tented to have come to no harm himself. So that they all got away in safety.*

But on the next day Herod had Pappus's head cut off, who was the general for Antigonus, and was slain in the battle; and sent it to his brother Pheroras; by way of punishment for their slain brother: for he was the man that slew Joseph. Now as winter was going off, Herod marched to Jerusalem, and brought his army to the wall of it. This was the third year since he had been made king at Rome. So he pitched his camp before the temple; for on that side it might be besieged and there it was that Pompey took the city. So he parted the work among the army, and demolished the suburbs; and raised three banks; and gave orders to have towers built upon those banks: and left the most laborious of his acquaintance at the works. But he went himself to Samaria, to take the daughter of Alexander the son of Aristobulus, to wife; who had been betrothed to him before: as we have falready said: and thus he accoinplished this, by the by, during the siege of the city. For he had his enemies in great contempt already.‡

When he had thus married Mariamne, he came back to Jerusalem, with a greater army. Sosius also joined him with a large army; both of horsemen and footmen: which he sent before him, through the midland parts; while he marched himself along Phoenicia. And when the whole army was gotten together, which were eleven regiments of footmen, and six thousand horsemen, besides the Syrian auxiliaries, which formed no small part of the army, they pitched their camp near to the north wall. Herod's dependance was upon the decree of the senate by which he was made king. And Sosius relied upon Antony, who sent the army that was under him to Herod's assist

ance.

*Antiq. XIV. 15.

† Chap. 12.

This contempt of an enemy has in many instances given rise to a fatal security, a security which enervates a powerful army; and eventually reduces them under the power of a much weaker adversary. It ought, therefore, very cautiously to be admitted. B.

CHAP. XVIII.

OF THE REDUCTION OF JERUSALEM BY HEROD AND SOSIUS; AND

THE DEATH OF ANTIGONUS: ALSO CONCERNING CLEOPATRA'S
AVARICIOUS TEMPER.

NOW the multitude of the Jews that were in the city, were divided into several factions. For the people that crowded about the temple, being the weakest part of them, gave it out, that as the times were, he was the happiest and most religious man who should die first. But as to the more bold and hardy men, they got together in bodies, and fell a robbing others, after various manners: and these particularly plundered the places that were about the city and this because there was no food left, either for the horses, or the men. Yet some of the warlike men, who were used to fight regularly, were appointed to defend the city, during the siege and these drove those that raised the banks away from the wall, and these were always inventing one engine or another to be a binderance to the engines of the enemy. Nor had they so much suceess any way as in

the mines under ground.

Now as for the robberies which were committed, the king contrived that ambushes should be so laid, that they might restrain their excursions: and as for the want of provisions, he provided that they should be brought to them from great distances. He also was too hard for the Jews, by the Romans' skill in the art of war: although they were bold to the uttermost degree. Now they durst not come to an open engagement with the Romans, which was certain death: but through their mines under ground they would appear in the midst of them on the sudden; and before they could batter down one wall, they built another in its stead. And, to sum up all at once, they did not show any want either of pains-taking, or contrivances; as having resolved to hold out to the very last. Indeed, though they had so great an army lying round about them, they bore a siege of five months; till some of Herod's chosen men ventured to get upon the wall, and fell into the city: as did Sosius's centurions

after them. And now they first of all seized upon what was about the temple; and upon the pouring in of the army, there was a slaughter of vast multitudes every where, by reason of the rage the Romans were in at the length of this siege; and by reason that the Jews, who were about Herod, earnestly endeavoured that none of their adversaries might remain. So they were cut to pieces by great multitudes, as they were crowded together in narrow streets, and in houses; or were running away to the temple. Nor was there any mercy shown either to infants, or to the aged, or to the weaker sex. Insomuch that although the king sent about, and desired them to spare the people, nobody could be persuaded to withhold their right hand from slaughter; but they slew people of all ages, like madmen. Then it was that Antigonus, without any regard to his former, or to his present fortune, came down from the citadel; and fell down at Sosius' feet: who, without pitying him at all, npon the change of his condition, laughed at him beyond measure, and called him *Antigona. Yet did he not treat him like a woman, or let him go free; but put him into bonds, and kept him in custody.

But Herod's concern at present, now he had gotten his enemies under his power, was to restrain the zeal of his foreign auxiliaries: for the multitude of the strange people were very eager to see the temple, and what was sacred in the holy house itself. But the king endeavoured to restrain them; partly by his exhortations, party by his threatenings, nay, partly by force: as thinking the victory worse than a defeat to him, if any thing that ought not to be seen, were seen by them. He also forbade, at the same time, the spoiling of the city: asking Sosius, in the most earnest manner, whether the Romans, by thus emptying the city of money and men, had a mind to leave him king of a desert? and told him, that he judged the dominion of the habitable earth too small a compensation for the slaughter of so many citizens. And when Sosius said, that it was but just to allow the soldiers this plunder, as a reward for what they suffered during the siege; Herod made answer, that he would give

* Antigona is the name of a woman. See Antiq. XIV. 16.

every one of the soldiers a reward out of his own money. So he purchased the deliverance of his country; and performed his promises to them; and made presents after a magnificent manner to each soldier, and proportionably to their commanders; and with a royal bounty to Sosius himself: so that nobody went away but in a wealthy condition. Hereupon Sosius dedicated a crown of gold to God, and then went from JerusaJem, leading Antigonus away in bonds to Antony. Then did the *axe bring him to his end: who still had a fond desire of life, and some frigid hopes of it to the last; but by his cowardly behaviour well deserved to die by it.

Hereupon king Herod distinguished the multitude that was in the city; and for those that were on his side, he made them still more his friends, by the honours he conferred on them : but for those of Antigonus's party, he slew them. And as his money ran low, he turned all the ornaments he had into money, and sent it to Antony, and to those about him. Yet could he not hereby purchase an exemption from all sufferings. For Antony was now bewitched by his love to Cleopatra, and was entirely conquered by her charms. Now Cleopatra had put to death all her kindred, till no one near to her in blood remained alive and after that she began slaying those no way related to her. So she caluinniated the principal men among the Syrians to Antony, and persuaded him to have them slain; that so she might become mistress of what they had: nay, she extended her avaricious humour to the Jews and Arabians, and secretly laboured to have Herod and Malichus, the kings of both those nations, slain by his order.

Now as to these injunctions, Antony complied with them in part: : for though he esteemed it too abominable a thing to kill such good and great kings, yet was he thereby alienated from the friendship he had for them. He also took away a great deal of their country: nay, even the plantation of palm-trees at Jericho, where also grows the balsam-tree, and bestowed

* This death of Antigonus is confirmed by Plutarch and Strabo: the latter of whom is cited for it by Josephus himself, Antiq. XV. 1. as Dean Aldrich here ab

serves.