From the Taking of Jerusalem by Antiochus Epiphanes to the Death of Herod the Great - Flavius Josephus

6. Nay, Pheroras had been accused long before, while the queen
[Mariamne] was alive, as if he were in a plot to poison Herod; and there
came then so great a number of informers, that Herod himself, though he was
an exceeding lover of his brethren, was brought to believe what was said,
and to be afraid of it also. And when he had brought many of those that were
under suspicion to the torture, he came at last to Pheroras's own friends; none
of which did openly confess the crime, but they owned that he had made
preparation to take her whom he loved, and run away to the Parthians.
Costobarus also, the husband of Salome, to whom the king had given her in
marriage, after her former husband had been put to death for adultery, was
instrumental in bringing about this contrivance and flight of his. Nor did
Salome escape all calumny upon herself; for her brother Pheroras accused
her that she had made an agreement to marry Silleus, the procurator of
Obodas, king of Arabia, who was at bitter enmity with Herod; but when she
was convicted of this, and of all that Pheroras had accused her of, she
obtained her pardon. The king also pardoned Pheroras himself the crimes he
had been accused of.
7. But the storm of the whole family was removed to Alexander, and all
of it rested upon his head. There were three eunuchs who were in the highest
esteem with the king, as was plain by the offices they were in about him; for
one of them was appointed to be his butler, another of them got his supper
ready for him, and the third put him into bed, and lay down by him. Now
Alexander had prevailed with these men, by large gifts, to let him use them
after an obscene manner; which, when it was told to the king, they were
tortured, and found guilty, and presently confessed the criminal conversation
he had with them. They also discovered the promises by which they were
induced so to do, and how they were deluded by Alexander, who had told
them that they ought not to fix their hopes upon Herod, an old man, and one
so shameless as to color his hair, unless they thought that would make him
young again; but that they ought to fix their attention to him who was to be
his successor in the kingdom, whether he would or not; and who in no long
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