rder his brother, and had
corrupted those that were dearest to the king, and filled the whole
palace with wickedness; and when he had insisted on many other
accusations, and the proofs for them, he left off.

5. Then Varus bid Antipater make his defense; but he lay along in
silence, and said no more but this, "God is my witness that I am
entirely innocent." So Varus asked for the potion, and gave it to be
drunk by a condemned malefactor, who was then in prison, who died upon
the spot. So Varus, when he had had a very private discourse with Herod,
and had written an account of this assembly to Caesar, went away, after
a day's stay. The king also bound Antipater, and sent away to inform
Caesar of his misfortunes.

6. Now after this it was discovered that
Antipater had laid a plot against Salome also; for one of Antiphilus's
domestic servants came, and brought letters from Rome, from a
maid-servant of Julia, [Caesar's wife,] whose name was Acme. By her a
message was sent to the king, that she had found a letter written by
Salome, among Julia's papers, and had sent it to him privately, out of
her good-will to him. This letter of Salome contained the most bitter
reproaches of the king, and the highest accusations against him.
Antipater had forged this letter, and had corrupted Acme, and persuaded
her to send it to Herod. This was proved by her letter to Antipater, for
thus did this woman write to him: "As thou desirest, I have written a
letter to thy father, and have sent that letter, and am persuaded that
the king will not spare his sister when he reads it. Thou wilt do well
to remember what thou hast promised when all is accomplished."

7. When this epistle was discovered, and what the epistle forged against
Salome contained, a suspicion came into the king's mind, that perhaps
the letters against Alexander were also forged: he was moreover greatly
disturbed, and in a passion, because he had almost slain his sister on
Antipater's account. He did no longer delay therefore to bring him
to punishment for all his crimes; yet when he was eagerly pursuing
Antipater, he was restrained by a severe distemper he fell into.
However, he sent all account to Caesar about Acme, and the contrivances
against Salome; he sent also for his testament, and altered it, and
therein made Antipas king, as taking no care of Archclaus and Philip,
because Antipater had blasted their reputations with him; but he
bequeathed to Caesar, besides other pr