one Trypho, who was the king's barber, took the
opportunity, and came and told the king, that Tero would often have
persuaded him, when he trimmed him with a razor, to cut his throat, for
that by this means he should be among the chief of Alexander's friends,
and receive great rewards from him. When he had said this, the king gave
order that Tero, and his son, and the barber should be tortured, which
was done accordingly; but while Tero bore up himself, his son seeing
his father already in a sad case, and had no hope of deliverance, and
perceiving what would be the consequence of his terrible sufferings,
said, that if the king would free him and his father from these torments
for what he should say, he would tell the truth. And when the king had
given his word to do so, he said that there was an agreement made, that
Tero should lay violent hands on the king, because it was easy for him
to come when he was alone; and that if, when he had done the thing, he
should suffer death for it, as was not unlikely, it would be an act of
generosity done in favor of Alexander. This was what Tero's son said,
and thereby freed his father from the distress he was in; but uncertain
it is whether he had been thus forced to speak what was true, or whether
it were a contrivance of his, in order to procure his own and his
father's deliverance from their miseries.

7. As for Herod, if he had before any doubt about the slaughter of his
sons, there was now no longer any room left in his soul for it; but he
had banished away whatsoever might afford him the least suggestion of
reasoning better about this matter, so he already made haste to bring
his purpose to a conclusion. He also brought out three hundred of the
officers that were under an accusation, as also Tero and his son,
and the barber that accused them before an assembly, and brought an
accusation against them all; whom the multitude stoned with whatsoever
came to hand, and thereby slew them. Alexander also and Aristobulus were
brought to Sebaste, by their father's command, and there strangled; but
their dead bodies were in the night time carried to Alexandraum,
where their uncle by the mother's side, and the greatest part of their
ancestors, had been deposited.

8. [15] And now perhaps it may not seem unreasonable to some, that
such an inveterate hatred might increase so much [on both sides], as
to proceed further, and overcome nature; but it may justly deserve
consideration, whether i