by the prudence either of
the young men, or of Antipater. These men said, that by committing the
public affairs to the management of Antipater and of his sons, he
sat down with nothing but the bare name of a king, without any of its
authority; and they asked him how long he would so far mistake himself,
as to breed up kings against his own interest; for that they did not now
conceal their government of affairs any longer, but were plainly lords
of the nation, and had thrust him out of his authority; that this was
the case when Herod slew so many men without his giving him any command
to do it, either by word of mouth, or by his letter, and this in
contradiction to the law of the Jews; who therefore, in case he be not a
king, but a private man, still ought to come to his trial, and answer it
to him, and to the laws of his country, which do not permit any one to
be killed till he hath been condemned in judgment.

7. Now Hyrcanus was, by degrees, inflamed with these discourses, and at
length could bear no longer, but he summoned Herod to take his trial.
Accordingly, by his father's advice, and as soon as the affairs of
Galilee would give him leave, he came up to [Jerusalem], when he had
first placed garrisons in Galilee; however, he came with a sufficient
body of soldiers, so many indeed that he might not appear to have with
him an army able to overthrow Hyrcanus's government, nor yet so few as
to expose him to the insults of those that envied him. However, Sextus
Caesar was in fear for the young man, lest he should be taken by
his enemies, and brought to punishment; so he sent some to denounce
expressly to Hyrcanus that he should acquit Herod of the capital charge
against him; who acquitted him accordingly, as being otherwise inclined
also so to do, for he loved Herod.

8. But Herod, supposing that he had escaped punishment without the
consent of the king, retired to Sextus, to Damascus, and got every thing
ready, in order not to obey him if he should summon him again; whereupon
those that were evil-disposed irritated Hyrcanus, and told him that
Herod was gone away in anger, and was prepared to make war upon him; and
as the king believed what they said, he knew not what to do, since he
saw his antagonist was stronger than he was himself. And now, since
Herod was made general of Coelesyria and Samaria by Sextus Caesar, he
was formidable, not only from the good-will which the nation bore him,
but by the power he himself h