ho had begun his journey, died of disease at Pergamus. Aquias soon terminated this war, which had continued almost four ears. Lydia, Caria, the Hellespont, Phrygia, in a word, all at composed the kingdom of Attalus, was reduced into a rovince of the Roman empire, under the common name of Asia.

The senate had decreed, that the city of Phocea, which had eclared against the Romans, as well in the last war as in at against Antiochus, should be destroyed. The inhabitants f Marseilles, which was a colony of Phocea, moved as much ith the danger of their founders, as if the fate of their own ity had been in question, sent deputies to Rome to implore he clemency of the senate and people in their favour. As ust as their indignation was against Phocea, they could not efuse that favour to the ardent solicitations of a people, whom hey had always held in the highest consideration, and who pendered themselves still more worthy of it, by the tender concern and gratitude they expressed for their forefathers and founders.

Phrygia Major was granted to Mithridates Evergetes, king of Pontus, in reward for the aid he had given the Romans in that war; but after his death they dispossessed his son, the great Mithridates, of it, and declared it free.

Ariarathes, king of Cappadocia, who died during this war, had left six children. Rome, to reward in the sons the services of the father, added Lyconia and Cilicia to their dominions. They found in queen Laodice not the tenderness of a parent, but the cruelty of a stepmother. To secure all authority to herself she poisoned five of her children, and the sixth would have had the same fate, if his relation had not taken him out of the murderous hands of that Mægara, whose crimes the people soon revenged by a violent death.

* Manius Aquilius, at his return to Rome, received the hoBour of a triumph. Aristonicus, after having been shown there as a sight to the people, was carried to prison, where he was strangled. Such were the consequences of king Attalus' will. Mithridates, in the letter which he wrote afterward to Arsaces, king of Parthia, accuses the Romans of having forged a false will of Attalusf, in order to deprive Aristonicus, the son of Eumenes, of his father's kingdom, which appertained to him

* A. M. 3878. Ant. J. C. 126.

Simulato impio testamento filium ejus (Eumenis) Aristonicum, quia patrium regnum petiverat, hostium more per triumphum duxere. Apud. Sallust. Fragm..

of right: but it is a declared enemy who charges them with this. It is more surprising that Horace in one of his odes seems to make the Roman people the same reproach, and to insinuate that they had attained the succession by fraud.

Neque Attali

Ignotus hæres regiam occupavi.

Nor have I seiz'd, an heir unknown,

HOR. Od. xviii. 1. 51.

The Phrygian's kingdom for my own.

However, there remains no trace in history of any secret intrigue or solicitation to that effect on the side of the Romans I thought it proper to relate all the consequences of this will without interruption. I shall now resume the thread of my history.

SECTION V.

SIDETES TAKES JERUSALEM, AND THEN MAKES WAK AGAINST THE PARTHIANS. PHYSCON'S

CRUELTY AND DEATH.

SIMON having been slain by treason*, with two of his song, John, another of them, surnamed Hyrcanus, was proclaimed high-priest and prince of the Jews, in his father's stead. Here ends the history of the Maccabees.

Antiochus Sidetes, king of Syria, made all possible haste to take the advantage which the death of Simon gave him, and advanced at the head of a powerful army to reduce Judæa, and unite it to the empire of Syria. Hyrcanus was obliged to shut himself up in Jerusalem, where he sustained a long siege with incredible valour. Reduced at length to the last extremity for want of provisions, he caused proposals of peace to be made to the king. His condition was not known in the camp. Those who were about the king's person pressed him to take the advantage of the present occasion for exterminating the Jewish na. tion. They represented to him, recurring to past ages, that they had been driven out of Egypt as impious wretches, hated by the gods, and abhorred by men; that they were enemies to all the rest of mankind, as they had no communication with any but those of their own sect, and would neither eat, drink, nor have any familiarity with other people; that they did not adore 1 Maccab. xvi. Joseph. Antiq.

A. M. 3869. Ant. J. C. 135. xiii. c. 16. Diod. in Eclog. i. p. 99—101.

the same gods; that they had laws, customs, and a religion entirely different from that of all other nations; that therefore they well deserved to be treated by other nations with equal contempt, and to be rendered hatred for hatred; and that all people ought to unite in extirpating them. Diodorus Siculus, as well as Josephus, says, that it was from the pure effect of the generosity and clemency of Antiochus, the Jewish nation was not entirely destroyed on this occasion.

He was well pleased to enter into a treaty with Hyrcanus It was agreed, that the besieged should surrender their arms; that the fortifications of Jerusalem should be demolished; and that a tribute should be paid to the king for Joppa, and for the other cities which the Jews had out of Judæa: the peace was concluded upon these conditions. Antiochus also demanded, that the citadel of Jerusalem should be rebuilt, and would have put a garrison into it; but Hyrcanus would not consent to that, upon account of the miseries the nation had suffered from the garrison of the former citadel, and chose rather to pay the king the sum of 500 talents, which he demanded as an equivalent. The capitulation was executed, and because it could not be immediately ratified, hostages were given, amongst whom was a brother of Hyrcanus.

† Scipio Africanus the younger, going to command in Spain during the war with Numantia, Antiochus Sidetes sent him rich and magnificent presents. Some generals would have appro priated them to their own use. Scipio received them in public, sitting upon his tribunal in the view of the whole army, and gave orders that they should be delivered to the quæstor, to be applied in rewarding the officers and soldiers who should distinguish themselves in the service. By such conduct a generous and noble soul is known.

|| Demetrius Nicator had been kept many years in captivity by the Parthians in Hyrcania, where he wanted nothing except liberty, without which all else is misery. He had made seve ral attempts to obtain it, and to return into his own kingdom, but always without success. He was twice retaken in the midst of his flight, and punished only with being carried back to the place of his confinement, where he was guarded with more care, but always treated with the same magnificence. This was not the effect of mere goodness and clemency in the Par

500,000 crowns.

+ A. M. 3870. Ant. J. C. 134. Fpit. Liv. 1. lvii.

The questor was the treasurer of the army.

A. M. 3873. Ant. J. C. 131.

thians: interest had some share in it. They had views of making themselves masters of the kingdom of Syria, however ermote they were, and waited a favourable opportunity, when, under colour of going to re-establish Demetrius upon the throne, they might take possession of it for themselves.

Antiochus Sidetes, whether apprised of this design or not, thought proper to prevent it, and marched against Phraates at the head of a formidable army. The Parthians' late usurpation of the richest and finest provinces of the east, which his ancestors had always possessed from the time of Alexander, was a strong inducement to him for uniting all his forces for their expulsion. His army was upwards of 80,000 men, well armed and disciplined. But the train of luxury had added to it so great a multitude of sutlers, cooks, pastry cooks, confectioners, actors, musicians, and infamous women, that they were almost four times as many as the soldiers, and might amount te about 300,000. There may be some exaggeration in this account; but if two-thirds were deducted, there would still remain a nu. merous train of useless mouths. The luxury of the camp was in proportion to the number of those who administered to it. * Gold and silver glittered universally, even upon the legs of the private soldiers. The instruments and utensils of the kitcher were silver, as if they had been marching to a feast, and

not to a war.

Antiochus had great success at first. He beat Phraates in three battles, and retook Babylonia and Media. All the provinces of the east, which had formerly appertained to the Sy. rian empire, threw off the Parthian yoke, and submitted to him, except Parthia itself, where Phraates found himself reduced within the narrow bounds of his ancient kingdom. Hyrca. nus, prince of the Jews, accompanied Antiochus in this expe dition, and having had his share in all these victories, returned home laden with glory, at the end of the campaign and the year.

The rest of the army passed the winter in the east. The prodigious number of the troops, including the train before mentioned, obliged them to separate, and remove so far from each other, that they could not easily rejoin and form a body, in case of being attacked. The inhabitants, whom they insult. ed extremely in their quarters, to be revenged upon them, and to get rid of troublesome guests that nothing could satisfy, con

* Argenti aurique tantum, ut etiam gregarii milites caligas auro figerent, proculcarentque materiam, cujus amore popu i ferro dimicant. Culinarum quoque argentea instrumenta fuere, quasi ad epulas, non ad bella, pergerent. justin.

pired with the Parthians to massacre them all in one day in heir quarters, without giving them time to assemble; which vas accordingly executed. Antiochus, who had kept a body of roops always about his person, marched to assist the quarters earest him, but was overpowered by numbers, and perished imself. All the rest of the army were either massacred in heir quarters the same day, or made prisoners; so that out of o great a multitude, scarce any escaped to carry the sad news of this slaughter into Syria.

It occasioned great grief and consternation there. The death of Antiochus, a prince estimable for many excellent qualities, was particularly lamented. Plutarch relates a saying of his, very much to his honour. One day having lost himself a hunt. ng, and being alone, he retired into the cottage of some poor people, who received him in the best manner they could, without knowing him. At supper, having himself turned the conversation upon the person and conduct of the king, they said, that he was in every thing else a good prince, but that his too great passion for hunting made him neglect the affairs of his kingdom, and repose too much confidence in his courtiers, whose actions did not always correspond with the goodness of his intentions. Antiochus made no answer at that time. The next day, upon the arrival of his train at the cottage, he was known. He repeated to his officers what had passed the evening before, and told them by way of reproach," since I have taken you "into my service, I have not heard a truth concerning myself "till yesterday."

Phraates, thrice beaten by Antiochus, had at last released Demetrius, and sent him back into Syria with a body of troops, in hopes that his return would occasion such troubles as would reduce Antiochus to follow him. But after the massacre, he detached a party of horse to retake him. Demetrius, who apprehended a countermand of that nature, had marched with so much diligence, that he had passed the Euphrates before that party arrived upon the frontier. In this manner he recovered his dominions and made great rejoicings upon that occasion, whilst all the rest of Syria were in tears, deploring the loss of the army, in which few families had not some relation.

Phraates caused the body of Antiochus to be sought for amongst the dead, and put into a coffin of silver. He sent it into Syria to be honourably interred with his ancestors, and hav

✦ A. M. 3874. Ant. J. C. 130. Plut. in Apophthegm. p. 284.