yrcanus was brought into Parthia the king Phraates treated
him after a very gentle manner, as having already learned of what an
illustrious family he was; on which account he set him free from his
bonds, and gave him a habitation at Babylon, [1] where there were Jews
in great numbers. These Jews honored Hyrcanus as their high priest and
king, as did all the Jewish nation that dwelt as far as Euphrates; which
respect was very much to his satisfaction. But when he was informed that
Herod had received the kingdom, new hopes came upon him, as having been
himself still of a kind disposition towards him, and expecting that
Herod would bear in mind what favor he had received from him; and when
he was upon his trial, and when he was in danger that a capital sentence
would be pronounced against him, he delivered him from that danger, and
from all punishment. Accordingly, he talked of that matter with the
Jew that came often to him with great affection; but they endeavored to
retain him among them, and desired that he would stay with them, putting
him in mind of the kind offices and honors they did him, and that those
honors they paid him were not at all inferior to what they could pay to
either their high priests or their kings; and what was a greater motive
to determine him, they said, was this, that he could not have those
dignities [in Judea] because of that maim in his body, which had been
inflicted on him by Antigonus; and that kings do not use to requite men
for those kindnesses which they received when they were private persons,
the height of their fortune making usually no small changes in them.

3. Now although they suggested these arguments to him for his own
advantage, yet did Hyrcanus still desire to depart. Herod also wrote
to him, and persuaded him to desire of Phraates, and the Jews that were
there, that they should not grudge him the royal authority, which he
should have jointly with himself, for that now was the proper time for
himself to make him amends for the favors he had received from him, as
having been brought up by him, and saved by him also, as well as for
Hyrcanus to receive it. And as he wrote thus to Hyrcanus, so did he send
also Saramallas, his ambassador, to Phraates, and many presents with
him, and desired him in the most obliging way that he would be no
hinderance to his gratitude towards his benefactor. But this zeal of
Herod's did not flow from that principle, but because he had been made
govern