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[12]
Now Herod brought up his sons' children with great care; for Alexander
had two sons by Glaphyra; and Aristobulus had three sons by Bernice, Salome's
daughter, and two daughters; and as his friends were once with him, he
presented the children before them; and deploring the hard fortune of his
own sons, he prayed that no such ill fortune would befall these who were
their children, but that they might improve in virtue, and obtain what
they justly deserved, and might make him amends for his care of their education.
He also caused them to be betrothed against they should come to the proper
age of marriage; the elder of Alexander's sons to Pheroras's daughter,
and Antipater's daughter to Aristobulus's eldest son. He also allotted
one of Aristobulus's daughters to Antipater's son, and Aristobulus's other
daughter to Herod, a son of his own, who was born to him by the high priest's
daughter; for it is the ancient practice among us to have many wives at
the same time. Now the king made these espousals for the children, out
of commiseration of them now they were fatherless, as endeavoring to render
Antipater kind to them by these intermarriages. But Antipater did not fail
to bear the same temper of mind to his brothers' children which he had
borne to his brothers themselves; and his father's concern about them provoked
his indignation against them upon this supposal, that they would become
greater than ever his brothers had been; while Archclaus, a king, would
support his daughter's sons, and Pheroras, a tetrarch, would accept of
one of the daughters as a wife to his son. What provoked him also was this,
that all the multitude would so commiserate these fatherless children,
and so hate him [for making them fatherless], that all would come out,
since they were no strangers to his vile disposition towards his brethren.
He contrived, therefore, to overturn his father's settlements, as thinking
it a terrible thing that they should be so related to him, and be so powerful
withal. So Herod yielded to him, and changed his resolution at his entreaty;
and the determination now was, that Antipater himself should marry Aristobulus's
daughter, and Antipater's son should marry Pheroras's daughter. So the
espousals for the marriages were changed after this manner, even without
the king's real approbation.
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