the wars of the jews-第15部分

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　who　had　been　betrothed　to　him　before；　as　we　have　already　said；　and　thus　he　accomplished　this　by　the　by；　during　the　siege　of　the　city；　for　he　had　his　enemies　in　great　contempt　already。

9。　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　were　no　small　part　of　the　army；　they　pitched　their　camp　near　to　the　north　wall。　Herod's　dependence　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　assistance。

CHAPTER　18。

How　Herod　And　Sosius　Took　Jerusalem　By　Force；　And　What　Death　Antigonus　Came　To。　Also　Concerning　Cleopatra's　Avaricious　Temper。　　1。　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　weaker　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　some　engine　or　another　to　be　a　hinderance　to　the　engines　of　the　enemy；　nor　had　they　so　much　success　any　way　as　in　the　mines　under　ground。

2。　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　was　also　too　hard　for　the　Jews；　by　the　Romans'　skill　in　the　art　of　war；　although　they　were　bold　to　the　utmost　degree；　now　they　durst　not　come　to　a　plain　battle　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　them　another　in　its　stead；　and　to　sum　up　all　at　once；　they　did　not　show　any　want　either　of　painstaking　or　of　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　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　endeavored　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　showed　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　at　Sosius's　feet；　who　without　pitying　him　at　all；　upon　the　change　of　his　condition；　laughed　at　him　beyond　measure；　and　called　him　Antigona。　（26）　Yet　did　he　not　treat　him　like　a　woman；　or　let　him　go　free；　but　put　him　into　bonds；　and　kept　him　in　custody。

3。　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　endeavored　to　restrain　them；　partly　by　his　exhortations；　partly　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　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　most　royal　bounty　to　Sosius　himself；　whereby　nobody　went　away　but　in　a　wealthy　condition。　Hereupon　Sosius　dedicated　a　crown　of　gold　to　God；　and　then　went　away　from　Jerusalem；　leading　Antigonus　away　in　bonds　to

Antony；　then　did　the　axe　bring　him　to　his　end；　（27）　who　still　had　a　fond　desire　of　life；　and　some　frigid　hopes　of　it　to　the　last；　but　by　his　cowardly　behavior　well　deserved　to　die　by　it。

4。　Hereupon　king　Herod　distinguished　the　multitude　that　was　in　the　city；　and　for　those　that　were　of　his　side；　he　made　them　still　more　his　friends　by　the　honors　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　her　in　blood　remained　alive；　and　after　that　she　fell　a　slaying　those　no　way　related　to　her。　So　she　calumniated　the　principal　men　among　the　Syrians　to　Antony；　and　persuaded　him　to　have　them　slain；　that　so　she　might　easily　gain　to　be　mistress　of　what　they　had；　nay；　she　extended　her　avaricious　humor　to　the　Jews　and　Arabians；　and　secretly　labored　to　have　Herod　and　Malichus；　the　kings　of　both　those　nations；　slain　by　his　order。

5。　Now　is　to　these　her　injunctions　to　Antony；　he　complied　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　them　upon　her；　as　also　all　the　cities　on　this　side　the　river　Eleutherus；　Tyre　and　Sidon　（28）　excepted。　And　when　she　was　become　mistress　of　these；　and　had　conducted　Antony　in　his　expedition　against　the　Parthians　as　far　as　Euphrates；　she　came　by　Apamia　and　Damascus　into　Judea　and　there　did　Herod　pacify　her　indignation　at　him　by　large　presents。　He　also　hired　of　her　those　places　that　had　been　torn　away　from　his　kingdom；　at　the　yearly　rent　of　two　hundred　talents。　He　conducted　her　also　as　far　as　Pelusium；　and　paid　her　all　the　respects　possible。　Now　it　was　not　long　after　this　that　Antony　was　come　back　from　Parthia；　and　led　with　him　Artabazes；　Tigranes's　son；　captive；　as　a　present　for　Cleopatra；　for　this　Parthian　was　presently　given　her；　with　his　money；　and　all　the　prey　that　was　taken　with　him。

CHAPTER　19。

How　Antony　At　The　Persuasion　Of　Cleopatra　Sent　Herod　To　Fight　Against　The　Arabians；　And　Now　After　Several　Battles；　He　At　Length　Got　The　Victory。　As　Also　Concerning　A　Great　Earthquake。

1。　Now　when　the　war　about　Actium　was　begun；　Herod　prepared　to　come　to　the　assistance　of　Antony；　as　being　already　freed　from　his　troubles　in　Judea；　and　having　gained　Hyrcania；　which　was　a　place　that　was　held　by　Antigonus's　sister。　However；　he　was　cunningly　hindered　from　partaking　of　the　hazards　that　Antony　went　through　by　Cleopatra；　for　since；　as　we　have　already　noted；　she　had　laid　a　plot　against　the　kings　＇of　Judea　and　Arabia＇；　she　prevailed　with　Antony　to　commit　the　war　against　the　Arabians　to　Herod；　that　so；　if　he　got　the　better；　she　might　become　mistress　of　Arabia；　or；　if　he　were　worsted；　of　Judea；　and　that　she　might　destroy　one　of　those　kings　by　the　other。

2。　However；　this　contrivance　tended　to　the　advantage　of　Herod；　for　at　the　very　first　he　took　hostages　from　the　enemy；　and　got　together　a　great　body　of　horse；　and　ordered　them　to　march　against　them　about　Diespous；　and　he　conquered　that　army；　although　it　fought　resolutely　against　him。　After　which　defeat；　the　Arabians　were　in　great　motion；　and　assembled　themselves　together　at　Kanatha；　a　city　of　Celesyria；　in　vast　multitudes；　and　waited　for　the　Jews。　And　when　Herod　was　come　thither；　he　tried　to　manage　this　war　with　particular　prudence；　and　gave　orders　that　they　should　build　a　wall　about　their　camp；　yet　did　not　the　multitude　comply　with　those　orders；　but　were　so　emboldened　by　their　foregoing　victory；　that　they　presently　attacked　the　Arabians；　and　beat　them　at　the　first　onset；　and　then　pursued　them；　yet　were　there　snares　laid　for　Herod　in　that　pursuit；　while　Athenio；　who　was　one　of　Cleopatra's　generals；　and　always　an　antagonist　to　Herod；　sent　out　of　Kanatha　the　men　of　that　country　against　him；　for；　upon　this　fresh　onset；　the　Arabians　took　courage；　and　returned　back；　and　both　joined　their　numerous　forces　about　stony　places；　that　were　hard　to　be　gone　over；　and　there　put　Herod's　men　to　the　rout；　and　made　a　great　slaughter　of　them；　but　those　that　escaped　out　of　the　battle　fled　to　Ormiza；　where　the　Arabians　surrounded　their　camp；　and　took　it；　with　all　the　men　in　it。　　3。　In　a　little　time　after　this　calamity；　Herod　came　to　bring　them　succors；　but　he　came　too　late。　Now　the　occasion　of　that　blow　was　this；　that　the　officers　would　not　obey　orders；　for　had　not　the　fight　begun　so　suddenly；　Athenio　had　not　foun