believed；　in　order　to　make　the　thing　more　credible；　and　accused　her　of　having　sent　her　picture　into　Egypt　to　Antony；　and　that　her　lust　was　so　extravagant；　as　to　have　thus　showed　herself；　though　she　was　absent；　to　a　man　that　ran　mad　after　women；　and　to　a　man　that　had　it　in　his　power　to　use　violence　to　her。　This　charge　fell　like　a　thunderbolt　upon　Herod；　and　put　him　into　disorder；　and　that　especially；　because　his　love　to　her　occasioned　him　to　be　jealous；　and　because　he　considered　with　himself　that　Cleopatra　was　a　shrewd　woman；　and　that　on　her　account　Lysanias　the　king　was　taken　off；　as　well　as　Malichus　the　Arabian；　for　his　fear　did　not　only　extend　to　the　dissolving　of　his　marriage；　but　to　the　danger　of　his　life。
  4。　When　therefore　he　was　about　to　take　a　journey　abroad；　he　committed　his　wife　to　Joseph；　his　sister　Salome's　husband；　as　to　one　who　would　be　faithful　to　him；　and　bare　him　good…will　on　account　of　their　kindred；　he　also　gave　him　a　secret　injunction；　that　if　Antony　slew　him；　he　should　slay　her。　But　Joseph；　without　any　ill　design；　and　only　in　order　to　demonstrate　the　king's　love　to　his　wife；　how　he　could　not　bear　to　think　of　being　separated　from　her；　even　by　death　itself；　discovered　this　grand　secret　to　her；　upon　which；　when　Herod　was　come　back；　and　as　they　talked　together；　and　he　confirmed　his　love　to　her　by　many　oaths；　and　assured　her　that　he　had　never　such　an　affection　for　any　other　woman　as　he　had　for　her；　…　〃　Yes；〃　says　she；　〃thou　didst；　to　be　sure；　demonstrate　thy　love　to　me　by　the　injunctions　thou　gavest　Joseph；　when　thou　commandedst　him　to　kill　me。〃　（37）
  5。　When　he　heard　that　this　grand　secret　was　discovered；　he　was　like　a　distracted　man；　and　said　that　Joseph　would　never　have　disclosed　that　injunction　of　his；　unless　he　had　debauched　her。　His　passion　also　made　him　stark　mad；　and　leaping　out　of　his　bed；　he　ran　about　the　palace　after　a　wild　manner；　at　which　time　his　sister　Salome　took　the　opportunity　also　to　blast　her　reputation；　and　confirmed　his　suspicion　about　Joseph；　whereupon；　out　of　his　ungovernable　jealousy　and　rage；　he　commanded　both　of　them　to　be　slain　immediately；　but　as　soon　as　ever　his　passion　was　over；　he　repented　of　what　he　had　done；　and　as　soon　as　his　anger　was　worn　off；　his　affections　were　kindled　again。　And　indeed　the　flame　of　his　desires　for　her　was　so　ardent；　that　he　could　not　think　she　was　dead；　but　would　appear；　under　his　disorders；　to　speak　to　her　as　if　she　were　still　alive；　till　he　were　better　instructed　by　time；　when　his　grief　and　trouble；　now　she　was　dead；　appeared　as　great　as　his　affection　had　been　for　her　while　she　was　living。　　CHAPTER　23。
  Calumnies　Against　The　Sons　Of　Mariamne。　Antipateris　Preferred　Before　Them。　They　Are　Accused　Before　Caesar；　And　Herod　Is　Reconciled　To　Them。
  1。　Now　Mariamne's　sons　were　heirs　to　that　hatred　which　had　been　borne　their　mother；　and　when　they　considered　the　greatness　of　Herod's　crime　towards　her；　they　were　suspicious　of　him　as　of　an　enemy　of　theirs；　and　this　first　while　they　were　educated　at　Rome；　but　still　more　when　they　were　returned　to　Judea。　This　temper　of　theirs　increased　upon　them　as　they　grew　up　to　be　men；　and　when　they　were　Come　to　an　age　fit　for　marriage；　the　one　of　them　married　their　aunt　Salome's　daughter；　which　Salome　had　been　the　accuser　of　their　mother；　the　other　married　the　daughter　of　Archclaus；　king　of　Cappadocia。　And　now　they　used　boldness　in　speaking；　as　well　as　bore　hatred　in　their　minds。　Now　those　that　calumniated　them　took　a　handle　from　such　their　boldness；　and　certain　of　them　spake　now　more　plainly　to　the　king　that　there　were　treacherous　designs　laid　against　him　by　both　his　sons；　and　he　that　was　son…in…law　to　Archelaus；　relying　upon　his　father…in…law；　was　preparing　to　fly　away；　in　order　to　accuse　Herod　before　Caesar；　and　when　Herod's　head　had　been　long　enough　filled　with　these　calumnies；　he　brought　Antipater；　whom　he　had　by　Doris；　into　favor　again；　as　a　defense　to　him　against　his　other　sons；　and　began　all　the　ways　he　possibly　could　to　prefer　him　before　them。
  2。　But　these　sons　were　not　able　to　bear　this　change　in　their　affairs；　but　when　they　saw　him　that　was　born　of　a　mother　of　no　family；　the　nobility　of　their　birth　made　them　unable　to　contain　their　indignation；　but　whensoever　they　were　uneasy；　they　showed　the　anger　they　had　at　it。　And　as　these　sons　did　day　after　day　improve　in　that　their　anger；　Antipater　already　exercised　all　his　own　abilities；　which　were　very　great；　in　flattering　his　father；　and　in　contriving　many　sorts　of　calumnies　against　his　brethren；　while　he　told　some　stories　of　them　himself；　and　put　it　upon　other　proper　persons　to　raise　other　stories　against　them；　till　at　length　he　entirely　cut　his　brethren　off　from　all　hopes　of　succeeding　to　the　kingdom；　for　he　was　already　publicly　put　into　his　father's　will　as　his　successor。　Accordingly；　he　was　sent　with　royal　ornaments；　and　other　marks　of　royalty；　to　Caesar；　excepting　the　diadem。　He　was　also　able　in　time　to　introduce　his　mother　again　into　Mariamne's　bed。　The　two　sorts　of　weapons　he　made　use　of　against　his　brethren　were　flattery　and　calumny；　whereby　he　brought　matters　privately　to　such　a　pass；　that　the　king　had　thoughts　of　putting　his　sons　to　death。
  3。　So　the　father　drew　Alexander　as　far　as　Rome；　and。　charged　him　with　an　attempt　of　poisoning　him　before　Caesar。　Alexander　could　hardly　speak　for　lamentation；　but　having　a　judge　that　was　more　skillful　than　Antipater；　and　more　wise　than　Herod；　he　modestly　avoided　laying　any　imputation　upon　his　father；　but　with　great　strength　of　reason　confuted　the　calumnies　laid　against　him；　and　when　he　had　demonstrated　the　innocency　of　his　brother；　who　was　in　the　like　danger　with　himself；　he　at　last　bewailed　the　craftiness　of　Antipater；　and　the　disgrace　they　were　under。　He　was　enabled　also　to　justify　himself；　not　only　by　a　clear　conscience；　which　he　carried　within　him；　but　by　his　eloquence；　for　he　was　a　shrewd　man　in　making　speeches。　And　upon　his　saying　at　last；　that　if　his　father　objected　this　crime　to　them；　it　was　in　his　power　to　put　them　to　death；　he　made　all　the　audience　weep；　and　he　brought　Caesar　to　that　pass；　as　to　reject　the　accusations；　and　to　reconcile　their　father　to　them　immediately。　But　the　conditions　of　this　reconciliation　were　these；　that　they　should　in　all　things　be　obedient　to　their　father；　and　that　he　should　have　power　to　leave　the　kingdom　to　which　of　them　he　pleased。
  4。　After　this　the　king　came　back　from　Rome；　and　seemed　to　have　forgiven　his　sons　upon　these　accusations；　but　still　so　that　he　was　not　without　his　suspicions　of　them。　They　were　followed　by　Antipater；　who　was　the　fountain…head　of　those　accusations；　yet　did　not　he　openly　discover　his　hatred　to　them；　as　revering　him　that　had　reconciled　them。　But　as　Herod　sailed　by　Cilicia；　he　touched　at　Eleusa；　（38）　where　Archclaus　treated　them　in　the　most　obliging　manner；　and　gave　him　thanks　for　the　deliverance　of　his　son…in…law；　and　was　much　pleased　at　their　reconciliation；　and　this　the　more；　because　he　had　formerly　written　to　his　friends　at　Rome　that　they　should　be　assisting　to　Alexander　at　his　trial。　So　he　conducted　Herod　as　far　as　Zephyrium；　and　made　him　presents　to　the　value　of　thirty　talents。
  5。　Now　when　Herod　was　come　to　Jerusalem；　he　gathered　the　people　together；　and　presented　to　them　his　three　sons；　and　gave　them　an　apologetic　account　of　his　absence；　and　thanked　God　greatly；　and　thanked　Caesar　greatly　also；　for　settling　his　house　when　it　was　under　disturbances；　and　had　procured　concord　among　his　sons；　which　was　of　greater　consequence　than　the　kingdom　itself；　…〃　and　which　I　will　render　still　more　firm；　for　Caesar　hath　put　into　my　power　to　dispose　of　the　government；　and　to　appoint　my　successor。　Accordingly；　in　way　of　requital　for　his　kindness；　and　in　order　to　provide　for　mine　own　advantage；　I　do　declare　that　these　three　sons　of　mine　shall　be　kings。　And；　in　the　first　place；　I　pray　for　the　approbation　of　God　to　what　I　am　about；　and；　in　the　next　place；　I　desire　your　approbation　also。　The　age　of　one　of　them；　and　the　nobility　of　the　other　two；　shall　procure　them　the　succession。　Nay；　indeed；　my　kingdom　is　so　large　that　it　may　be　sufficient　for　more　kings。　Now　do　you　keep　those　in　their　places　whom　Caesar　hath　joined；　and　their　father　hath　appointed；　and　do　not　you　pay　undue　or　unequal　respects　to　them；　but　to　every　one　according　to　the　prerogative　of　their　births；　for　he　that　pays　such　respects　unduly；　will　thereby　not　make　him　that　is　honored　beyond　what　his　age　requires　so　joyful；　as　he　will　make　him　that　is　dishonored　sorrowful。　As　for　the　kindred　and　friends　that　are　to　converse　with　them；　I　will　appoint　them　to　each　of　them；　and　will　so　constitute　them；　that　they　may　be　securities　for　their　concord；　as　well　knowing　that　the　ill　tempers　of　those　with　whom　they　converse　will　produce　quarrels　and　contentions　among　them；　but　that　if　these　with　whom　they　converse　be　of　good　tempers；　they　will　preserve　their　natural　affections　for　one　another。　But　still　I　desire　that　not　these　only；　but　all　the　captains　of　my　army；　have　for　the　present　their　hopes　placed　on　me　alone；　for　I　do　not　give　away　my　kingdom　to　these　my　sons；　but　give　them　royal　honors　only；　whereby　it　will　come　to　pass　that　they　will　enjoy　the　sweet　parts　of　government　as　rulers　themselves；　but　that　the　burden　of　admin