From the Taking of Jerusalem by Antiochus Epiphanes to the Death of Herod the Great - Flavius Josephus
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this <strong>by</strong> exhorting him <strong>to</strong> carry his revenge no fur<strong>the</strong>r than <strong>to</strong> threatening and<br />
affrighting, but <strong>to</strong> spare <strong>the</strong> king, under whom he had been advanced <strong>to</strong> such<br />
a degree <strong>of</strong> power; and that he ought not <strong>to</strong> be so much provoked at his being<br />
tried, as <strong>to</strong> forget <strong>to</strong> be thankful that he was acquitted; nor so long <strong>to</strong> think<br />
upon what was <strong>of</strong> a melancholy nature, as <strong>to</strong> be ungrateful for his<br />
deliverance; and if we ought <strong>to</strong> reckon that God is <strong>the</strong> arbitra<strong>to</strong>r <strong>of</strong> success in<br />
war, an unjust cause is <strong>of</strong> more disadvantage than an army can be <strong>of</strong><br />
advantage; and that <strong>the</strong>refore he ought not <strong>to</strong> be entirely confident <strong>of</strong> success<br />
in a case where he is <strong>to</strong> fight against his king, his supporter, and one that had<br />
<strong>of</strong>ten been his benefac<strong>to</strong>r, and that had never been severe <strong>to</strong> him, any<br />
o<strong>the</strong>rwise than as he had hearkened <strong>to</strong> evil counselors, and this no fur<strong>the</strong>r<br />
than <strong>by</strong> bringing a shadow <strong>of</strong> injustice upon him. So <strong>Herod</strong> was prevailed<br />
upon <strong>by</strong> <strong>the</strong>se arguments, and supposed that what he had already done was<br />
sufficient for his future hopes, and that he had enough shown his power <strong>to</strong><br />
<strong>the</strong> nation.<br />
10. In <strong>the</strong> mean time, <strong>the</strong>re was a disturbance among <strong>the</strong> Romans about<br />
Apamia, and a civil war occasioned <strong>by</strong> <strong>the</strong> treacherous slaughter <strong>of</strong> Sextus<br />
Caesar, <strong>by</strong> Cecilius Bassus, which he perpetrated out <strong>of</strong> his good-will <strong>to</strong><br />
Pompey; he also <strong>to</strong>ok <strong>the</strong> authority over his forces; but as <strong>the</strong> rest <strong>of</strong> Caesar's<br />
commanders attacked Bassus with <strong>the</strong>ir whole army, in order <strong>to</strong> punish him<br />
for <strong>the</strong> murder <strong>of</strong> Caesar, Antipater also sent <strong>the</strong>m assistance <strong>by</strong> his sons,<br />
both on account <strong>of</strong> him that was murdered, and on account <strong>of</strong> that Caesar<br />
who was still alive, both <strong>of</strong> which were <strong>the</strong>ir friends; and as this war grew <strong>to</strong><br />
be <strong>of</strong> a considerable length, Marcus came out <strong>of</strong> Italy as successor <strong>to</strong> Sextus.<br />
Footnotes:<br />
1. What is here noted <strong>by</strong> Hudson and Spanheim, that this grant <strong>of</strong> leave <strong>to</strong><br />
rebuild <strong>the</strong> walls <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> cities <strong>of</strong> Judea was made <strong>by</strong> Julius Caesar, not as<br />
here <strong>to</strong> Antipater, but <strong>to</strong> Hyrcanas, Antiq. B. XIV. ch. 8. sect. 5, has<br />
hardly an appearance <strong>of</strong> a contradiction; Antipater being now perhaps<br />
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