Rome Makes Herod King

Herod pressed on all the harder toward Arabia, hurrying, while his brother was still alive, to get money from the king; with money alone he hoped to win over the greed of the barbarians on Phasael’s behalf. For he reasoned that if the Arab king proved too forgetful of his friendship with Herod’s father, and too stingy to make him a gift, he would at least borrow the ransom from him and leave as security the son of the man to be ransomed; and in fact he was taking his nephew, a boy of seven, with him. He was ready to give three hundred talents, and he put forward the Tyrians to plead for him. But fate had outrun his zeal, and with Phasael dead, Herod’s love for his brother was in vain. Nor did he find any real friendship among the Arabs. Their king Malchus sent word ahead, ordering him to turn back out of the country at once. He used the Parthians as his pretext, claiming they had sent heralds demanding that he expel Herod from Arabia. In reality he chose to keep back what he owed to Antipater, and not be shamed into making any return for Antipater’s gifts to the children now in need. His counselors in this shamelessness were men who likewise wished to withhold the deposits Antipater had left with them; these were the most powerful of those around him. [a]

So Herod found the Arabs to be enemies for the very reasons he had hoped they would be his best friends. He gave the messengers the answer his feelings dictated and turned back toward Egypt. The first evening he camped at one of the local temples, where he picked up those he had left behind. The next day, as he went on to Rhinocorura, the news of his brother’s death was brought to him. Exchanging his anxiety for as much grief, he went on his way. The Arab king, repenting too late, sent men in haste to call back the man he had insulted. But Herod was ahead of them too and reached Pelusium. There the ships lying at anchor refused him passage, so he appealed to their commanders, who, out of respect for the man’s fame and rank, escorted him to Alexandria. When he entered the city, Cleopatra received him splendidly, hoping to have him as general for the expedition she was preparing. But he turned down the queen’s appeals, and, afraid neither of the depth of winter nor of the disturbances in Italy, he sailed for Rome. [c] Off Pamphylia he ran into danger and had to throw most of the cargo overboard, and he barely reached safety at Rhodes, which had been badly worn down by the war with Cassius. There he was received by his friends Ptolemy and Sapphinius. Though he was short of money, he had a very large trireme built, and in it he and his friends sailed to Brundisium. From there he hurried to Rome. He went first to Antony, because of the friendship Antony had had with his father, and told him of the misfortunes of himself and his family, and how he had left his nearest relatives besieged in a fortress and sailed to him through the winter as a suppliant. [e]

Antony was moved to pity at his change of fortune. Remembering Antipater’s hospitality, but above all because of the merit of the man before him, he resolved then and there to make king of the Jews the man he had once made tetrarch himself. His quarrel with Antigonus moved him no less than his regard for Herod, for he considered Antigonus seditious and an enemy of Rome. Herod found Caesar even readier than Antony, as he called to mind the campaigns in Egypt that Antipater had shared with his father, his hospitality and his loyalty in everything, and as he saw Herod’s own energy. So he called the senate together. There Messala, and after him Atratinus, presented Herod and set out his father’s services and his own goodwill toward the Romans. At the same time they showed that Antigonus was an enemy, not only from his earlier quarrel with them, but because he had just now taken power through the Parthians in disregard of the Romans. The senate was moved by this, and when Antony came forward and said that for the war against the Parthians too it was to their advantage that Herod should be king, they all voted for it. When the senate rose, Antony and Caesar went out with Herod between them, while the consuls and the other magistrates led the way to offer sacrifice and to lay up the decree in the Capitol. On the first day of Herod’s reign Antony gave a banquet for him. [h]