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enmity, and malicious slanders went forth against them, taking their cause from the men themselves. For when the foul Salome spoke ill of them and their mother and provoked them to words, they declared their mother’s destruction to be pitiable, and called themselves wretched for being forced to live with her murderers. These things happened while the king was away. But when he returned, reports were immediately brought to him from Pheroras and Salome, saying that a great danger hung over them, as the young men openly threatened to avenge their mother’s murder. And Herod was disturbed by these things, which others also reported. Being thus disposed, he decided, for the purpose of humbling the young men, to bring forward another son, Antipater by name, who had been born to him while he was still a private citizen; and he determined to honor this one, in order to check the audacity of Mariam’s sons, that they might know that the succession to the kingdom was not owed to them alone nor by necessity. Therefore he introduced Antipater as a kind of rival. And he, being clever, when he obtained freedom of speech, had one purpose: to cling to his father and to alienate his brothers with slanders. And they still gave 1.380 opportunities, weeping that they were dishonored, and calling upon their mother, and openly saying their father was not just. These things Antipater’s party maliciously reported to Herod with additions, creating a greater enmity toward them. But the father, wishing to humble the sons of Mariam, bestowed more honor upon Antipater; and finally he even brought in his mother. And he recommended him to Caesar, writing on his behalf, and sent him to Rome with many gifts, so that everything now seemed to depend on him, while the youths were entirely thrust aside from the rule. But Antipater, fearing that his father might become more lenient toward the sons of Mariam when he was away, did not cease, even while abroad, from constantly writing to his father against his brothers and provoking him to enmity, until he led him to the point of sailing to Rome to accuse his sons there before Caesar. Having gone to Rome with his sons, he presented them to Caesar, and accused them of madness, as hating their own father and plotting to kill him and so take the kingdom. But while their father was still speaking, the young men were in tears and finally lamentation, fearing that if they were silent, they would seem from a guilty conscience to be at a loss for a defense. But when they perceived goodwill from Caesar, and saw some of the others weeping with them and all feeling sympathy, Alexander undertook to refute the accusations, making his speech to his father. And as he spoke in a rather persuasive manner, Caesar, who had not believed the slanders against them before, was even more changed, and continually looked toward Herod, seeing that he too was somewhat 1.381 confounded. And the audience was in suspense; but Caesar said that the young men, even if they seemed far from the slanders, had erred in this very thing: in not presenting themselves to their father in such a way that no such report about them could have arisen, and he exhorted Herod to be reconciled to his sons, putting away all suspicion; for he judged it not right to believe these things against his children. Giving such counsel, he motioned for the young men to fall at their father’s feet. And as they rushed forward, their father anticipated them, and weeping, embraced and kissed each one. Then, therefore, having thanked Caesar, they went away with one another, and Antipater with them, pretending to be pleased with the reconciliation; but on the next day, concerning the kingdom, Caesar left the authority to Herod to appoint whichever of his sons he might choose as successor, or even to divide it among them all, after his death, however; for he did not permit the division while he was living, but wished him to hold power over both his children and the kingdom. And as he was returning, near Cilicia, Archelaus, the father-in-law of Alexander, met Herod, rejoicing at the reconciliation of his sons. From there Herod, having come to Judaea, and having gathered an assembly, the affairs concerning the

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δυσμένεια, καὶ διαβολαὶ κακοήθεις κατ' αὐτῶν προύβαινον, παρ' αὐτῶν ἐκείνων τὰς αἰτίας λαμβάνουσαι. κακῶς γὰρ τῆς μιαρᾶς Σαλώμης καὶ σφᾶς καὶ τὴν μητέρα λεγούσης καὶ πρὸς λόγους ἐκκαλουμένης αὐτούς, ἐκεῖνοι ἐλεεινὴν ἀπέφαινον τὴν καταστροφὴν τῆς μητρός, ἀθλίους δ' ἑαυτοὺς ἐκάλουν τοῖς ἐκείνης φονεῦσιν ἀναγκαζομένους συζῆν. ταῦτα ην ἀποδημοῦντος τοῦ βασιλέως. ἐπανελθόντι δ' εὐθὺς παρά τε Φερώρα καὶ τῆς Σαλώμης οἱ λόγοι προσήγοντο, λεγόντων μέγαν αὐτοῖς ἐπηρτῆσθαι τὸν κίνδυνον, ἀναφανδὸν ἀπειλουμένων τῶν νεανίσκων τὸν φόνον τίσασθαι τῆς μητρός. ̔Ηρώδης δὲ ταῦτα καὶ αλλων ἀπαγγελλόντων τετάρακτο. ουτω δὲ διατεθεὶς εγνω ἐπὶ καθαιρέσει τῶν νέων ετερον υἱὸν ̓Αντίπατρον ονομα, ἰδιωτεύοντι ετι αὐτῷ γεγονότα, προσοικειώσασθαι· καὶ τοῦτον ἐδόκει τιμᾶν, ινα καταστείλῃ τὸ θράσος τοῖς ἐκ τῆς Μαριάμ, γνοῦσιν ὡς οὐ μόνοις αὐτοῖς οὐδ' ἐξ ἀνάγκης ἡ διαδοχὴ τῆς βασιλείας ὀφείλεται. οθεν ὡς εφεδρόν τινα τὸν ̓Αντίπατρον ἐπεισήγαγεν. ὁ δὲ δεινὸς ων, ἐπεὶ παρρησίας ἐλάβετο, μίαν εσχεν ὑπόθεσιν εχεσθαι τοῦ πατρὸς καὶ τῶν ἀδελφῶν ἀλλοτριοῦν ταῖς διαβολαῖς. κἀκεῖνοι δ' ετι ἐδίδοσαν 1.380 ἀφορμάς, καὶ δακρύοντες ὡς ἀτιμαζόμενοι καὶ τὴν μητέρα ἀνακαλούμενοι καὶ τὸν πατέρα φανερῶς οὐ δίκαιον λέγοντες. απερ κακοήθως οἱ περὶ τὸν ̓Αντίπατρον ̔Ηρώδῃ μετὰ προσθήκης ἐξαγγέλλοντες μείζονα τὴν πρὸς ἐκείνους ἐνεποίουν ἀπέχθειαν. βουλόμενος δὲ ὁ πατὴρ ταπεινῶσαι τοὺς ἐκ τῆς Μαριάμ, πλείονος ̓Αντιπάτρῳ μετεδίδου τιμῆς· τέλος δὲ καὶ τὴν μητέρα αὐτοῦ ἐπεισήγαγε. καὶ Καίσαρι συνίστη αὐτὸν γράφων ὑπὲρ αὐτοῦ καὶ εἰς ̔Ρώμην αὐτὸν μετὰ πολλῶν δώρων ἀπέστειλεν, ωστε ηδη πάντα ἐπ' ἐκείνῳ δοκεῖν, παρεῶσθαι δ' ἐκ τῆς ἀρχῆς παντάπασι τὰ μειράκια. ̓Αντίπατρος δὲ δεδοικὼς μὴ αὐτοῦ ἐκδημήσαντος ἐπιεικέστερος εἰς τοὺς ἐκ Μαριὰμ γένηται ὁ πατήρ, καὶ ἀποδημῶν οὐκ ἀνίει συνεχῶς ἐπιστέλλων κατὰ τῶν ἀδελφῶν τῷ πατρὶ καὶ προσερεθίζων πρὸς τὴν δυσμένειαν, εως εἰς τοῦτο προήγαγεν αὐτὸν εἰς τὸ πλεῦσαι πρὸς ̔Ρώμην κἀκεῖ τῶν παίδων κατηγορεῖν παρὰ Καίσαρι. ἀπελθὼν δ' εἰς ̔Ρώμην σὺν τοῖς παισί, παρεστήσατο μὲν αὐτοὺς τῷ Καίσαρι, ᾐτιᾶτο δὲ τῆς ἀπονοίας, ὡς τὸν ἑαυτῶν πατέρα μισοῦντας καὶ διαχειρίσασθαι μελετῶντας αὐτὸν καὶ ουτω τὴν βασιλείαν λαβεῖν. τῶν δὲ νεανίσκων καὶ λέγοντος ετι τοῦ πατρὸς δάκρυα ην καὶ τέλος οἰμωγή, δεδοικότων ὡς εἰ σιγῷεν, δόξουσιν ἐκ τοῦ συνειδότος μὴ εὐπορεῖν ἀπολογίας. ὡς δ' εγνων εὐμένειαν παρὰ Καίσαρος, τῶν δ' αλλων τοὺς μὲν συνδακρύοντας, συναλγοῦντας δὲ απαντας, ὁ ̓Αλέξανδρος ἐπεχείρει διαλύειν τὰς αἰτίας, πρὸς τὸν πατέρα λόγους ποιούμενος. καὶ διαλεχθέντος πρὸς τὸ ἐπαγωγότερον ὁ Καῖσαρ, οὐδὲ πρότερον ταῖς κατ' αὐτῶν πιστεύων διαβολαῖς, ετι μάλιστα ἐξηλλάττετο, καὶ συνεχῶς εἰς τὸν ̔Ηρώδην ἀπέβλεπεν, ὁρῶν κἀκεῖνον ὑποσυγκε1.381 χυμένον. καὶ ἠγωνία τὸ θέατρον· Καῖσαρ δὲ τοὺς μὲν νεανίσκους, εἰ καὶ τῶν διαβολῶν πόρρω δοκοῦσιν, αὐτὸ τοῦτο ἁμαρτεῖν εφη τὸ μὴ τοιούτους ἑαυτοὺς τῷ πατρὶ παρασχεῖν ὡς μηδὲ γενέσθαι τὸν ἐπ' αὐτοῖς λόγον, ̔Ηρώδην δὲ παρεκάλει διαλλάττεσθαι τοῖς παισὶν ἀφελόντα πᾶσαν ὑπόνοιαν· καὶ τὸ πιστὰ γὰρ ἡγεῖσθαι ταῦτα κατὰ τῶν παίδων οὐ δίκαιον εκρινε. τοιαῦτα συμβουλεύων ενευσε τοῖς νεανίσκοις προσπεσεῖν τῷ πατρί. κἀκείνων ὡρμηκότων προλαβὼν αὐτοὺς ὁ πατὴρ δακρύοντας ἠσπάζετο ἀγκαλιζόμενος εκαστον. τότε μὲν ουν εὐχαριστήσαντες Καίσαρι μετ' ἀλλήλων ἀπῄεσαν, καὶ ̓Αντίπατρος μετ' αὐτῶν, ταῖς διαλλαγαῖς ὑποκρινόμενος ηδεσθαι· τῇ δ' ὑστεραίᾳ περὶ τῆς βασιλείας τῷ ̔Ηρώδῃ τὴν ἐξουσίαν ἀφῆκεν ὁ Καῖσαρ ον αν αἱροῖτο τῶν παίδων διάδοχον καθιστᾶν η καὶ διανέμειν απασι ταύτην, μετὰ θάνατον μέντοι· ζῶντι δὲ οὐκ ἐπέτρεπε τὴν διανομήν, ἀλλὰ καὶ τῶν παίδων ηθελεν αὐτὸν καὶ τῆς βασιλείας κρατεῖν. ἐπανιόντι δὲ περὶ Κιλικίαν ̓Αρχέλαος ὁ πενθερὸς ̓Αλεξάνδρου συναντᾷ τῷ ̔Ηρώδῃ,συνηδόμενος ἐπὶ ταῖς τῶν παίδων διαλλαγαῖς. ἐντεῦθεν ̔Ηρώδης ἐπὶ τὴν ̓Ιουδαίαν ἐλθών, καὶ συναγαγὼν ἐκκλησίαν, τὰ κατὰ τὴν