From the Taking of Jerusalem by Antiochus Epiphanes to the Death of Herod the Great - Flavius Josephus
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7. Now Hyrcanus was, <strong>by</strong> degrees, inflamed with <strong>the</strong>se discourses, and<br />
at length could bear no longer, but he summoned <strong>Herod</strong> <strong>to</strong> take his trial.<br />
Accordingly, <strong>by</strong> his fa<strong>the</strong>r's advice, and as soon as <strong>the</strong> affairs <strong>of</strong> Galilee<br />
would give him leave, he came up <strong>to</strong> [<strong>Jerusalem</strong>], when he had first placed<br />
garrisons in Galilee; however, he came with a sufficient body <strong>of</strong> soldiers, so<br />
many indeed that he might not appear <strong>to</strong> have with him an army able <strong>to</strong><br />
overthrow Hyrcanus's government, nor yet so few as <strong>to</strong> expose him <strong>to</strong> <strong>the</strong><br />
insults <strong>of</strong> those that envied him. However, Sextus Caesar was in fear for <strong>the</strong><br />
young man, lest he should be taken <strong>by</strong> his enemies, and brought <strong>to</strong><br />
punishment; so he sent some <strong>to</strong> denounce expressly <strong>to</strong> Hyrcanus that he<br />
should acquit <strong>Herod</strong> <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> capital charge against him; who acquitted him<br />
accordingly, as being o<strong>the</strong>rwise inclined also so <strong>to</strong> do, for he loved <strong>Herod</strong>.<br />
8. But <strong>Herod</strong>, supposing that he had escaped punishment without <strong>the</strong><br />
consent <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> king, retired <strong>to</strong> Sextus, <strong>to</strong> Damascus, and got every thing<br />
ready, in order not <strong>to</strong> obey him if he should summon him again; whereupon<br />
those that were evil-disposed irritated Hyrcanus, and <strong>to</strong>ld him that <strong>Herod</strong> was<br />
gone away in anger, and was prepared <strong>to</strong> make war upon him; and as <strong>the</strong><br />
king believed what <strong>the</strong>y said, he knew not what <strong>to</strong> do, since he saw his<br />
antagonist was stronger than he was himself. And now, since <strong>Herod</strong> was<br />
made general <strong>of</strong> Coelesyria and Samaria <strong>by</strong> Sextus Caesar, he was<br />
formidable, not only from <strong>the</strong> good-will which <strong>the</strong> nation bore him, but <strong>by</strong><br />
<strong>the</strong> power he himself had; insomuch that Hyrcanus fell in<strong>to</strong> <strong>the</strong> utmost<br />
degree <strong>of</strong> terror, and expected he would presently march against him with his<br />
army.<br />
9. Nor was he mistaken in <strong>the</strong> conjecture he made; for <strong>Herod</strong> got his<br />
army <strong>to</strong>ge<strong>the</strong>r, out <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> anger he bare him for his threatening him with <strong>the</strong><br />
accusation in a public court, and led it <strong>to</strong> <strong>Jerusalem</strong>, in order <strong>to</strong> throw<br />
Hyrcanus down from his kingdom; and this he had soon done, unless his<br />
fa<strong>the</strong>r and bro<strong>the</strong>r had gone out <strong>to</strong>ge<strong>the</strong>r and broken <strong>the</strong> force <strong>of</strong> his fury, and<br />
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