t Rome, and was come back again, a war arose
between him and the Arabians, on the occasion following: The inhabitants
of Trachonitis, after Caesar had taken the country away from Zenodorus,
and added it to Herod, had not now power to rob, but were forced to
plough the land, and to live quietly, which was a thing they did not
like; and when they did take that pains, the ground did not produce much
fruit for them. However, at the first the king would not permit them
to rob, and so they abstained from that unjust way of living upon their
neighbors, which procured Herod a great reputation for his care. But
when he was sailing to Rome, it was at that time when he went to accuse
his son Alexander, and to commit Antipater to Caesar's protection, the
Trachonites spread a report as if he were dead, and revolted from his
dominion, and betook themselves again to their accustomed way of robbing
their neighbors; at which time the king's commanders subdued them during
his absence; but about forty of the principal robbers, being terrified
by those that had been taken, left the country, and retired into Arabia,
Sylleus entertaining them, after he had missed of marrying Salome, and
gave them a place of strength, in which they dwelt. So they overran
not only Judea, but all Celesyria also, and carried off the prey, while
Sylleus afforded them places of protection and quietness during their
wicked practices. But when Herod came back from Rome, he perceived that
his dominions had greatly suffered by them; and since he could not reach
the robbers themselves, because of the secure retreat they had in that
country, and which the Arabian government afforded them, and yet
being very uneasy at the injuries they had done him, he went all over
Trachonitis, and slew their relations; whereupon these robbers were
more angry than before, it being a law among them to be avenged on the
murderers of their relations by all possible means; so they continued to
tear and rend every thing under Herod's dominion with impunity. Then
did he discourse about these robberies to Saturninus and Volumnius, and
required that they should be punished; upon which occasion they still
the more confirmed themselves in their robberies, and became more
numerous, and made very great disturbances, laying waste the countries
and villages that belonged to Herod's kingdom, and killing those men
whom they caught, till these unjust proceedings came to be like a real
war, for the robbers