Antiquities of the Jews — Book 17, Chapter 3

1. When Herod had punished those Pharisees who had been convicted of the
foregoing crimes, he gathered an assembly together of his friends, and
accused Pheroras's wife; and ascribing the abuses of the virgins to the
impudence of that woman, brought an accusation against her for the
dishonor she had brought upon them: that she had studiously introduced a
quarrel between him and his brother, and, by her ill temper, had brought
them into a state of war, both by her words and actions; that the fines
which he had laid had not been paid, and the offenders had escaped
punishment by her means; and that nothing which had of late been done
had been done without her; "for which reason Pheroras would do well, if
he would of his own accord, and by his own command, and not at my
entreaty, or as following my opinion, put this his wife away, as one
that will still be the occasion of war between thee and me. And now,
Pheroras, if thou valuest thy relation to me, put this wife of thine
away; for by this means thou wilt continue to be a brother to me, and
wilt abide in thy love to me." Then said Pheroras, [although he was
pressed hard by the former words,] that as he would not do so unjust a
thing as to renounce his brotherly relation to him, so would he not
leave off his affection for his wife; that he would rather choose to die
than to live, and be deprived of a wife that was so dear unto him.
Hereupon Herod put off his anger against Pheroras on these accounts,
although he himself thereby underwent a very uneasy punishment. However,
he forbade Antipater and his mother to have any conversation with
Pheroras, and bid them to take care to avoid the assemblies of the
women; which they promised to do, but still got together when occasion
served, and both Ptieroras and Antipater had their own merry meetings.
The report went also, that Antipater had criminal conversation with
Pheroras's wife, and that they were brought together by Antipater's
mother.

2. But Antipater had now a suspicion of his father, and was afraid that
the effects of his hatred to him might increase; so he wrote to his
friends at Rome, and bid them to send to Herod, that he would
immediately send Antipater to Cæsar; which when it was done, Herod sent
Antipater thither, and sent most noble presents along with him; as also
his testament, wherein Antipater was appointed to be his successor; and
that if Antipater should die first, his son [Herod Philip] by the high
priest's daughter should succeed. And, together with Antipater, there
went to Rome Sylleus the Arabian, although he had done nothing of all
that Cæsar had enjoined him. Antipater also accused him of the same
crimes of which he had been formerly accused by Herod. Sylleus was also
accused by Aretas, that without his consent he had slain many of the
chief of the Arabians at Petra; and particularly Soemus, a man that
deserved to be honored by all men; and that he had slain Fabatus, a
servant of Cæsar. These were the things of which Sylleus was accused,
and that on the occasion following: There was one Corinthus, belonging
to Herod, of the guards of the king's body, and one who was greatly
trusted by him. Sylleus had persuaded this man with the offer of a great
sum of money to kill Herod; and he had promised to do it. When Fabatus
had been made acquainted with this, for Sylleus had himself told him of
it, he informed the king of it; who caught Corinthus, and put him to the
torture, and thereby got out of him the whole conspiracy. He also caught
two other Arabians, who were discovered by Corinthus; the one the head
of a tribe, and the other a friend to Sylleus, who both were by the king
brought to the torture, and confessed that they were come to encourage
Corinthus not to fail of doing what he had undertaken to do; and to
assist him with their own hands in the murder, if need should require
their assistance. So Saturninus, upon Herod's discovering the whole to
him, sent them to Rome.

3. At this time Herod commanded Pheroras, that since he was so obstinate
in his affection for his wife, he should retire into his own tetrarchy;
which he did very willingly, and sware many oaths that he would not come
again till he heard that Herod was dead. And indeed when, upon a
sickness of the king, he was desired to come to him before he died, that
he might intrust him with some of his injunctions, he had such a regard
to his oath, that he would not come to him; yet did not Herod so retain
his hatred to Pheroras, but remitted of his purpose [not to see him],
which he before had, and that for such great causes as have been already
mentioned: but as soon as he began to be ill, he came to him, and this
without being sent for; and when he was dead, he took care of his
funeral, and had his body brought to Jerusalem, and buried there, and
appointed a solemn mourning for him. This [death of Pheroras] became the
origin of Antipater's misfortunes, although he were already sailed for
Rome, God now being about to punish him for the murder of his brethren,
I will explain the history of this matter very distinctly, that it may
be for a warning to mankind, that they take care of conducting their
whole lives by the rules of virtue.