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they understood, having otherwise admonished him to do nothing irreparable. But he advised him to convene a council around Berytus, and taking with him the governors and the king of the Cappadocians, Archelaus, and as many of the others as he knew were distinguished in rank, to consider with them what must be done. Having received this letter, Herod summoned to the council those whom he wished, declining Archelaus because of his enmity, or because he thought he would oppose his opinion. And when the governors and the others had already been assembled, the king accused his sons, and read aloud what had been written by them; in which nothing else was written than that they planned to flee, and some reproaches against him containing insults because of his ill-will. And finally saying that authority was given to him both by nature and by Caesar, he added the ancestral law, which commanded that if parents, having accused someone, were to lay their hands on his head, the bystanders were obliged to stone him and so kill him. This he said he was able to do himself in his own country and kingdom, but he awaited their judgment. When Herod had said these things, those sitting in council 1.390 confirmed his authority, although the young men were not even brought before the council; and some indeed condemned Herod's sons, but not, however, to death, but the majority declared that they should be punished with death. And on these terms the council was dissolved. But Herod came to Tyre, bringing his sons. And when they came to Caesarea, all were in suspense, waiting to see where the matter concerning the young men would go; and they were vexed at what was happening, but it was not without danger either to say anything on their behalf or to hear another speaking, but grievously, yet silently, they bore the extremity of the suffering. But a certain soldier named Tyro, whose son was of the same age and a friend to Alexander, said many things both to the multitude, and having spoken freely to the king, he asked to meet with him alone. And when he gave permission, he said, "Where now is that extraordinary mind of yours? And what is this destitution of friends and relatives? Will you not then consider what is being done, if you will destroy two young men born to you from a queenly wife, consummate in every virtue, leaving yourself in old age with one son and relatives whom you yourself have so often condemned to death? Will you not consider that the silence of the crowds is because of the greatness of the suffering, and that the whole army has pity for the unfortunate, but hatred for those who are perpetrating these things?" The king heard these things at first not without understanding. But Tyro, using immoderate and soldierly frankness, disturbed Herod. And he was moved to indignation against the soldiers, and he commanded that Tyro be bound and kept in prison. And Tryphon, the king's barber, took advantage of the opportunity, saying that he had often been persuaded by 1.391 Tyro to cut the king's throat with a razor; for he would be among the first with Alexander. Having said these things, he himself was also arrested. And Tyro and his son and the barber himself were put to the torture. And as Tyro endured under torture, his son, seeing his father suffering grievously, said that he would reveal the truth to the king, if he meant to rescue his father and himself from the tortures. And having received assurances, he said that there was a plot for Tyro to attack the king with his own hand. Having said these things, he freed his father from the ordeal. And Herod, leaving nothing further doubtful in his mind concerning the killing of his sons, finally put his plan into effect. And Alexander and Aristobulus, having been brought to Sebaste, were strangled by their father's command. And having brought before the multitude the three hundred of the leaders who had been accused, and Tyro with his son and the barber, he accused them; whom the people of the multitude killed by throwing whatever came to hand. But for Antipater, who had brought about the death of his brothers, the attainment of the kingdom was more difficult, since hatred for him had grown among the nation, and especially among the soldiery. For a time, however, he ruled jointly with his father and was trusted by him. But the

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ἐνενόησαν, αλλως νουθετήσαντα μηδὲν ἀνήκεστον διαπράξασθαι. συμβουλεύειν δ' αὐτῷ περὶ Βηρυτὸν συναγαγόντα συνέδριον, καὶ παραλαβόντα τοὺς ἡγεμόνας καὶ τὸν τῶν Καππαδοκῶν βασιλέα ̓Αρχέλαον καὶ οσους τῶν αλλων οιδεν ἐπιφανεῖς ἀξιώμασι, μετ' ἐκείνων τὸ δέον σκοπεῖν. Ταύτην δεξάμενος τὴν ἐπιστολὴν ὁ ̔Ηρώδης ἐκάλει πρὸς τὸ συνέδριον ους ἐβούλετο, ̓Αρχέλαον δι' εχθραν παραιτησάμενος, η καὶ ἐναντιωθήσεσθαι νομίζων τῇ γνώμῃ αὐτοῦ. ηδη δὲ συνηγμένων τῶν τε ἡγεμόνων καὶ τῶν αλλων, κατηγόρει τῶν παίδων ὁ βασιλεύς, καὶ τὰ δι' αὐτῶν ἐκείνων γραφέντα ὑπανεγίνωσκεν· ἐν οις οὐδὲν ἐγέγραπτο ετερον η οτι φυγεῖν βουλεύοιντο καὶ λοιδορίαι τινὲς εἰς αὐτὸν ὀνείδη διὰ τὴν δύσνοιαν εχουσαι. καὶ τέλος εἰπὼν καὶ ἐκ τῆς φύσεως καὶ ἐκ τοῦ Καίσαρος αὐτῷ τὴν ἐξουσίαν δοθῆναι, καὶ νόμον προσέθηκε πάτριον, ος ἐκέλευεν, ει του κατηγορήσαντες οἱ γονεῖς ἐπιθεῖεν τὰς χεῖρας τῇ κεφαλῇ, τοὺς περιεστῶτας τοῦτον ὀφείλειν λιθολευστεῖν καὶ ουτως ἀποκτείνειν. οπερ ελεγε δύνασθαι καὶ αὐτὸς ἐν τῇ πατρίδι καὶ τῇ βασιλείᾳ ποιεῖν, ἀναμεῖναι δὲ τὴν ἐκείνων κρίσιν. ταῦτα τοῦ ̔Ηρώδου εἰπόντος οἱ συνεδριάζοντες τὴν ἐξουσίαν 1.390 ἐκύρουν αὐτῷ, τῶν νεανίσκων μηδὲ παρηγμένων εἰς τὸ συνέδριον· καὶ τινὲς μὲν κατεψηφίζοντο τῶν τοῦ ̔Ηρώδου υἱῶν, ἀλλ' οὐ μέντοι καὶ κτείνειν, οἱ δέ γε πλείους καὶ θανάτῳ κολάζειν αὐτοὺς ἀπεφαίνοντο. καὶ ἐπὶ τούτοις διελύετο τὸ συνέδριον. ̔Ηρώδης δὲ ηκεν εἰς Τύρον καὶ τοὺς παῖδας αγων. ὡς δὲ ηλθον εἰς Καισάρειαν, μετέωροι πάντες ησαν, ποῖ τὰ κατὰ τοὺς νεανίας χωρήσειεν ἐκδεχόμενοι· καὶ τοῖς μὲν γινομένοις ἐδυσχέραινον, οὐκ ην δὲ ἀκίνδυνον ουτε τι ὑπὲρ ἐκείνων εἰπεῖν ουτ' ἀκούειν ἑτέρου λέγοντος, ἀλλ' ὀδυνηρῶς μέν, ἀναύδως δὲ τοῦ πάθους εφερον τὴν ὑπερβολήν. Στρατιώτης δέ τις ονομα Τήρων, υἱοῦ αὐτῷ καθ' ἡλικίαν οντος ̓Αλεξάνδρῳ φίλου, πολλὰ καὶ πρὸς τὸ πλῆθος ελεγε, καὶ πρὸς τὸν βασιλέα δὲ παρρησιασάμενος μόνος μόνῳ ἐντυχεῖν ἠξίου. καὶ ἐνδόντος "ποῖ ποτέ σοι" εφη "ὁ περιττὸς ἐκεῖνος νοῦς; τίς δὲ ἡ τῶν φίλων καὶ συγγενῶν ἐρημία; ειτα οὐ σκέψῃ τί τὸ πραττόμενον, εἰ δύο νεανίας ἐκ βασιλίδος σοι γυναικὸς γενομένους εἰς πᾶσαν ἀρετὴν ακρους ἀναιρήσεις, σεαυτὸν ἐν γήρᾳ καταλιπὼν ἐφ' ἑνὶ παιδὶ καὶ συγγενέσιν ων αὐτὸς τοσαυτάκις κατέγνως θάνατον; οὐκ ἐννοήσεις οτι καὶ τῶν οχλων ἡ σιωπὴ διὰ μέγεθος τοῦ πάθους ἐστί, καὶ πᾶσα ἡ στρατιὰ ελεον μὲν τῶν ἀτυχούντων, μῖσος δὲ τῶν ταῦτα ἐξεργαζομένων ἐσχήκασιν;" ηκουε ταῦτα ὁ βασιλεὺς ἐν ἀρχῇ οὐκ ἀγνωμόνως. ὁ δὲ Τήρων ἀμέτρῳ καὶ στρατιωτικῇ χρώμενος παρρησίᾳ τὸν ̔Ηρώδην ἐτάραξε. καὶ πρὸς τὴν τῶν στρατιωτῶν κεκίνητο ἀγανάκτησιν, καὶ προστάττει τὸν Τήρωνα δήσαντας εχειν ἐν φυλακῇ. ἐπιτίθεται δὲ τῷ καιρῷ καὶ Τρύφων τοῦ βασιλέως κουρεύς, εἰπὼν ὡς ἀναπείθοιτο πολλάκις ὑπὸ τοῦ 1.391 Τήρωνος ξυρῷ τὸν λαιμὸν τοῦ βασιλέως τεμεῖν· εσεσθαι γὰρ ἐν τοῖς πρώτοις τῷ ̓Αλεξάνδρῳ. ταῦτα εἰπὼν καὶ αὐτὸς συλλαμβάνεται. καὶ ἐν βασάνοις ησαν ὁ Τήρων τε καὶ ὁ παῖς αὐτοῦ καὶ αὐτὸς ὁ κουρεύς. διακαρτεροῦντος δ' ἐν ταῖς βασάνοις τοῦ Τήρωνος, ὁρῶν ὁ παῖς τὸν πατέρα χαλεπῶς διακείμενον, εφη μηνύσειν τῷ βασιλεῖ τὴν ἀλήθειαν, εἰ μέλλει ῥύσασθαι τῶν βασάνων τὸν πατέρα καὶ ἑαυτόν. λαβὼν δὲ πίστεις, ελεγεν ειναι συνθήκην ἐπιθέσθαι τῷ βασιλεῖ δι' αὐτοχειρίας τὸν Τήρωνα. ταῦτα εἰπὼν ἐξαιρεῖται τὸν πατέρα τῆς ἀνάγκης. ὁ δ' ̔Ηρώδης οὐδὲν ετι ἐνδοιάσιμον τῇ ψυχῇ καταλελοιπὼς περὶ τὴν τεκνοκτονίαν, τέλος τῇ προαιρέσει ἐπέθετο. καὶ ἀχθέντες εἰς Σεβαστὴν ̓Αλέξανδρός τε καὶ ̓Αριστόβουλος ἐπιτάξαντος τοῦ πατρὸς στραγγάλῃ ἀπηγχονήθησαν. προαγαγὼν δ' εἰς τὸ πλῆθος τριακοσίους τῶν ἡγεμόνων τοὺς ἐν αἰτίᾳ γενομένους καὶ τὸν Τήρωνα σὺν τῷ παιδὶ καὶ τὸν κουρέα κατηγόρει αὐτῶν· ους οἱ τοῦ πλήθους βάλλοντες τοῖς παρατυχοῦσιν ἀπέκτειναν. ̓Αντιπάτρῳ δὲ κατεργασαμένῳ τοὺς ἀδελφοὺς ἐργωδεστέρα ην ἡ τῆς βασιλείας ἐπιτυχία, μίσους τῷ εθνει φυέντος πρὸς αὐτόν, καὶ μάλιστα τῷ ὁπλιτικῷ. τέως δὲ συνῆρχε τῷ πατρὶ καὶ ἐπιστεύετο παρ' αὐτοῦ. τὴν δὲ