flatterers with whom he was surrounded. This may be regarded as one of the principal causes of his final overthrow. Hannibal always insisted that the Romans could never be successfully attacked, except in Italy. The Etolians persuaded Antiochus that he had only to fight the Romans in Greece to secure a complete triumph, for all the Greeks would assuredly join his standard. He followed their counsels, and his troops were totally defeated; and the Etolians, who were the only one of his allies possessed of much power, were compelled to throw themselves on the compassion of the Romans. This event transpired B. c. 191, and in the succeeding year Antiochus was forced to contend with Rome for his Asiatic possessions. The strength of both parties was exerted to the utmost; for the prize was the empire of the world.

The Roman armies, on land, were led by L. Cornelius Scipio, the new consul; his brother, Scipio Africanus, the conqueror of Hannibal, served as lieutenant. L. Æmilius Regillus commanded the fleet, which was strengthened by a large fleet from Rhodes. The latter first attacked and dispersed many ships in which Hannibal was conveying troops from Syria and Phenicia to Asia. Æmilius obtained a complete victory over the principal fleet of Antiochus, on the coast of Ionia. In consequence of these disasters, Antiochus was disabled from arresting the progress of the Roman army in their march into Asia. The report that they had passed the Hellespont struck terror into his heart, and seemed to deprive him of understanding. He ordered his troops to be withdrawn from the very fortresses, which stood in the way of the enemy, lest they should take them prisoners; and in despair he sent an embassy to propose terms of peace; and, on learning the conduct of the Roman general on reaching Asia, he entertained hopes of pacifying him. "The Romans halted some time at Troy, which they considered as the cradle of their origin, and as their primitive country, from whence they set out to settle in Italy. The consul offered up sacrifices to Minerva, who presided over the citadel. Both parties were overjoyed, and much after the same manner as fathers and children, who meet after a long separation. The inhabitants of this city, seeing their posterity conquerors of the West and of Africa, and laying claim to Asia as a kingdom that had been possessed by their ancestors, imagined they saw Troy rise out of its ashes in greater splendour than ever. On the other side, the Romans were infinitely delighted to see themselves in the ancient abode of their forefathers, who had

given birth to Rome; and to contemplate its temples and deities, which they had in common with that city." The army observed the festival named Ancilia, in which the sacred shields were carried in solemn procession with great pomp. Scipio Africanus, who was one of the salii or priests of Mars, whose office was to keep these shields, had not yet crossed the sea; for, being one of the salii, he could not leave the place where the festival was solemnizing, so that the army was obliged to wait for him. What a pity it was that persons of so much religion were no better illuminated, or directed their worship to such improper objects! This delay gave Antiochus some hopes; for he imagined that the Romans, immediately upon their arrival in Asia, would have attacked him on a sudden. Besides, the noble character he had heard of Scipio Africanus, and his greatness of soul, his generosity and clemency to those he had conquered, both in Spain and Africa, gave him hopes that this great man, now satiated with glory, would not be averse to an accommodation, especially as he had a present to make him which could not but be infinitely agreeable. This was his own son, a child, who had been taken at sea, as he was going in a boat from Chalcis to Oreum, according to Livy. Scipio Africanus, though grateful for the gift of his son, informed the ambassadors of Antiochus, that by allowing the Romans to enter Asia, he had put the yoke on his own neck, and that he ought now to lay down his arms and accept any articles of peace proposed to him. This announcement left him no alternative but to try the strength of his arms, and he instantly proceeded to meet the enemy. His army consisted of seventy thousand foot, twelve thousand horse, and fifty-four elephants. The Romans amounted only to thirty thousand men, and sixteen elephants. The battle, which was fought near the city of Magnesia, was dreadful, but was soon terminated in the entire overthrow of the army of Antiochus, and the voluntary submission of all the cities of Asia Minor to Rome. Antiochus retired to Sardis, from which he soon fled to Phrygia to join his son Seleucus. They both returned to Antioch; and immediately sent ambassadors to sue for peace. The conditions prescribed by Scipio Africanus were, "that Antiochus should evacuate all Asia on this side Mount Taurus: that he should pay all the expenses of the war, which were computed at fifteen thousand Eubœan talents, and the payments were settled as follows; five hundred talents down; two thousand five hundred, when the senate should have ratified the treaty, and the rest in twelve years, a thou

sand talents every year. That he should pay Eumenes the four hundred talents he owed him, and the residue of a payment on account of corn with which the king of Pergamus his father had furnished the king of Syria; and that he should deliver twenty hostages, to be chosen by the Romans ;" and, finally, that Hannibal, and Thoas, the general of the Etolians, who had been the chief agent in fomenting the war, should be delivered up to them. These terms were accepted by Antiochus, and approved by the Roman senate.

Thus the Grecian empire vanished, and Rome triumphed. The fourth beast exultingly raised his throne in the world and the human race, astonished, beheld that it was truly "dreadful and terrible, and strong exceedingly; and it had great iron teeth: it devoured and brake in pieces, and stamped the residue with the feet of it: and it was diverse from all the beasts that were before it; and it had ten horns,” Dan. vii. 7. The Romans, however, still continued the avowed protectors of the freedom of all nations, especially of the Greeks, in Asia as well as Europe; and for a considerable time treated them with respect. Indeed, every Roman who aspired to intelligence, distinction, or superiority in literature, science, or the fine arts of eloquence, poetry, sculpture, and painting, was happy in having the opportunity of sojourning a longer or shorter time in the principal Grecian cities. And nothing contributed more than this to advance the civilization of the Roman people. Nevertheless, their acquisition of Asia extinguished their most dazzling qualities; for they exchanged their temperate habits, moderation, patience, and fortitude, for Asiatic wealth, luxury, effeminacy, and licentious pleas

ures.

Antiochus, confounded by his fall, perished in the first attempt to secure the friendship of the Romans, who, if voked, were sufficiently powerful, and inclined, to strip him of all his dominion. On recovering somewhat from the tremendous shock which he had endured, he was perplexed how to procure the sum which he was pledged to remit to Rome. The only scheme that appeared eligible was to make a progress through his eastern provinces, and levy the tribute due him. He appointed his son Seleucus regent of the kingdom during his absence, and declared him his heir and successor. Arriving at Elymais, capital of the northern division of Susiana, he was informed that its temple of Jupiter Belus contained considerable treasure. Being a votary of pleasure, rather than of idolatry, he rashly invaded the sacred edifice, in

the darkness of night, and carried off its riches, and gifts or devotion religiously preserved for many generations. This act excited the horror and rage of the citizens; and, in the tumult, his life was the forfeit of his presumption and profanity. He was characterised, till fifty years old, by wisdom, prudence, and bravery, by which he acquired the title of the Great, but, from that period, pride, inconsideration, and indulgence of the meaner passions, produced self-confidence, imprudent conduct, and love of ease; and these proved fatal to his power and fame.

CHAPTER XVI.

REIGN OF ANTIOCHUS EPIPHANES.

NOTHING important is recorded of the short reign of Seleucus Philopater, the son and successor of Antiochus the Great, except his unjust and presumptuous spoiling of the temple of Jerusalem. And to this he was excited by his circumstances rather than by any alienation from the Jews. They had enjoyed a considerable period of peace and prosperity under the government of his father, and appear to have been favoured by pious and faithful high-priests. That this was the character of Simon II. who succeeded the covetous Onias II. B. C. 249, is probable from the silence of history concerning his pontificate; for the Jewish historians usually thus treat the lives of their leaders who kept the even tenor of their way, especially when no remarkable event happened to them dur ing their administration. His son Onias III, who was ordained high-priest, B. c. 199, was greatly beloved by all the true worshippers of God. But he was hated by the wicked, and from the wrath and honour connected with his office, they envied him, and sought his destruction. Among these was, unhappily, Simon, a Benjaminite, who had been appointed governor of the temple. When this man failed to seduce Onias from his duty, he resolved to act the traitor of his nation, and charge Onias with the crime. He knew the extreme difficulty which the king of Syria felt to raise the fine or tribute imposed on his kingdom by the Romans. Indeed this was the principal object of Seleucus Philopater's life, for the loss of his dominions, he was certain, would speedily follow the neglect to send them annually one thousand talents. Thus this prince completely vindicated the character given of him in the Divine prediction: "Then shall stand up in his estate a raiser of taxes in the glory of the kingdom: but within few days he shall be destroyed, neither in anger nor in battle.'