again without success. Now Agrippa was [about this
time] sent to succeed Caesar in the government of the countries beyond
the Ionian Sea, upon whom Herod lighted when he was wintering about
Mitylene, for he had been his particular friend and companion, and
then returned into Judea again. However, some of the Gadarens came to
Agrippa, and accused Herod, whom he sent back bound to the king without
giving them the hearing. But still the Arabians, who of old bare
ill-will to Herod's government, were nettled, and at that time attempted
to raise a sedition in his dominions, and, as they thought, upon a more
justifiable occasion; for Zenodorus, despairing already of success as to
his own affairs, prevented [his enemies], by selling to those Arabians
a part of his principality, called Auranitis, for the value of fifty
talents; but as this was included in the donations of Caesar, they
contested the point with Herod, as unjustly deprived of what they had
bought. Sometimes they did this by making incursions upon him, and
sometimes by attempting force against him, and sometimes by going to law
with him. Moreover, they persuaded the poorer soldiers to help them, and
were troublesome to him, out of a constant hope that they should reduce
the people to raise a sedition; in which designs those that are in the
most miserable circumstances of life are still the most earnest; and
although Herod had been a great while apprized of these attempts, yet
did not he indulge any severity to them, but by rational methods aimed
to mitigate things, as not willing to give any handle for tumults.

3. Now when Herod had already reigned seventeen years, Caesar came into
Syria; at which time the greatest part of the inhabitants of Gadara
clamored against Herod, as one that was heavy in his injunctions,
and tyrannical. These reproaches they mainly ventured upon by the
encouragement of Zenodorus, who took his oath that he would never leave
Herod till he had procured that they should be severed from Herod's
kingdom, and joined to Caesar's province. The Gadarens were induced
hereby, and made no small cry against him, and that the more boldly,
because those that had been delivered up by Agrippa were not punished
by Herod, who let them go, and did them no harm; for indeed he was the
principal man in the world who appeared almost inexorable in punishing
crimes in his own family, but very generous in remitting the offenses
that were committed elsewhere. And whil