Herod Is Made Procurator Of All Syria; Malichus Is Afraid Of
Him, And Takes Antipater Off By Poison; Whereupon The
Tribunes Of The Soldiers Are Prevailed With To Kill Him.
1. There, was at this time a mighty war raised among the Romans upon the
sudden and treacherous slaughter of Caesar by Cassius and Brutus, after
he had held the government for three years and seven months. 14 Upon
this murder there were very great agitations, and the great men were
mightily at difference one with another, and every one betook himself to
that party where they had the greatest hopes of their own, of advancing
themselves. Accordingly, Cassius came into Syria, in order to receive
the forces that were at Apamia, where he procured a reconciliation
between Bassus and Marcus, and the legions which were at difference with
him; so he raised the siege of Apamia, and took upon him the command of
the army, and went about exacting tribute of the cities, and demanding
their money to such a degree as they were not able to bear.
2. So he gave command that the Jews should bring in seven hundred
talents; whereupon Antipater, out of his dread of Cassius's threats,
parted the raising of this sum among his sons, and among others of his
acquaintance, and to be done immediately; and among them he required
one Malichus, who was at enmity with him, to do his part also, which
necessity forced him to do. Now Herod, in the first place, mitigated the
passion of Cassius, by bringing his share out of Galilee, which was a
hundred talents, on which account he was in the highest favor with him;
and when he reproached the rest for being tardy, he was angry at the
cities themselves; so he made slaves of Gophna and Emmaus, and two
others of less note; nay, he proceeded as if he would kill Malichus,
because he had not made greater haste in exacting his tribute; but
Antipater prevented the ruin of this man, and of the other cities, and
got into Cassius's favor by bringing in a hundred talents immediately.
15
3. However, when Cassius was gone Malichus forgot the kindness that
Antipater had done him, and laid frequent plots against him that
had saved him, as making haste to get him out of the way, who was an
obstacle to his wicked practices; but Antipater was so much afraid of
the power and cunning of the man, that he went beyond Jordan, in order
to get an army to guard himself against his treacherous designs; but
when Malichus was caught in his plot, he put upon Antipater's sons by
his impudence, for he thoroughly deluded Phasaelus, who was the guardian
of Jerusalem, and Herod who was intrusted with the weapons of war, and
this by a great many excuses and oaths, and persuaded them to procure
his reconciliation to his father. Thus was he preserved again by
Antipater, who dissuaded Marcus, the then president of Syria, from
his resolution of killing Malichus, on account of his attempts for
innovation.
4. Upon the war between Cassius and Brutus on one side, against the
younger Caesar [Augustus] and Antony on the other, Cassius and Marcus
got together an army out of Syria; and because Herod was likely to have
a great share in providing necessaries, they then made him procurator of
all Syria, and gave him an army of foot and horse. Cassius promised him
also, that after the war was over, he would make him king of Judea. But
it so happened that the power and hopes of his son became the cause of
his perdition; for as Malichus was afraid of this, he corrupted one
of the king's cup-bearers with money to give a poisoned potion to
Antipater; so he became a sacrifice to Malichus's wickedness, and died
at a feast. He was a man in other respects active in the management
of affairs, and one that recovered the government to Hyrcanus, and
preserved it in his hands.
5. However, Malichus, when he was suspected of poisoning Antipater, and
when the multitude was angry with him for it, denied it, and made the
people believe he was not guilty. He also prepared to make a greater
figure, and raised soldiers; for he did not suppose that Herod would
be quiet, who indeed came upon him with an army presently, in order to
revenge his father's death; but, upon hearing the advice of his brother
Phasaelus, not to punish him in an open manner, lest the multitude
should fall into a sedition, he admitted of Malichus's apology, and
professed that he cleared him of that suspicion; he also made a pompous
funeral for his father.
6. So Herod went to Samaria, which was then in a tumult, and settled the
city in peace; after which at the [Pentecost] festival, he returned
to Jerusalem, having his armed men with him: hereupon Hyrcanus, at the
request of Malichus, who feared his reproach, forbade them to introduce
foreigners to mix themselves with the people of the country while they
were purifying themselves; but Herod despised the pretense, and him that
gave that command, and came in by night. Upon which Malithus came to
him, and bewailed Antipater; Herod also made him believe [he admitted
of his lamentations as real], although he had much ado to restrain his
passion at him; however, he did himself bewail the murder of his father
in his letters to Cassius, who, on other accounts, also hated Malichus.
Cassius sent him word back that he should avenge his father's death upon
him, and privately gave order to the tribunes that were under him, that
they should assist Herod in a righteous action he was about.
7. And because, upon the taking of Laodicea by Cassius, the men of power
were gotten together from all quarters, with presents and crowns in
their hands, Herod allotted this time for the punishment of Malichus.
When Malichus suspected that, and was at Tyre, he resolved to withdraw
his son privately from among the Tyrians, who was a hostage there, while
he got ready to fly away into Judea; the despair he was in of escaping
excited him to think of greater things; for he hoped that he should
raise the nation to a revolt from the Romans, while Cassius was busy
about the war against Antony, and that he should easily depose Hyrcanus,
and get the crown for himself.
8. But fate laughed at the hopes he had; for Herod foresaw what he
was so zealous about, and invited both Hyrcanus and him to supper; but
calling one of the principal servants that stood by him to him, he
sent him out, as though it were to get things ready for supper, but in
reality to give notice beforehand about the plot that was laid against
him; accordingly they called to mind what orders Cassius had given
them, and went out of the city with their swords in their hands upon the
sea-shore, where they encompassed Malichus round about, and killed him
with many wounds. Upon which Hyrcanus was immediately affrighted, till
he swooned away and fell down at the surprise he was in; and it was
with difficulty that he was recovered, when he asked who it was that had
killed Malichus. And when one of the tribunes replied that it was done
by the command of Cassius, "Then," said he, "Cassius hath saved both me
and my country, by cutting off one that was laying plots against them
both." Whether he spake according to his own sentiments, or whether his
fear was such that he was obliged to commend the action by saying so,
is uncertain; however, by this method Herod inflicted punishment upon
Malichus.