his time a mighty war raised among the Romans upon the
sudden and treacherous slaughter of Caesar by Cassius and Brutus, after
he had held the government for three years and seven months. [14] Upon
this murder there were very great agitations, and the great men were
mightily at difference one with another, and every one betook himself to
that party where they had the greatest hopes of their own, of advancing
themselves. Accordingly, Cassius came into Syria, in order to receive
the forces that were at Apamia, where he procured a reconciliation
between Bassus and Marcus, and the legions which were at difference with
him; so he raised the siege of Apamia, and took upon him the command of
the army, and went about exacting tribute of the cities, and demanding
their money to such a degree as they were not able to bear.

2. So he gave command that the Jews should bring in seven hundred
talents; whereupon Antipater, out of his dread of Cassius's threats,
parted the raising of this sum among his sons, and among others of his
acquaintance, and to be done immediately; and among them he required
one Malichus, who was at enmity with him, to do his part also, which
necessity forced him to do. Now Herod, in the first place, mitigated the
passion of Cassius, by bringing his share out of Galilee, which was a
hundred talents, on which account he was in the highest favor with him;
and when he reproached the rest for being tardy, he was angry at the
cities themselves; so he made slaves of Gophna and Emmaus, and two
others of less note; nay, he proceeded as if he would kill Malichus,
because he had not made greater haste in exacting his tribute; but
Antipater prevented the ruin of this man, and of the other cities, and
got into Cassius's favor by bringing in a hundred talents immediately.
[15]

3. However, when Cassius was gone Malichus forgot the kindness that
Antipater had done him, and laid frequent plots against him that
had saved him, as making haste to get him out of the way, who was an
obstacle to his wicked practices; but Antipater was so much afraid of
the power and cunning of the man, that he went beyond Jordan, in order
to get an army to guard himself against his treacherous designs; but
when Malichus was caught in his plot, he put upon Antipater's sons by
his impudence, for he thoroughly deluded Phasaelus, who was the guardian
of Jerusalem, and Herod who was intrusted with the weapons of war, and
this by a great many excuses an