nces grieved him
exceedingly, who was now believed by Caesar, and was present at Rome,
nay, sometimes aspiring higher. Now it came to pass that Obodas was
dead; and Aeneas, whose name was afterward changed to Aretas, [12] took
the government, for Sylleus endeavored by calumnies to get him turned
out of his principality, that he might himself take it; with which
design he gave much money to the courtiers, and promised much money
to Caesar, who indeed was angry that Aretas had not sent to him first
before he took the kingdom; yet did Aeneas send an epistle and presents
to Caesar, and a golden crown, of the weight of many talents. Now that
epistle accused Sylleus as having been a wicked servant, and having
killed Obodas by poison; and that while he was alive, he had governed
him as he pleased; and had also debauched the wives of the Arabians; and
had borrowed money, in order to obtain the dominion for himself: yet
did not Caesar give heed to these accusations, but sent his ambassadors
back, without receiving any of his presents. But in the mean time the
affairs of Judea and Arabia became worse and worse, partly because of
the anarchy they were under, and partly because, as bad as they were,
nobody had power to govern them; for of the two kings, the one was not
yet confirmed in his kingdom, and so had not authority sufficient to
restrain the evil-doers; and as for Herod, Caesar was immediately angry
at him for having avenged himself, and so he was compelled to bear all
the injuries that were offered him. At length, when he saw no end of the
mischief which surrounded him, he resolved to send ambassadors to Rome
again, to see whether his friends had prevailed to mitigate Caesar,
and to address themselves to Caesar himself; and the ambassador he sent
thither was Nicolans of Damascus.

CHAPTER 10. How Eurycles Falsely Accused Herod's Sons; And How Their
Father Bound Them, And Wrote To Caesar About Them. Of Sylleus And How He
Was Accused By Nicolaus.

1. The disorders about Herod's family and children about this time
grew much worse; for it now appeared certain, nor was it unforeseen
before-hand, that fortune threatened the greatest and most insupportable
misfortunes possible to his kingdom. Its progress and augmentation at
this time arose on the occasion following: One Eurycles, a Lacedemonian,
[a person of note there, but a man of a perverse mind, and so cunning
in his ways of voluptuousness and flattery, as to indulg