Antiquities of the Jews — Book 16, Chapter 9

1. When Herod had been at Rome, and was come back again, a war arose
between him and the Arabians, on the occasion following: The inhabitants
of Trachonitis, after Cæsar had taken the country away from Zenodorus,
and added it to Herod, had not now power to rob, but were forced to
plough the land, and to live quietly, which was a thing they did not
like; and when they did take that pains, the ground did not produce much
fruit for them. However, at the first the king would not permit them to
rob, and so they abstained from that unjust way of living upon their
neighbors, which procured Herod a great reputation for his care. But
when he was sailing to Rome, it was at that time when he went to accuse
his son Alexander, and to commit Antipater to Cæsar's protection, the
Trachonites spread a report as if he were dead, and revolted from his
dominion, and betook themselves again to their accustomed way of robbing
their neighbors; at which time the king's commanders subdued them during
his absence; but about forty of the principal robbers, being terrified
by those that had been taken, left the country, and retired into Arabia,
Sylleus entertaining them, after he had missed of marrying Salome, and
gave them a place of strength, in which they dwelt. So they overran not
only Judea, but all Celesyria also, and carried off the prey, while
Sylleus afforded them places of protection and quietness during their
wicked practices. But when Herod came back from Rome, he perceived that
his dominions had greatly suffered by them; and since he could not reach
the robbers themselves, because of the secure retreat they had in that
country, and which the Arabian government afforded them, and yet being
very uneasy at the injuries they had done him, he went all over
Trachonitis, and slew their relations; whereupon these robbers were more
angry than before, it being a law among them to be avenged on the
murderers of their relations by all possible means; so they continued to
tear and rend every thing under Herod's dominion with impunity. Then did
he discourse about these robberies to Saturninus and Volumnius, and
required that they should be punished; upon which occasion they still
the more confirmed themselves in their robberies, and became more
numerous, and made very great disturbances, laying waste the countries
and villages that belonged to Herod's kingdom, and killing those men
whom they caught, till these unjust proceedings came to be like a real
war, for the robbers were now become about a thousand;—at which Herod
was sore displeased, and required the robbers, as well as the money
which he had lent Obodas, by Sylleus, which was sixty talents, and since
the time of payment was now past, he desired to have it paid him; but
Sylleus, who had laid Obodas aside, and managed all by himself, denied
that the robbers were in Arabia, and put off the payment of the money;
about which there was a hearing before Saturninus and Volumnius, who
were then the presidents of Syria. 11 At last he, by their means,
agreed, that within thirty days' time Herod should be paid his money,
and that each of them should deliver up the other's subjects
reciprocally. Now, as to Herod, there was not one of the other's
subjects found in his kingdom, either as doing any injustice, or on any
other account, but it was proved that the Arabians had the robbers
amongst them.

2. When this day appointed for payment of the money was past, without
Sylleus's performing any part of his agreement, and he was gone to Rome,
Herod demanded the payment of the money, and that the robbers that were
in Arabia should be delivered up; and, by the permission of Saturninus
and Volumnius, executed the judgment himself upon those that were
refractory. He took an army that he had, and let it into Arabia, and in
three days' time marched seven mansions; and when he came to the
garrison wherein the robbers were, he made an assault upon them, and
took them all, and demolished the place, which was called Raepta, but
did no harm to any others. But as the Arabians came to their assistance,
under Naceb their captain, there ensued a battle, wherein a few of
Herod's soldiers, and Naceb, the captain of the Arabians, and about
twenty of his soldiers, fell, while the rest betook themselves to
flight. So when he had brought these to punishment, he placed three
thousand Idumeans in Trachonitis, and thereby restrained the robbers
that were there. He also sent an account to the captains that were about
Phoenicia, and demonstrated that he had done nothing but what he ought
to do, in punishing the refractory Arabians, which, upon an exact
inquiry, they found to be no more than what was true.

3. However, messengers were hasted away to Sylleus to Rome, and informed
him what had been done, and, as is usual, aggravated every thing. Now
Sylleus had already insinuated himself into the knowledge of Cæsar, and
was then about the palace; and as soon as he heard of these things, he
changed his habit into black, and went in, and told Cæsar that Arabia
was afflicted with war, and that all his kingdom was in great confusion,
upon Herod's laying it waste with his army; and he said, with tears in
his eyes, that two thousand five hundred of the principal men among the
Arabians had been destroyed, and that their captain Nacebus, his
familiar friend and kinsman, was slain; and that the riches that were at
Raepta were carried off; and that Obodas was despised, whose infirm
state of body rendered him unfit for war; on which account neither he,
nor the Arabian army, were present. When Sylleus said so, and added
invidiously, that he would not himself have come out of the country,
unless he had believed that Cæsar would have provided that they should
all have peace one with another, and that, had he been there, he would
have taken care that the war should not have been to Herod's advantage;
Cæsar was provoked when this was said, and asked no more than this one
question, both of Herod's friends that were there, and of his own
friends, who were come from Syria, Whether Herod had led an army
thither? And when they were forced to confess so much, Cæsar, without
staying to hear for what reason he did it, and how it was done, grew
very angry, and wrote to Herod sharply. The sum of his epistle was this,
that whereas of old he had used him as his friend, he should now use him
as his subject. Sylleus also wrote an account of this to the Arabians,
who were so elevated with it, that they neither delivered up the robbers
that had fled to them, nor paid the money that was due; they retained
those pastures also which they had hired, and kept them without paying
their rent, and all this because the king of the Jews was now in a low
condition, by reason of Cæsar's anger at him. Those of Trachonitis also
made use of this opportunity, and rose up against the Idumean garrison,
and followed the same way of robbing with the Arabians, who had pillaged
their country, and were more rigid in their unjust proceedings, not only
in order to get by it, but by way of revenge also.

4. Now Herod was forced to bear all this, that confidence of his being
quite gone with which Cæsar's favor used to inspire him; for Cæsar would
not admit so much as an embassage from him to 'make an apology for him;
and when they came again, he sent them away without success. So he was
cast into sadness and fear; and Sylleus's circumstances grieved him
exceedingly, who was now believed by Cæsar, and was present at Rome,
nay, sometimes aspiring higher. Now it came to pass that Obodas was
dead; and Aeneas, whose name was afterward changed to Aretas, 12 took
the government, for Sylleus endeavored by calumnies to get him turned
out of his principality, that he might himself take it; with which
design he gave much money to the courtiers, and promised much money to
Cæsar, who indeed was angry that Aretas had not sent to him first before
he took the kingdom; yet did Aeneas send an epistle and presents to
Cæsar, and a golden crown, of the weight of many talents. Now that
epistle accused Sylleus as having been a wicked servant, and having
killed Obodas by poison; and that while he was alive, he had governed
him as he pleased; and had also debauched the wives of the Arabians; and
had borrowed money, in order to obtain the dominion for himself: yet did
not Cæsar give heed to these accusations, but sent his ambassadors back,
without receiving any of his presents. But in the mean time the affairs
of Judea and Arabia became worse and worse, partly because of the
anarchy they were under, and partly because, as bad as they were, nobody
had power to govern them; for of the two kings, the one was not yet
confirmed in his kingdom, and so had not authority sufficient to
restrain the evil-doers; and as for Herod, Cæsar was immediately angry
at him for having avenged himself, and so he was compelled to bear all
the injuries that were offered him. At length, when he saw no end of the
mischief which surrounded him, he resolved to send ambassadors to Rome
again, to see whether his friends had prevailed to mitigate Cæsar, and
to address themselves to Cæsar himself; and the ambassador he sent
thither was Nicolans of Damascus.