Cassius departs for Syria, leaving Herod to deliver an edict of enslavement to four cities north of Jerusalem; punishment for full tribute not having been delivered. In Parthia, Antigonus pledges a thousand talents and five-hundred female servants to King Orodes. On the march, the Parthian army reaches and crosses the Euphrates River. Antony departs for Greece with most of the Roman army, leaving Dolabella to defend the Syrian coast with a small force.      Antipater returns from the Perean wilderness; he and Hyrcanus hold a banquet at the palace. Malichus attends, and with assistance from Hyrcanus' butler poisons Antipater's wine. Phasael sends riders to find Herod and bring him back before his father dies. Forced to change his route by angry mobs from the enslaved cities, Herod travels through the Decapolis and stays at the Hasmonean villa in Scythopolis. There, fatefully, he meets and falls in love with Mariamne. Antipater dies before Herod returns to Jerusalem, causing his son Herod to become consumed in anguish and anger.

SYNOPSIS:

• Doris, Phasael, & Salome find out from Herod that Cassius has ordered the enslavement of four Judean cities because of the incompletely paid tribute; Cassius departs for Greece

• Hatra, Parthia: Orodes informs Labienus and Antigonus they’ll be traveling together with the second wave of the army on the invasion of Syria; the two men quarrel constantly (!); Antigonus promises 1,000 talents silver and 500 female slaves for his restoration to the throne of Judea and pledged fealty to Parthia

• During archery target practise, Herod and Phasael are appraised by Hyrcanus on their father’s absence (in the Perean wilderness)

• Antipater and Tero sneak back into Jerusalem; discover from informants that Cassius has departed and enslaved four cities

• That same evening Herod rides out with guards for the four doomed cities; runs into Malichus hiding-out in the Gardens of Gethsemane (lower Mount of Olives)

• Antony sails from Antioch, takes most of army with him; directs Dolabella to move south along coast to Latakia, setting the stage for his slaughter by Cassius, not Parthia

• Dolabella arrives with Roman troops at Latakia (Syria), set up a perimeter defense against an attack from the north, the direction of Parthia (an unfortunate choice, as we’ll see)

• Herod breaks the bad news to the doomed cities, but the backlash of outrage spreads faster than they can ride to the next town, so they have to abandon – for their own safety; Herod heads northeast to the Decapolis, heading towards the calmer and more familiar in Scythopolis (where he had brought Cleopatra & Arsinoë four years earlier)

• At a banquet hosted by Hyrcanus and Antipater at the Palace in Jerusalem, the butler slips poison into Antipater’s wine; within a minute, Herod’s father is feeling the full effects of the poison and his condition rapidly worsens; riders are sent to notify Herod & Tero

• On the march, Labienus and Antigonus become embroiled in a fight with local herdsman moving flocks on the spice route to Damascus; the Parthians demand the animals be sold to them so they can eat, but a disagreement arises about the price resulting in a fight

• In Scythopolis, Tero chides Herod about his earlier encounter with Cleopatra; because of the late hour they decide to visit the Hasmonean estate there to pay respect (& sleep)

• Herod is hosted by Alexandra, who introduces Herod to Mariamne; he is immediately smitten by her beauty

• Later in a courtyard under the moonlight Herod & Mariamne are speaking intimately when news arrives of his father’s poisoning; he immediately departs for Jerusalem • Herod arrives within a couple hours of hard riding to find his father passed away less than an hour before; filled with rage, he swears to find out who killed Antipater.