, he resolved that he
would not entirely permit the child or Alexandra to be treated
dishonorably; but his wife Mariamne lay vehemently at him to restore the
high priesthood to her brother; and he judged it was for his advantage
so to do, because if he once had that dignity, he could not go out of
the country. So he called his friends together, and told them that
Alexandra privately conspired against his royal authority, and
endeavored, by the means of Cleopatra, so to bring it about, that he
might be deprived of the government, and that by Antony's means this
youth might have the management of public affairs in his stead; and that
this procedure of hers was unjust, since she would at the same time
deprive her daughter of the dignity she now had, and would bring
disturbances upon the kingdom, for which he had taken a great deal of
pains, and had gotten it with extraordinary hazards; that yet, while he
well remembered her wicked practices, he would not leave off doing what
was right himself, but would even now give the youth the high
priesthood; and that he formerly set up Ananelus, because Aristobulus
was then so very young a child. Now when he had said this, not at
random, but as he thought with the best discretion he had, in order to
deceive the women, and those friends whom he had taken to consult
withal, Alexandra, out of the great joy she had at this unexpected
promise, and out of fear from the suspicions she lay under, fell a
weeping; and made the following apology for herself; and said, that as
to the [high] priesthood, she was very much concerned for the disgrace
her son was under, and so did her utmost endeavors to procure it for
him; but that as to the kingdom, she had made no attempts, and that if
it were offered her [for her son], she would not accept it; and that now
she would be satisfied with her son's dignity, while he himself held the
civil government, and she had thereby the security that arose from his
peculiar ability in governing to all the remainder of her family; that
she was now overcome by his benefits, and thankfully accepted of this
honor showed by him to her son, and that she would hereafter be entirely
obedient. And she desired him to excuse her, if the nobility of her
family, and that freedom of acting which she thought that allowed her,
had made her act too precipitately and imprudently in this matter. So
when they had spoken thus to one another, they came to an agreement, and
all suspicions, so far as appeared, were vanished away.
priest, who was then a captive among the Parthians, came to him again,
and was set free from his captivity, in the manner following:
Barzapharnes and Pacorus, the generals of the Parthians, took Hyrcanus,
who was first made high priest and afterward king, and Herod's brother,
Phasaelus captives, and were them away into Parthia. Phasaelus indeed
could not bear the reproach of being in bonds; and thinking that death
with glory was better than any life whatsoever, he became his own
executioner, as I have formerly related.
2. But when Hyrcanus was brought into Parthia the king Phraates treated
him after a very gentle manner, as having already learned of what an
illustrious family he was; on which account he set him free from his
bonds, and gave him a habitation at Babylon, 1 where there were Jews in
great numbers. These Jews honored Hyrcanus as their high priest and
king, as did all the Jewish nation that dwelt as far as Euphrates; which
respect was very much to his satisfaction. But when he was informed that
Herod had received the kingdom, new hopes came upon him, as having been
himself still of a kind disposition towards him, and expecting that
Herod would bear in mind what favor he had received from him; and when
he was upon his trial, and when he was in danger that a capital sentence
would be pronounced against him, he delivered him from that danger, and
from all punishment. Accordingly, he talked of that matter with the Jews
that came often to him with great affection; but they endeavored to
retain him among them, and desired that he would stay with them, putting
him in mind of the kind offices and honors they did him, and that those
honors they paid him were not at all inferior to what they could pay to
either their high priests or their kings; and what was a greater motive
to determine him, they said, was this, that he could not have those
dignities [in Judea] because of that maim in his body, which had been
inflicted on him by Antigonus; and that kings do not use to requite men
for those kindnesses which they received when they were private persons,
the height of their fortune making usually no small changes in them.
3. Now although they suggested these arguments to him for his own
advantage, yet did Hyrcanus still desire to depart. Herod also wrote to
him, and persuaded him to desire of Phraates, and the Jews that were
there, that they should not grudge him the royal authority, which he
should have jointly with himself, for that now was the proper time for
himself to make him amends for the favors he had received from him, as
having been brought up by him, and saved by him also, as well as for
Hyrcanus to receive it. And as he wrote thus to Hyrcanus, so did he send
also Saramallas, his ambassador, to Phraates, and many presents with
him, and desired him in the most obliging way that he would be no
hinderance to his gratitude towards his benefactor. But this zeal of
Herod's did not flow from that principle, but because he had been made
governor of that country without having any just claim to it, he was
afraid, and that upon reasons good enough, of a change in his condition,
and so made what haste he could to get Hyrcanus into his power, or
indeed to put him quite out of the way; which last thing he compassed
afterward.
4. Accordingly, when Hyrcanus came, full of assurance, by the permission
of the king of Parthia, and at the expense of the Jews, who supplied him
with money, Herod received him with all possible respect, and gave him
the upper place at public meetings, and set him above all the rest at
feasts, and thereby deceived him. He called him his father, and
endeavored, by all the ways possible, that he might have no suspicion of
any treacherous design against him. He also did other things, in order
to secure his government, which yet occasioned a sedition in his own
family; for being cautious how he made any illustrious person the high
priest of God, 2 he sent for an obscure priest out of Babylon, whose
name was Ananelus, and bestowed the high priesthood upon him.
5. However, Alexandra, the daughter of Hyrcanus, and wife of Alexander,
the son of Aristobulus the king, who had also brought Alexander [two]
children, could not bear this indignity. Now this son was one of the
greatest comeliness, and was called Aristobulus; and the daughter,
Mariamne, was married to Herod, and eminent for her beauty also. This
Alexandra was much disturbed, and took this indignity offered to her son
exceeding ill, that while he was alive, any one else should be sent for
to have the dignity of the high priesthood conferred upon him.
Accordingly, she wrote to Cleopatra [a musician assisting her in taking
care to have her letters carried] to desire her intercession with
Antony, in order to gain the high priesthood for her son.
6. But as Antony was slow in granting this request, his friend Dellius 3
came into Judea upon some affairs; and when he saw Aristobulus, he stood
in admiration at the tallness and handsomeness of the child, and no less
at Mariamne, the king's wife, and was open in his commendations of
Alexandra, as the mother of most beautiful children. And when she came
to discourse with him, he persuaded her to get pictures drawn of them
both, and to send them to Antony, for that when he saw them, he would
deny her nothing that she should ask. Accordingly, Alexandra was
elevated with these words of his, and sent the pictures to Antony.
Dellius also talked extravagantly, and said that these children seemed
not derived from men, but from some god or other. His design in doing so
was to entice Antony into lewd pleasures with them, who was ashamed to
send for the damsel, as being the wife of Herod, and avoided it, because
of the reproaches he should have from Cleopatra on that account; but he
sent, in the most decent manner he could, for the young man; but added
this withal, unless he thought it hard upon him so to do. When this
letter was brought to Herod, he did not think it safe for him to send
one so handsome as was Aristobulus, in the prime of his life, for he was
sixteen years of age, and of so noble a family, and particularly not to
Antony, the principal man among the Romans, and one that would abuse him
in his amours, and besides, one that openly indulged himself in such
pleasures as his power allowed him without control. He therefore wrote
back to him, that if this boy should only go out of the country, all
would be in a state of war and uproar, because the Jews were in hopes of
a change in the government, and to have another king over them.
7. When Herod had thus excused himself to Antony, he resolved that he
would not entirely permit the child or Alexandra to be treated
dishonorably; but his wife Mariamne lay vehemently at him to restore the
high priesthood to her brother; and he judged it was for his advantage
so to do, because if he once had that dignity, he could not go out of
the country. So he called his friends together, and told them that
Alexandra privately conspired against his royal authority, and
endeavored, by the means of Cleopatra, so to bring it about, that he
might be deprived of the government, and that by Antony's means this
youth might have the management of public affairs in his stead; and that
this procedure of hers was unjust, since she would at the same time
deprive her daughter of the dignity she now had, and would bring
disturbances upon the kingdom, for which he had taken a great deal of
pains, and had gotten it with extraordinary hazards; that yet, while he
well remembered her wicked practices, he would not leave off doing what
was right himself, but would even now give the youth the high
priesthood; and that he formerly set up Ananelus, because Aristobulus
was then so very young a child. Now when he had said this, not at
random, but as he thought with the best discretion he had, in order to
deceive the women, and those friends whom he had taken to consult
withal, Alexandra, out of the great joy she had at this unexpected
promise, and out of fear from the suspicions she lay under, fell a
weeping; and made the following apology for herself; and said, that as
to the [high] priesthood, she was very much concerned for the disgrace
her son was under, and so did her utmost endeavors to procure it for
him; but that as to the kingdom, she had made no attempts, and that if
it were offered her [for her son], she would not accept it; and that now
she would be satisfied with her son's dignity, while he himself held the
civil government, and she had thereby the security that arose from his
peculiar ability in governing to all the remainder of her family; that
she was now overcome by his benefits, and thankfully accepted of this
honor showed by him to her son, and that she would hereafter be entirely
obedient. And she desired him to excuse her, if the nobility of her
family, and that freedom of acting which she thought that allowed her,
had made her act too precipitately and imprudently in this matter. So
when they had spoken thus to one another, they came to an agreement, and
all suspicions, so far as appeared, were vanished away.