e Jews. He also sent, at the
same time, a decree to the Tyrians; the contents of which were to the
same purpose.

3. "Marcus Antonius, imperator, to Hyrcanus the high priest and ethnarch
of the Jews, sendeth greeting. It you be in health, it is well; I am
also in health, with the army. Lysimachus, the son of Pausanias, and
Josephus, the son of Menneus, and Alexander, the son of Theodorus, your
ambassadors, met me at Ephesus, and have renewed the embassage which
they had formerly been upon at Rome, and have diligently acquitted
themselves of the present embassage, which thou and thy nation have
intrusted to them, and have fully declared the goodwill thou hast for
us. I am therefore satisfied, both by your actions and your words, that
you are well-disposed to us; and I understand that your conduct of life
is constant and religious: so I reckon upon you as our own. But when
those that were adversaries to you, and to the Roman people, abstained
neither from cities nor temples, and did not observe the agreement they
had confirmed by oath, it was not only on account of our contest with
them, but on account of all mankind in common, that we have taken
vengeance on those who have been the authors of great injustice towards
men, and of great wickedness towards the gods; for the sake of which
we suppose it was that the sun turned away his light from us, [23] as
unwilling to view the horrid crime they were guilty of in the case of
Caesar. We have also overcome their conspiracies, which threatened the
gods themselves, which Macedonia received, as it is a climate peculiarly
proper for impious and insolent attempts; and we have overcome that
confused rout of men, half mad with spite against us, which they got
together at Philippi in Macedonia, when they seized on the places that
were proper for their purpose, and, as it were, walled them round with
mountains to the very sea, and where the passage was open only through
a single gate. This victory we gained, because the gods had condemned
those men for their wicked enterprises. Now Brutus, when he had fled as
far as Philippi, was shut up by us, and became a partaker of the same
perdition with Cassius; and now these have received their punishment, we
suppose that we may enjoy peace for the time to come, and that Asia may
be at rest from war. We therefore make that peace which God hath given
us common to our confederates also, insomuch that the body of Asia is
now recovered out of that d