found that the Arabians were his enemies, he turned back to Egypt.  And when he came to Pelusium, he could not obtain passage from those who lay with the fleet.  Therefore he besought their captains to let him go with them.  So out of respect for the fame and rank of the man they carried him to Alexandria.  And when he came to the city, he was received with great splendor by Cleopatra, who hoped he might be persuaded to be the commander of her forces in the expedition she was about to undertake.  But he rejected the queen’s entreaty and sailed for Rome, where first of all he went to Antony and laid before him the calamities that had overtaken himself and his family.

[Sidenote:  Jos.  Jew.  War, I, 14:4] Thereupon Antony’s pity was aroused because of the change that had come about in Herod’s affairs, so he then resolved to have him made king of the Jews.  Herod found Caesar even more ready than Antony because he recalled the campaigns through which he had gone with Herod’s father, Antipater, in Egypt, and his hospitable treatment and good will in all things.  Besides he recognized the energy of Herod.  Accordingly he called the senate together.  There Messala, and after him Atratinus, introduced Herod to them and gave a full account of his father’s merits and of his own good will to the Romans.  Antony also came in and told them that it was to their advantage in the Parthian war that Herod should be king.  So they all gave their votes for it.  And when the senate disbanded, Antony and Caesar went out with Herod between them.  Antony also made a feast for Herod on the first day of his reign.

[Sidenote:  Jos.  Jew.  War, I, 15:3a,b, 4, 16:1] Herod then sailed from Italy and came to Ptolemais.  And as soon as he had assembled a considerable army of foreigners and of his own countrymen, he marched through Galilee against Antigonus.  The number of his forces increased each day as he went along, and all Galilee with few exceptions joined him.  After this Herod took Joppa, and then he marched to Masada to free his kinsmen.  Then he marched to Jerusalem, where the soldiers who were with the Roman general Silo joined his own, as did many from the city because they feared his power.  Herod did not lie idle, but seized Idumea and held it with two thousand footmen and four hundred horsemen.  He also removed his mother and all his kinsmen, who had been at Masada, to Samaria.  And when he had settled them securely, he marched to capture the remaining parts of Galilee, and to drive away the garrisons of Antigonus.

[Sidenote:  Jos.  Jew.  War, I, 17:1] In the meantime Herod’s fortunes in Judea were not in a favorable condition.  He had left his brother Joseph with full authority, but had commanded him to make no attacks against Antigonus until his return.  But as soon as Joseph heard that his brother was at a great distance, he disregarded the command he had received and marched toward Jericho with five cohorts.  But when his enemies attacked him in the mountains and in a place where it was difficult to pass, he was killed as he was fighting bravely in the battle, and all the Roman cohorts were destroyed.