done. By which means he acted the part of a good general; and reconciled the people to him more by benevolence than by terror. Now among the captives, Aristobulus's father-in-law was taken ; who was also his uncle. So those that were the most guilty he punished with decapitation, but rewarded Faustus, and those that were with him, that had fought so bravely, with glorious presents; and laid a tribute upon the country, and upon Jerusalem itself. He also took away from the nation all those cities that they had formerly taken, and that belonged to Colesyria, and made them subject to him that was at that time appointed to be the Roman president there and reduced Judea within its proper bounds. He also rebuilt *Gadara, that had been demolished by the Jews in order to gratify one Demetrius, who was of Gadara, and was one of his own freed-men. He also made other cities free from their dominion, that lay in the midst of the country: such, I mean, as they had not demolished before that time. Hippos, and Scythopolis, as also Pella, Semaria, and Marissa; and, besides these, Ashdod, Jamnia, and Arethusa ; and in like manner he dealt with the maritime cities, Gaza, Joppa, and Dora; and that which was anciently called Strato's Tower, but was afterward rebuilt, with most magnificent edifices, and had its name changed to Cæsarea, by king Herod. All which he restored to their own citizens; and put them under the province of Syria. Which province, together with Judea, and the countries as far as Egypt and Euphrates, he committed to Scaurus, as their governor: and gave him two legions to support him. He then made all the haste he could to go. through Cilicia, in his way to Rome; having Aristobulus, and his children along with him, as his captives. They were two daughters, and two sons: one of which sons, Alexander, ran away as he was going; but the younger, Antigonus, with his sisters, were carried to Rome.+ *The coin of this Gadara, still extant, with its date from this era, is a certain evidence of this rebuilding by Pompey: as Spanheim here assures us. + Antiq. XIV. 4 CHAP. VIII. ALEXANDER, SON OF ARISTOBULUS, MAKES AN EXPEDITION OVERCOME BY GABINIUS, TO HIM.-ARISTOBU AGAINST HYRCANUS; BUT BEING IN the mean time Scaurus made an expedition into Arabia ; but was stopped by the difficulty of the places about Petra. However he laid waste the country about Pella: though even here he was under great hardship: his army afflicted with famine. To supply want, however, Hyrcanus afforded him assistance, and sent him provisions, by the means of Antipater; whom also Scaurus sent to Aretas, as one well acquainted with him, to induce him to pay him money to buy his peace. The king of Arabia* complied with the proposal; and gave him three hundred talents. Upon which Scaurus drew his army out of Arabia. Now Alexander, that son of Aristobulus, who ran away from Pompey, got a considerable band of men together, and lay heavy upon Hyrcanus, and over ran Judea; and was likely to overturn him quickly; and, indeed, he had come to Jerusalem, and had ventured to rebuild its wall that was thrown down by Pompey, had not Gabinius, who was sent as successor to Scaurus into Syria, showed his bravery, as in many other points, so in making an expedition against Alexander. Who, as he was afraid that he would attack him, so he got together a large army, composed of ten thousand armed footmen, and fifteen hun Take the like attestation to the truth of this submission of Aretas, king of Arabia, to Scaurus the Roman general, in the words of Dean Aldrich: "Hence, says he, is derived that old and famous Denarius, belonging to the Emelian family, represented in Havercamp's edition, wherein Aretas appears in a posture of supplication, and taking hold of a camel's bridle with his left hand, and with his right hand presenting a branch of the frankincense tree: with this inscription: M. SCAURUS EX S. C. and beneath, REX ARETAS.” dred horsemen. He also built walls about proper places; Alexandrium, Hyrcanium, and Machorus, that lay upon the mountains of Arabia. However, Gabinius sent before him Marcus Antonius; and followed himself with his whole army. But the select body of soldiers that were about Antipater, and another body of Jews under the command of Malichus and Pitholaus, joined themselves to those captains that were about Marcus Antonius, and met Alexander; and this body was soon afterward joined by Gabinius, with his main army. And as Alexander was not able to sustain the charge of the enemies' forces, now they were joined, he retired. But when he was come near to Jerusalem, he was forced to fight; and lost six thousand men in the battle, three thousand of whom fell down dead; and three thousand were taken alive. So he fled, with the remainder to Alexandrium. When Gabinius was come to Alexandrium, because he found a great many there encamped, he tried, by promising them pardon for their former offences, *to induce them to come over to him, before it came to an engagement. But when they would hearken to no terms of accommodation, he slew a great number of them; and shut up many more in the citadel. Now Marcus Antonius, their leader, signalized his courage in this battle. But Gabinius, leaving forces to take the citadel, went away; and settled the cities that had not been demolished, and rebuilt those that had been destroyed. Accordingly, upon his injunctions, the following cities were restored; Scythopolis, Samaria, Anthedon, Apollonia, Jamnia, Raphia, Marissa, Adoreus, Gamala, Ashdod, and many others; while a great number of men readily ran to each of them, and became their inhabitants.† When Gabinius had taken care of these cities, he returned to Alexandrium; and pressed on the siege. So when Alexander despaired of obtaining the government, he sent ambassadors to him, and prayed him to forgive what he had offended * This method was frequently adopted in order to gain men over to the opposing party; thereby to weaken the ranks they forsook, and proportionably to strengthen these to which they acceded. B.. Antiq. XIV. 5. him in; and gave up to him the remaining fortresses, Hyrcanium and Macherus, as he put Alexandrium into his hands afterward. All of these Gabinius demolished; at the persuasion of Alexander's mother; that they might not be receptacles of men in a second war. She was now there in order to mollify Gabinius; out of her concern for her relations that were captives of Rome; which were her husband, and her other children. After this, Gabinius brought Hyrcanus to Jerusalem; and committed the care of the temple to him; but ordained the other political government to be by an aristocracy. He also parted the whole nation into five conventions: assigning one portion to Jerusalem; another to Gadara; that another should belong to Amathus; a fourth to Jericho and to the fifth division was allotted Sepphoris, a city of Galilee. So the people were glad to be thus freed from monarchical government; and were governed for the future by an aristocracy. ances. Yet did Aristobulus afford another foundation for new disturbHe fled away from Rome, and got together again many of the Jews that were desirous of a change: such as had borne an affection to him of old. And when he had taken Alexandrium, he attempted to build a wall about it. But as soon as *Gabinius had sent an army against him, under Sisenna, Antonius, and Servilius, he was aware of it; and retreated to Macherus. And as for the unprofitable multitude, he dismissed them and only marched on with those who were armed: being to the number of eight thousand. Among these was Pitholaus; who had been the lieutenant at Jerusalem: but deserted to Aristobulus, with a thousand of his men. So the Romans followed him. And when it came to a battle, Aristobulus's party, for a long while, fought courageously, but at length they were overpowered by the Romans: and five thousand of them fell down dead; and about two thousand fled to a certain little hill; but the thousand that remained with Aris *This history is confirmed by Dio Cassius, XXXIX. page 117, excepting his mistake, as though Gabinius were now in Judea, before he went down into Egypt and as if he subdued Aristobulus by his own labours. Which it hence appears he did not by himself, but by his three lieutenants only, Sisenna, Antonius, and Servilius. But tobulus brake through the Roman army, and marched together to Macherus. And when the king had lodged the first night upon its ruins, he was in hopes of raising another army; if the war would but cease a while. Accordingly he fortified that strong hold, though it were done after a poor manner. the Romans falling upon him, he resisted, even beyond his abilities, for two days: and then was taken, and brought a prisoner to Gabinius, with his son, who had fled away together with him from Rome. And from Gabinius be was carried to Rome again. Wherefore the senate put him under confinement : but returned his children back to Judea: because Gabinius informed them by letters that he had promised Aristobulus's mother to do so, for her delivering the fortresses up to him.* But now, as Gabinius was marching to the war against the Parthians, he was hindered by Ptolemy: whom, upon his return from Euphrates, he brought back into Egypt: making use of Hyrcanus, and Antipater, to provide every thing that was necessary for this expedition. For Antipater furnished him with money, weapons, corn, and auxiliaries. He also prevailed with the Jews that were there, and guarded the avenues at Pelusium, to let them pass. But now, upon Gabinius's absence, the other part of Syria was in motion: and Alexander, the son of Aristobulus, brought the Jews to a revolt again. Accordingly he assembled a very great army, and set about killing all the Romans that were in the country: hereupon +Gabinius was afraid: (for he was come back already out of Egypt, in consequence of these tumults;) and sent Antipater, who prevailed with some of the revolters to be quiet. However, thirty thousand still continued with Alexander: who was himself eager to fight. Accordingly Gabinius went out, and the Jews met him; and as the battle was fought near mount Tabor, ten thousand of them were slain; and the rest of the multitude dispersed themselves and fled away. So Gabinius came to Jerusalem : and settled the government as Antipater would have it. Thence he marched, and fought, and beat the Nabateans. As for Mi * Antiq. XIV. 6. + Here Dean Aldrich refers us to the writers of the affairs of Gabinius. |