Antony, and his friends
that were about him. He also slew forty-five of the principal men of
Antigonus's party, and set guards at the gates of the city, that nothing
might be carried out together with their dead bodies. They also searched
the dead, and whatsoever was found, either of silver or gold, or other
treasure, it was carried to the king; nor was there any end of the
miseries he brought upon them; and this distress was in part occasioned
by the covetousness of the prince regent, who was still in want of more,
and in part by the Sabbatic year, which was still going on, and forced
the country to lie still uncultivated, since we are forbidden to sow
our land in that year. Now when Antony had received Antigonus as his
captive, he determined to keep him against his triumph; but when he
heard that the nation grew seditious, and that, out of their hatred to
Herod, they continued to bear good-will to Antigonus, he resolved to
behead him at Antioch, for otherwise the Jews could no way be brought to
be quiet. And Strabo of Cappadocia attests to what I have said, when he
thus speaks: "Antony ordered Antigonus the Jew to be brought to Antioch,
and there to be beheaded. And this Antony seems to me to have been the
very first man who beheaded a king, as supposing he could no other way
bend the minds of the Jews so as to receive Herod, whom he had made king
in his stead; for by no torments could they he forced to call him king,
so great a fondness they had for their former king; so he thought
that this dishonorable death would diminish the value they had for
Antigonus's memory, and at the same time would diminish the hatred they
bare to Herod." Thus far Strabo.

CHAPTER 2. How Hyrcanus Was Set At Liberty By The Parthians, And
Returned To Herod; And What Alexandra Did When She Heard That Ananelus
Was Made High Priest.

1. Now after Herod was in possession of the kingdom, Hyrcanus the high
priest, who was then a captive among the Parthians, came to him
again, and was set free from his captivity, in the manner following:
Barzapharnes and Pacorus, the generals of the Parthians, took Hyreanus,
who was first made high priest and afterward king, and Herod's brother,
Phasaelus captives, and were them away into Parthis. Phasaelus indeed
could not bear the reproach of being in bonds; and thinking that death
with glory was better than any life whatsoever, he became his own
executioner, as I have formerly related.

2. But when H