leus, upon some occasion coming to Herod, and supping with him, saw
Salome, and set his heart upon her; and understanding that she was a
widow, he discoursed with her. Now because Salome was at this time less
in favor with her brother, she looked upon Sylleus with some passion,
and was very earnest to be married to him; and on the days following
there appeared many, and those very great, indications of their
agreement together. Now the women carried this news to the king, and
laughed at the indecency of it; whereupon Herod inquired about it
further of Pheroras, and desired him to observe them at supper, how
their behavior was one toward another; who told him, that by the signals
which came from their heads and their eyes, they both were evidently in
love. After this, Sylleus the Arabian being suspected, went away, but
came again in two or three months afterwards, as it were on that very
design, and spake to Herod about it, and desired that Salome might be
given him to wife; for that his affinity might not be disadvantageous to
his affairs, by a union with Arabia, the government of which country
was already in effect under his power, and more evidently would be his
hereafter. Accordingly, when Herod discoursed with his sister about it,
and asked her whether she were disposed to this match, she immediately
agreed to it. But when Sylleus was desired to come over to the Jewish
religion, and then he should marry her, and that it was impossible to
do it on any other terms, he could not bear that proposal, and went his
way; for he said, that if he should do so, he should be stoned by the
Arabs. Then did Pheroras reproach Salome for her incontinency, as did
the women much more; and said that Sylleus had debauched her. As for
that damsel which the king had betrothed to his brother Pheroras, but he
had not taken her, as I have before related, because he was enamored on
his former wife, Salome desired of Herod she might be given to her son
by Costobarus; which match he was very willing to, but was dissuaded
from it by Pheroras, who pleaded that this young man would not be kind
to her, since his father had been slain by him, and that it was more
just that his son, who was to be his successor in the tetrarchy,
should have her. So he begged his pardon, and persuaded him to do so.
Accordingly the damsel, upon this change of her espousals, was disposal
of to this young man, the son of Pheroras, the king giving for her
portion a hundred t