and closely following with his army shut them up in the city, to which he immediately laid siege.

The city of Ptolemais, with Gaza, the Tower of Stratton, and the fortress of Dara (the latter of which was possessed by one Zoilus, a considerable officer belonging to the Syrian army) were the only places on the coast that did not belong to the territories of Judea; and of those Alexander resolved, if possible, to possess himself before he returned to Jersualem. To effect this he separated his forces into different divisions, one of which he left to continue the siege of Ptolemais, and with the others he proceeded to ravage the territories of Gaza, and those belonging to Zoilus.

The people of Ptolemais defended themselves with great resolution, and for some time rendered all the efforts of Alexander's forces abortive. The latter, however, persevering with uncommon intrepidity, they were fearful of being at length compelled to submit, unless they could procure assistance from some foreign power. They had no hopes of relief but from Egypt, and their principal dependance was upon Ptolemy Lathyrus,* who having been compelled to evacuate his kingdom by his mother Cleopatra, had retired to Cyprus. They accordingly sent ambassadors to Ptolemy, requesting his assistance against Alexander, at the same time assuring him there was every reason to believe the people of Gaza and Ptolemais would declare in his favor immediately on his entering Syria, and that he would be supported by Zoilus, the Sydonians,

Ptolemy Lathyrus was made king of Egypt by his mother Cleopatra, but by his attempting to reign without her, he so far ineurred her displeasure, that she procured his expulsion, which (according to Justin) she effected by the following artifice. She caused some of her eunuchs to be wounded, and bringing them out before the people pretended that they had suffered this from Lathyrus in defence of her person against him, and therefore accused him of having made an attempt on her life. By these means she so far incensed the people against Lathyrus, that they rose in a general uproar against him, and would certainly have put him to death had he not fled for safety. Hereupon Cleopatra sent for Alexander, her younger son, who for some time had reigned in Cyprus, and having made him king of Egypt, forced Lathyrus to be content with the government of the place which had been left by his brother.

and other neighboring people. Ptolemy sent word by the ambassadors that he would comply with their request, and gave immediate orders for all possible dispatch to be made in the equipment of a fleet for this enterprize.

While the ambassadors were gone to execute this business, one Demenetus, a man of considerable interest among the people of Ptolemais, reflecting that the steps they had taken might be productive of ill consequences, assembled the people together, whom he addressed in words to this effect: "The point in question (said he) is, "whether it will be most eligible to abide the event of "the war, or to accept of the relief we have requested; ❝ for if we put ourselves under the protection of Ptolemy, “inevitable slavery must be the consequence. Danger is also greatly to be apprehended from Egypt, for it is not to be imagined that Cleopatra will remain inactive "while Ptolemy is preparing for war. She will send a "powerful army to pursue and attack him unprepared. "Besides, the queen is determined to drive him out of "Cyprus; and when she finds him engaged in strengthening his interest with the neighboring provinces, she "will seize the opportunity to effect her purpose. To give the argument another turn, let us suppose that "Ptolemy will be driven back to Cyprus; we shall then "be left without succor, and he will have dangers to en"counter that he may not at present apprehend."

66

46

This address destroyed the hopes that had been entertained by the people of the success of their embassy, and of which Ptolemy was informed during his passage; but notwithstanding this he resolved to proceed on his voyage, and engage in the enterprize to which he had been invited.

Ptolemy disembarked his forces at a place called Sicamin, from whence he marched, at the head of about thirty thousand horse and foot, towards Ptolemais. When he came within some distance of the place, he dispatched ambassadors to inform them of his arrival and situation, but, to his great surprize, they refused to receive the message, or to hold any intercourse either with him or his agents. This disappointment greatly embarrassed Ptolemy, who, while he was considering what measures were the most eligible to pursue, received a message from Zoi

lus and the people of Gaza, requesting that he would immediately come and assist them against Alexander, who was committing great depredations in their territories, and whose forces were too powerful for them to subdue.

This solicitation was very agreeable to Ptolemy, who immediately marched his army to their relief; but Alexander, not thinking it advisable to hazard an engagement with them, withdrew his army, and placed them in winter quarters.

Alexander, though he had raised the siege of Ptolemais, and had got with him all his troops, knew he was unable to cope with Ptolemy, and therefore thought of effecting that by policy, which he could not attain by force. To this purpose he entered into a treaty with Lathyrus, engaging to pay him four hundred talents of silver on condition that he would deliver Zoilus and his territories into his hands. This Lathyrus agreed to do, and accordingly, soon after, got Zoilus into his custody; but being informed that, at this very time, Alexander was clandestinely treating with his mother Cleopatra, to bring her upon him with all her forces, detesting his double dealing, broke off all friendship with him, and resolved, in future, to consider him as a perfidious man, and a dangerous enemy, and to do him all the injury that laid in his power.

In consequence of this dissention, Ptolemy marched with his forces into Galilee, and possessed himself of several principal places belonging to Alexander. Among these was Asochis, which he took by assault, and from whence he acquired a very immense booty.

Having subdued Asochis, Ptolemy, elated with success, made an assault upon Sepphoris, but in this attempt he was defeated and sustained great loss. He then led his army against Alexander, whom he met with in the neighborhood of Asophus, a small distance from the banks of the river Jordan, and pitched his camp opposite to that of the enemy. The van of Alexander's army was composed of eight thousand men provided with brazen bucklers. In the front of Ptolemy's forces were some warriors equipped in the same manner; but his followers were not in general so well armed as their adversaries, and were therefore the less anxious to come to an engage

ment. Philostephanes, a man of great military skill and experience, and the chief officer under Ptolemy, seeing the greater part of the forces appeared intimidated, gave them all the encouragement he could, telling them that if they behaved courageously there was no doubt but they would easily conquer their adversaries, and that their attempts would be crowned with every wish-for success.

Ptolemy now crossed the river Jordan at the head of his forces; and to this movement Alexander, who was stationed on the opposite shore, made no opposition, judging that he should with less difficulty obtain a con quest if he could attack the enemy while they were in a situation from which the river behind must render a precipitate retreat utterly impracticable. When the two armies met, a most desperate battle ensued, which, for some time, was sustained with great bravery by both parties. At length, on a body of Ptolemy's troops giving way, victory seemed to favor Alexander; but on the arrival of Philostephanes with a reinforcement, the Jews were en tirely routed, no less than 30,000 being slain on the spot, and the rest compelled to save themselves by a precipitate flight.*

The conquest obtained by Ptolemy over Alexander's army, and the ravages he made both before and after in different parts of the Jewish territories, coming to the ears of Cleopatra, the mother of Ptolemy, she was fearful lest so much success should make him powerful enough, and his ambition direct his inclinations, to attempt invading Egypt. To stop him, therefore, in time, she set out with a large fleet and a numerous army, which she landed in Phoenicia, and immediately proceeded to Ptolemais, not doubting but the people would readily open their gates to her; but finding the contrary, she immediately invested the place, resolved to reduce them by force of arms.

*We are told, both by Strabo and Nicolaus, that after this shocking carnage, Ptolemy went to some villages belonging to the Jews, and commanded his soldiers to murder the women and children, and then put their bodies into vessels of water which were to be placed over fires: and that he had recourse to this bloody stratagem in order to strike terror into those who had escaped by flight, by making them think that his army was accustomed to feed on the flesh of the enemy.

VOL. iii. H

Ptolemy no sooner heard of this, than imagining it would be no difficult matter to recover Egypt in the absence of his mother and her army, he left Syria, and made all the haste he could upon that expedition; but meeting with more opposition than he expected (owing to the prudent management of those with whom his mother had entrusted the government during her absence) he was obliged to return to Gaza, where he passed the winter, and, in the beginning of the ensuing spring, not chusing to engage in any farther enterprize, he returned to Cyprus.

and

In the mean time Cleopatra continued the siege of Ptolemais, and at length made herself mistress of it by assault. As soon as Alexander was informed of this, he immediately repaired to her with many valuable presents, was kindly received, the queen considering him as an unhappy prince, who had no other person but her to fly to for protection. Some of the principal persons about the queen observed that she had now an excellent opportunity of seizing both on Alexander and his dominions, and strongly advised her to embrace it. This advice she would certainly have followed, had it not been for Ananias, one of her generals, who by birth was a Jew, and by descent a relation to Alexander. He represented to her the great danger, as well as injustice, of such a procedure; how injurious it would be to her own honor, which, on no consideration whatever, ought to be tarnished; how prejudicial to her interest by provoking all the Jews in the world against her; and how contrary to the rules of faith and common honesty (which should be observed among all mankind) it would be to treat a friend and ally with such perfidy. These arguments had the desired effect: the queen immediately laid aside all thoughts of such a procedure, and instead thereof concluded an amicable alliance with Alexander, immediately after which she returned with her army to Egypt.

Alexander, being no longer in dread of the power of Ptolemy, marched with his army into Colo-Syria, and invested Gadara, which, after a siege of ten months, he subdued. He then proceeded to Amathus, the strongest fortress on that side the river Jordan, and where Theo