istemper it was under by the means of our
victory. I, therefore, bearing in mind both thee and your nation, shall
take care of what may be for your advantage. I have also sent epistles
in writing to the several cities, that if any persons, whether free-men
or bond-men, have been sold under the spear by Caius Cassius, or his
subordinate officers, they may be set free. And I will that you kindly
make use of the favors which I and Dolabella have granted you. I also
forbid the Tyrians to use any violence with you; and for what places of
the Jews they now possess, I order them to restore them. I have withal
accepted of the crown which thou sentest me."

4. "Marcus Antonius, imperator, to the magistrates, senate, and people
of Tyre, sendeth greeting. The ambassadors of Hyrcanus, the high priest
and ethnarch [of the Jews], appeared before me at Ephesus, and told me
that you are in possession of part of their country, which you entered
upon under the government of our adversaries. Since, therefore, we have
undertaken a war for the obtaining the government, and have taken care
to do what was agreeable to piety and justice, and have brought to
punishment those that had neither any remembrance of the kindnesses they
had received, nor have kept their oaths, I will that you be at peace
with those that are our confederates; as also, that what you have taken
by the means of our adversaries shall not be reckoned your own, but be
returned to those from whom you took them; for none of them took their
provinces or their armies by the gift of the senate, but they seized
them by force, and bestowed them by violence upon such as became useful
to them in their unjust proceedings. Since, therefore, those men have
received the punishment due to them, we desire that our confederates
may retain whatsoever it was that they formerly possessed without
disturbance, and that you restore all the places which belong to
Hyrcanus, the ethnarch of the Jews, which you have had, though it were
but one day before Caius Cassius began an unjustifiable war against us,
and entered into our province; nor do you use any force against him, in
order to weaken him, that he may not be able to dispose of that which
is his own; but if you have any contest with him about your respective
rights, it shall be lawful for you to plead your cause when we come upon
the places concerned, for we shall alike preserve the rights and hear
all the causes of our confederates."

5. "Ma