*The two kings having taken the field, Demetrius, who wanted neither valour nor good sense, when his reason was not impaired by wine, was victorious in the first battle; but it was of o advantage to him. Alexander soon received new troops From the three kings who had set him up, and continued to support him vigorously. Having, besides this, the Romans and Jonathan on his side, he retrieved himself, and maintained his ground. The Syrians continually deserted also, because they Could not bear Demetrius. That prince, beginning to appreend the event of the war, sent his two sons, Demetrius and Antiochus to Onidos a city of Caria, in order to their security n case of misfortune. He confided them, with a considerable sum of money, to the care of a friend of his in that city; in order if any accident should happen, that they might remain there in safety, and wait some favourable conjuncture.

It was at the same time, and perhaps in imitation of Alexander Bala, that Andriscas played the same part in Macedonia. He had retired to Demetrius, who had given him up to the Romans, from the hope of conciliating their favour.

The two competitors for the crown of Syria having assembled all their troops, proceeded to a decisive battle. At first Demetrius' left wing broke that of the enemy which opposed it, and put it to flight. But being too hot in the pursuit, a common fault in battles, and which almost always occasions their being lost, at their return they found the right, at the head of which Demetrius fought in person, routed, and the king himself killed in the pursuit. As long as he had been in a condition to support the enemy's charge, he had omitted nothing that valour and conduct were capable of, which might conduce to his success. At length his troops gave way, and in the retreat his horse plunged into a bog, where those who pursued him, killed him with their arrows. He had reigned 12 years. Alexander, by his victory, found himself master of the empire of Syria.

As soon as | Alexander saw himself at repose, he sent to demand Cleopatra, the daughter of Ptolemy, king of Egypt, in marriage. She was granted him, and her father conducted her in person to Ptolemais, where the nuptials were celebrated. Jonathan was invited to that feast, and went thither, where he was received by the two kings with all possible marks of honour.

Onias, son of Onias III. having been disappointed of the high-priesthood after the death of his uncle Menelaus, had re

A. M. 3852. Ant. J. C. 152. A. M. 3854, Ant. J. C. 150.
I Maccab. x. 51-66.

tired into Egypt*. He had found means to insinuate himself so well into the favour of Ptolemy Philometer and Cleopatra his wife, that he was become their favourite, and most intimate confident. He made use of his credit at that court to obtain the king's permission for building a temple for the Jews in Egypt, like that in Jerusalem; assuring him that favour would bring the whole nation into his party against Antiochus Epiphanes: At the same time the high-priesthood there was granted to him and his descendants for ever. The great difficulty was to make the Jews come into this innovation; it being forbid by the law to offer sacrifices in any place but the temple of Jerusalem. It was not without difficulty he overcame their repugnance, by a passage in Isaiah, wherein the prophet foretels this event in these terms†: “In that day shall five cities "in the land of Egypt speak the language of Canaan, and swear "to the Lord of hosts; the one shall be called the city of De"struction." [M. Rollin says, the city of the Sun, or Heliopolis.] "In that day there shall be an altar to the Lord in the "midst of the land of Egypt; and a pillar at the border there"of to the Lord. And it shall be for a sign and for a witness "unto the Lord of hosts in the land of Egypt; for they shall 66 cry unto the Lord because of the oppressors, and he shall "send them a saviour and a great one, and he shall deliver "them. And the Lord shall be known to Egypt, and the "Egyptians shall know the Lord in that day, and shall do sa"crifice and oblation, yea, they shall vow a vow to the Lord, "and perform it."

The event here foretold by Isaiah is one of the most singular, and, at the same time, the most remote from all probability. Nothing was more strictly forbidden to the Jews, than to offer sacrifices to God in any other place than the temple built by his order at Jerusalem; how much more in consequence, to build a temple elsewhere, especially in a land polluted with the most gross idolatry, and always at enmity with the people of God? This however came to pass, exactly as the prophet Isaiah had foretold. I shall not enter into a circumstantial exposition of this prophecy, which would carry me too far from my subject.

Alexander Balaf, finding himself in the peaceable possession of the crown of Syria, thought he had nothing more to do than to take all the pleasures the abundance and power to which he

• Joseph. contra Appian. 1. ii.

+ Isa. xix. 18-21. A. M. 3856. Ant. J. C. 148. Liv. Epit. lib. 1. Justin. 1. xxxv.C. 2. Jos. Antiq. 1. xiii. c. 8. 1 Maccab. x. 67-89. Diod. in Excerpt. Vales. p. 346.

had attained would admit. He abandoned himself therefore to mis natural inclination for luxury, idleness, and debauch. He eft the care of affairs entirely to a favourite, named Ammonis. That insolent and cruel minister put to death Laodice, the ister of Demetrius, and widow of Perseus, king of Macedonia; Antigonus, Demetrius' son, who had continued in Syria when he two others were sent to Cnidos; in fine, all the persons of he blood-royal he could find, in order to secure to his master, by that means, the possession of the crown he had usurped by in imposture. That conduct soon drew upon both the abhorence of the people.

Demetrius, the eldest of Demetrius' sons, was at Cnidos, and began to be of an age capable of counsel and action. When he was advised of this aversion of the people, he thought the Occasion very favourable for repossessing himself of his right. Lasthenes, the friend in whose house he lived, procured him some companies of Cretans, with which he landed in Cilicia. There soon joined him a sufficient number of malcontents to form an army, with which he made himself master of the whole province. Alexander opened his eyes, and quitted his seraglio o apply himself to his affairs. He left the government of Antioch to Hierax and Diodorus, who is also called Tryphon, put himself at the head of an army formed of all the troops he could assemble, and upon receiving advice that Apollonius, governor of Colosyria and Phoenicia, had declared for Demetrius, he sent to demand aid of Ptolemy his father-in-law.

Apollonius' first thoughts were to reduce Jonathan, who per-sisted in his attachment to Alexander: but his success did not answer his design, and in one day he lost above 8000 men. * Ptolemy Philometer, to whom Alexander had applied in the extreme danger wherein he found himself, came at last to the assistance of his son-in-law, and entered Palestine with a great army. All the cities opened their gates to him, according to the orders they had received from Alexander to that effect: Jonathan came to join him at Joppa, and followed him to Ptolemais. Upon his arrival a conspiracy was discovered, formed by Ammonius against the life of Philometer. As Alexander refused to deliver up that traitor, he concluded that he had entered into the conspiracy himself, and, in consequence, took his daughter from him, gave her to Demetrius, and made a treaty with him, by which he engaged to aid him in reascending the throne of his father.

The people of Antioch, who mortally hated Ammonius, be

* A. M. 3858. Ant. J. C. 146.

lieved it time to show their resentment. Having discovered him disguised like a woman, they sacrificed him to their rage, Not content with that revenge they declared against Alexander himself, and opened their gates to Ptolemy. They would even have set him upon the throne. But that prince, assuring them that he was contented with his own dominions, instead of accepting that offer, recommended them to Demetrius the lawful heir, who accordingly was placed upon the throne of his ancestors, and acknowledged by all the inhabitants.

Alexander, who was at that time in Cilicia, marched with the utmost diligence, and put all to fire and sword around Antioch. The two armies came to a battle. Alexander was beat, and filed with 500 horse to † Zabdiel, an Arabian prince, with whom he had entrusted his children. Betrayed by the person in whom he had placed most confidence, his head was cut off, and sent to Ptolemy, who expressed great joy at the sight of it, That joy was of no long duration, for he died some few days af ter, of a wound he had received in the battle. Thus Alexan der king of Syria, and Ptolemy Philometer king of Egypt, died at the same time; the first after a reign of five years, and the second after one of 35. Demetrius, who had attained the crown by this victory, assumed the surname of Nicator, that is to say, the conqueror. The succession of Egypt was attended with more difficulties.

SECTION IV.

PHYSCON ESPOUSES CLEOPATRA, AND ASCENDS THE
THRONE OF EGYPT.

CLEOPATRA, queen of Egypt, after the death of her husband, who was at the same time her brother, endeavoured to place the crown upon the head of the son she had by him. As he was yet very young, others laboured to obtain it for Physcon, king of Cyrenaica, the late king's brother, and sent to desire him to come to Alexandria. Cleopatra, thereby reduced to the necessity of her defence, caused Onias and Dosithæus, with an army of Jews, to come to her assistance. There was at that time a Roman ambassador in Alexandria, named Thermus, who by his mediation accommodated affairs. It was agreed, that

* A. M. 3859. Ant. J. C. 145.

He is called Emalcuel in the Maccabees.

A. M. 3859. Ant. J. C, 145. Jofeph. contr. App. 1. ii. Jussin. 1. xxxviii. c. 8. Val. Max. 1. ix. c. I.

'hyscon should marry Cleopatra, and educate her son, who hould be declared heir to the crown; and that Physcon should ossess it during his life. He had no sooner married the ueen, and taken possession of the crown, than, even the very ay of the nuptials, he killed her son in her arms.

I have already observed, that the surname of Physcon, given this prince, was only a nickname. That which he took him. elf was Evergetes, which signifies the benefactor. The Alexndrians changed it into that of Cacoergetes, that is to say, on he contrary," one who delights in doing harm;" a surname o which he had the justest title.

* In Syria affairs went on but little better. Demetrius, a oung prince without experience, left every thing to Lasthenes, vho had procured him the Cretans, by whose aid he had asended the throne. He was a corrupt and rash man; and ehaved himself so ill, that he soon lost his master the hearts of those who were most necessary to his support.

The first wrong step which he took, was in regard to the soldiers, whom Ptolemy, upon his march, had put into the maitime places of Phoenicia and Syria to reinforce the garrisons. If he had left those garrisons in them, they would have very much augmented his forces. Instead of gaining them, or at least of treating them well, upon some umbrage which he conceived, he sent orders to the troops of Syria, who were in the same garrisons, to cut the throats of all the Egyptian soldiers; which massacre was accordingly executed. The army of Egypt, which was still in Syria, and had placed him upon the throne, full of just horror for so barbarous a cruelty, abandoned him immediately, and returned home. After which he caused the strictest search to be made for all those who had been concerned against himself or his father in the last wars, and pun ished all that could be found with death. When he believed, after all these executions, that he had no longer any enemies to fear, he broke the greatest part of his troops, and kept on. ly his Cretans and some other foreigners in his service. By that means he not only deprived himself of the old troops, who had served under his father, and, being well affected to him, would have maintained him upon the throne; but he rendered them his greatest enemies, by depriving them of the sole means they had to subsist. He found this fully verified in the insurrections and revolutions which afterwards happened.

*Diod in Excerpt. Vales. p. 346. 1 Maccab. ix. 20-37. Joseph. Antiq. 1. xiii. c. 8.