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[661]
These were the commands he gave them; when there came letters from
his ambassadors at Rome, whereby information was given that Acme was put
to death at Caesar's command, and that Antipater was condemned to die;
however, they wrote withal, that if Herod had a mind rather to banish him,
Caesar permitted him so to do. So he for a little while revived, and had
a desire to live; but presently after he was overborne by his pains, and
was disordered by want of food, and by a convulsive cough, and endeavored
to prevent a natural, death; so he took an apple, and asked for a knife
for he used to pare apples and eat them; he then looked round about to
see that there was nobody to hinder him, and lift up his right hand as
if he would stab himself; but Achiabus, his first cousin, came running
to him, and held his hand, and hindered him from so doing; on which occasion
a very great lamentation was made in the palace, as if the king were expiring.
As soon as ever Antipater heard that, he took courage, and with joy in
his looks, besought his keepers, for a sum of money, to loose him and let
him go; but the principal keeper of the prison did not only obstruct him
in that his intention, but ran and told the king what his design was; hereupon
the king cried out louder than his distemper would well bear, and immediately
sent some of his guards and slew Antipater; he also gave order to have
him buried at Hyrcanium, and altered his testament again, and therein made
Archclaus, his eldest son, and the brother of Antipas, his successor, and
made Antipas tetrarch.
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