CHAP. X.
How Herod was accused and reuenged.
AFter Cassius was departed from Syria, there arose another sedition amongst them in Ie∣rusalem: for Felix came with an armie against Phasaelus, thinking so to be reuenged vpon Herod for killing Malichus. It chanced that Herod at that time was at Damascus with Fabius a Romane Captaine, who comming to assist Phasaelus, by the way fell sick; so that he could not succour him: but it so fel out that Phasaelus without any helpe, did of himselfe ouercome Felix, and therewithall reproued Hircanus as vngratefull, who had both fauoured Fe∣lix, [ H] and suffered Malichus his brother to take and keepe his castles (for alreadie had he seazed many of them, and especially one of greatest strength called Massada) yet all these did not protect him from the violence of Herod, who was no sooner recouered of his sicknesse, but presently tooke all the rest, & Massada: and at Hircanus humble suit, permitted him to depart from thence. He also chased Marion the tyrant of the Tyrians out of Galilee, who occupied three castles in that country: as for all the Tyrians that he tooke, he spared their liues, & sent some away with rewards, whereby he got the good will of the citie, and the hatred of the Tyrant. This Marion was made Tyrant of Tyria by Cassius, who through the means of such like instruments had gotten into his hand all Syria: & Marion for the hatred he bare to Herod, tooke with him Antigonus Aristobulus his son, & by Fabius his means whom Antigonus had gained vnto himselfe for money, he also got [ I] Ptolomaeus to assist him in this expedition. Now Ptolomaeus who was father in law to Antigonus, furnished him with al necessaries: Herod likewise preparing himselfe against them, gaue thē battel in the entrance into Iudaea, & got the victory: & hauing put Antigonus to flight, he returned into Ierusalē, where he was honoured by all men for his desert in that victory, so that euen they that be∣fore despised him, by reason of his affinity newly contracted with Hyrcanus, sought his friendship and familiarity. This Herod long before this time had a wife which was a noble woman of that countrey named Doris, & had by her a son named Antipater: but he thē maried Mariamme Alex∣anders daughter who was Aristobulus his son, & Hyrcanus his neece, by reason whereof he came to be familiar with the king. But when Cassius was slaine neere vnto Philippi, Caesar departed into I∣taly, & Antonius into Asia, at which time the chiefe of the Iewes came & accused Phasaelus and [ K] Herod, alledging that they by force got vnto themselues the rule & disposition of the country, and left Hyrcanus only the bare name of a king. But Herod being thē present, so woon & wrought him∣selfe into Antonius fauour by a great sum of mony, that he permitted not his enemies to speak one word more; who thereupon returned home. Afterward a hundreth men of the most honorable a∣mongst the Iewes, repaired to Daphne neere Antiochia vnto Antonius (now doting on the loue of Cleopatra) who being chosen from amongst the rest, because of their eloquence & nobility of birth, propounded an accusation against the two brethren. Messala presented himselfe to returne them answer, being assisted by Hycanus by reason of the affinitie that was between him & Herod. Antonius hauing heard both parties demanded of Hyrcanus whom he thought to be fittest to go∣uerne their commonwealth? who answered, Herod & his brethren. Whereat Antonius was exceo∣ding [ L] glad (for he had bin their fathers guest, and was most courteously entertained by Antipater, when he came with Gabinius into Iudaea) & thereupon he made them both Tetrarchs, leauing vn∣to them the rule of all Iudaea: which when the Iewes Embassadors misliked, he tooke fifteen of thē and put them in prison, where he almost killed them, and reiected & derided the rest: wherupon there arose greater tumults amongst them in Ierusalem. At last the Iewes sent another embassage of a thousand men vnto Tyre, where Antonius soiorned with an intent to come to Ierusalem with violence. Antonius hearing their exclaimes, sent out the Magistrates of Tyre against them, com∣manding them to kill all they could catch of the Iewes, charging them also to confirme their au∣thoritie, whom he himselfe had constituted Tetrarchs. But Herod & Hyrcanus went before them toward the sea shore, admonishing thē earnestly to be contented, least they by this their indiscreet [ M] proceedings should become not only the cause of their owne deaths, but also of war against their country: but for that they would not be reclaimed by these admonitiōs, Antonius sent out certaine armed men, who killed many of them, & wounded the rest. Hyrcanus after this desaster both caused the dead to be buried, & the wounded to be cured: notwithstāding all this, they that escaped would not containe themselues in peace, but they so troubled the citie, that Antonius in his displeasure slue those that he had in hold.