420. About this time it was that Antony continued some time at Athens, and that Ventidius, who was now in Syria, sent for Silo, and commanded him to assist Herod, in the first place, to finish the present war, and then to send for their confederates for the war they were themselves engaged in; but as for Herod, he went in haste against the robbers that were in the caves, and sent Silo away to Ventidius, while he marched against them. These caves were in mountains that were exceeding abrupt, and in their middle were no other than precipices, with certain entrances into the caves, and those caves were encompassed with sharp rocks, and in these did the robbers lie concealed, with all their families about them; but the king caused certain chests to be made, in order to destroy them, and to be hung down, bound about with iron chains, by an engine, from the top of the mountain, it being not possible to get up to them, by reason of the sharp ascent of the mountains, nor to creep down to them from above. Now these chests were filled with armed men, who had long hooks in their hands, by which they might pull out such as resisted them, and then tumble them down, and kill them by so doing; but the letting the chests down proved to be a matter of great danger, because of the vast depth they were to be let down, although they had their provisions in the chests themselves. But when the chests were let down, and not one of those in the mouths of the caves durst come near them, but lay still out of fear, some of the armed men girt on their armor, and by both their hands took hold of the chain by which the chests were let down, and went into the mouths of the caves, because they fretted that such delay was made by the robbers not daring to come out of the caves; and when they were at any of those mouths, they first killed many of those that were in the mouths with their darts, and afterwards pulled those to them that resisted them with their hooks, and tumbled them down the precipices, and afterwards went into the caves, and killed many more, and then went into their chests again, and lay still there; but, upon this, terror seized the rest, when they heard the lamentations that were made, and they despaired of escaping. However, when the night came on, that put an end to the whole work; and as the king proclaimed pardon by a herald to such as delivered themselves up to him, many accepted of the offer. The same method of assault was made use of the next day; and they went further, and got out in baskets to fight them, and fought them at their doors, and sent fire among them, and set their caves on fire, for there was a great deal of combustible matter within them. Now there was one old man who was caught within one of these caves, with seven children and a wife; these prayed him to give them leave to go out, and yield themselves up to the enemy; but he stood at the cave’s mouth, and always slew that child of his who went out, till he had destroyed them every one, and after that he slew his wife, and cast their dead bodies down the precipice, and himself after them, and so underwent death rather than slavery: but before he did this, he greatly reproached Herod with the meanness of his family, although he was then king. Herod also saw what he was doing, and stretched out his hand, and offered him all manner of security for his life; by which means all these caves were at length subdued entirely.
420. Ὑπὸ δὲ τὸν αὐτὸν χρόνον Ἀντώνιος μὲν διέτριβεν ἐν Ἀθήναις, κατὰ δὲ Συρίαν Οὐεντίδιος Σίλωνα μεταπεμπόμενος ἐπὶ τοὺς Πάρθους ἐπέστελλεν πρῶτον μὲν Ἡρώδῃ συλλαμβάνεσθαι τοῦ πολέμου, ἔπειτα δὲ καὶ ἐπὶ τὸν σφέτερον καλεῖν τοὺς συμμάχους. ὁ δʼ ἐπὶ τοὺς ἐν τοῖς σπηλαίοις λῃστὰς ἐπειγόμενος Σίλωνα μὲν ἐξέπεμψεν Οὐεντιδίῳ, αὐτὸς δʼ ἐπʼ ἐκείνους ἐξώρμησεν. ἦν δʼ ἐν ὄρεσιν τὰ σπήλαια τελέως ἐξερρωγόσιν καὶ κατὰ τὸ μεσαίτατον ἀποκρήμνους ἔχοντα τὰς παρόδους καὶ πέτραις ὀξείαις ἐμπεριεχόμενα· ἐν δὴ τούτοις μετὰ πάντων τῶν οἰκείων ἐφώλευον. ὁ δὲ βασιλεὺς λάρνακας ἐπʼ αὐτοὺς πηξάμενος καθίει ταύτας σιδηραῖς ἁλύσεσιν ἐκδεδεμένας διὰ μηχανῆς ἀπὸ κορυφῆς τοῦ ὄρους, μήτε κάτωθεν ἀνιέναι διὰ τὴν ὀξύτητα τοῦ ὄρους δυναμένων μήτε ἄνωθεν καθέρπειν ἐπʼ αὐτούς. αἱ δὲ λάρνακες πλήρεις ὁπλιτῶν ὑπῆρχον ἅρπας μεγάλας ἐχόντων, αἷς ἔμελλον ἐπισπώμενοι τοὺς ἀνθεστῶτας τῶν λῃστῶν κτείνειν καταφερομένους. τὴν μέντοι γε κάθεσιν τῶν λαρνάκων σφαλερὰν εἶναι συνέβαινεν κατὰ βάθους ἀπείρου γινομένην· ἔνδον μέντοι καὶ τὰ ἐπιτήδεια παρῆν αὐτοῖς. ὡς δὲ καθιμήθησαν αἱ λάρνακες, ἐτόλμα δʼ οὐδεὶς προσελθεῖν τοῖς ἐπὶ τῶν στομίων, ἀλλʼ ὑπὸ δέους ἠρέμουν, μάχαιράν τις περιζωσάμενος τῶν ὁπλοφόρων καὶ ταῖν χεροῖν ἀμφοτέραιν δραξάμενος ἁλύσεως, ἀφʼ ἧς ἤρτητο ἡ λάρναξ, κατῄει ἐπὶ τὰ στόμια δυσχεράνας τὴν τριβὴν τῶν ἐπεξιέναι μὴ τολμώντων. καὶ γενόμενος κατά τι στόμιον πρῶτα μὲν παλτοῖς ἀνακόπτει τοὺς πολλοὺς τῶν ἐπὶ τοῦ στομίου, ἔπειτα ἅρπῃ τοὺς ἀνθεστῶτας ἐπισπασάμενος ὠθεῖ κατὰ τοῦ κρημνοῦ, καὶ τοῖς ἔνδον ἐπεισελθὼν ἀποσφάττει τε πολλοὺς καὶ εἰσελθὼν εἰς τὴν λάρνακα ἡσύχασεν. φόβος δὲ εἶχε τοὺς ἄλλους τῆς οἰμωγῆς ἀκούοντας καὶ περὶ τῆς σωτηρίας ἀπόγνωσις, τὸ μέντοι γε πᾶν ἔργον ἐπέσχεν ἐπεξελθοῦσιν· καὶ πολλοὶ συγχωρήσαντος τοῦ βασιλέως ἐπικηρυκευσάμενοι παρέδοσαν σφᾶς ὑπηκόους εἶναι. τῷ δʼ αὐτῷ τρόπῳ καὶ κατὰ τὴν ἐπιοῦσαν ἐχρήσαντο τῇ προσβολῇ, μᾶλλον ἔτι τῶν ἐν τοῖς πήγμασιν ἐπεξιόντων αὐτοῖς καὶ κατὰ θύρας μαχομένων πῦρ τε ἐνιέντων. ἐξαφθέντων τε τῶν ἄντρων, πολλὴ γὰρ ἦν ἐν αὐτοῖς ὕλη, πρεσβύτης τις ἀπειλημμένος ἔνδον σὺν ἑπτὰ τέκνοις καὶ γυναικί, δεομένων τούτων ἐᾶσαι σφᾶς ὑπεξελθεῖν πρὸς τοὺς πολεμίους, στὰς ἐπὶ τοῦ στομίου τὸν ἀεὶ πρῶτον ἐξιόντα τῶν παίδων ἀπέσφαττεν, εἰς ὃ πάντας διεχρήσατο, ἔπειτα δὲ καὶ τὴν γυναῖκα, καὶ ῥίψας κατὰ τοῦ κρημνοῦ τοὺς νεκροὺς ἐπικατέβαλεν ἑαυτὸν θάνατον πρὸ δουλείας ὑπομένων. πολλὰ δὲ πρῶτον ὠνείδισεν τὸν Ἡρώδην εἰς ταπεινότητα καί τοι τοῦ βασιλέως, ἦν γὰρ ἄποπτα αὐτῷ τὰ γινόμενα, δεξιάν τε προτείνοντος καὶ πᾶσαν ἄδειαν. τὰ μὲν οὖν σπήλαια τούτων γενομένων ἤδη πάντα ἐκεχείρωτο.
431. And when the king had set Ptolemy over these parts of the country as his general, he went to Samaria, with six hundred horsemen, and three thousand armed footmen, as intending to fight Antigonus. But still this command of the army did not succeed well with Ptolemy, but those that had been troublesome to Galilee before attacked him, and slew him; and when they had done this, they fled among the lakes and places almost inaccessible laying waste and plundering whatsoever they could come at in those places. But Herod soon returned, and punished them for what they had done; for some of these rebels he slew, and others of them, who had fled to the strong holds he besieged, and both slew them, and demolished their strong holds. And when he had thus put an end to their rebellion, he laid a fine upon the cities of a hundred talents.
431. Καταστήσας δʼ ὁ βασιλεὺς τοῖς αὐτόθι στρατηγὸν Πτολεμαῖον εἰς Σαμάρειαν ᾤχετο σὺν ἱππεῦσιν ἑξακοσίοις ὁπλίταις δὲ τρισχιλίοις ὡς μάχῃ κριθησόμενος πρὸς Ἀντίγονον. οὐ μὴν τῷ Πτολεμαίῳ προυχώρησεν τὰ κατὰ τὴν στρατηγίαν, ἀλλʼ οἱ καὶ πρότερον τὴν Γαλιλαίαν ταράξαντες ἐπεξελθόντες αὐτὸν διεχρήσαντο καὶ τοῦτο δράσαντες συμφεύγουσιν εἴς τε τὰ ἕλη καὶ τὰ δύσβατα τῶν χωρίων, ἄγοντες καὶ διαρπάζοντες τὴν αὐτόθι πᾶσαν. τιμωρεῖται δὲ τούτους Ἡρώδης ἐπανελθών· τοὺς μὲν γὰρ ἀναιρεῖ τῶν ἀποστάντων, τοὺς δʼ ἀναφυγόντας εἰς ἐρυμνὰ χωρία πολιορκίᾳ παραστησάμενος αὐτούς τε ἀπέκτεινεν καὶ τὰ ἐρύματα κατέσκαψεν. ἐζημίωσε δὲ παύσας οὕτως τὴν νεωτεροποιίαν καὶ τὰς πόλεις ἑκατὸν ταλάντοις.
434. In the mean time, Pacorus was fallen in a battle, and the Parthians were defeated, when Ventidius sent Macheras to the assistance of Herod, with two legions, and a thousand horsemen, while Antony encouraged him to make haste. But Macheras, at the instigation of Antigonus, without the approbation of Herod, as being corrupted by money, went about to take a view of his affairs; but Antigonus suspecting this intention of his coming, did not admit him into the city, but kept him at a distance, with throwing stones at him, and plainly showed what he himself meant. But when Macheras was sensible that Herod had given him good advice, and that he had made a mistake himself in not hearkening to that advice, he retired to the city Emmaus; and what Jews he met with he slew them, whether they were enemies or friends, out of the rage he was in at what hardships he had undergone. The king was provoked at this conduct of his, and went to Samaria, and resolved to go to Antony about these affairs, and to inform him that he stood in no need of such helpers, who did him more mischief than they did his enemies; and that he was able of himself to beat Antigonus. But Macheras followed him, and desired that he would not go to Antony; or if he was resolved to go, that he would join his brother Joseph with them, and let them fight against Antigonus. So he was reconciled to Macheras, upon his earnest entreaties. Accordingly, he left Joseph there with his army, but charged him to run no hazards, nor to quarrel with Macheras.
434. Ἐν δὲ τῷ μεταξὺ Πακόρου πεσόντος ἐν μάχῃ καὶ τῶν Πάρθων πταισάντων πέμπει βοηθὸν ὁ Βεντίδιος Ἡρώδῃ Μαχαιρᾶν σὺν δυσὶ τάγμασι καὶ χιλίοις ἱππεῦσιν ἐπισπεύδοντος Ἀντωνίου. Μαχαιρᾶς μὲν οὖν Ἀντιγόνου καλοῦντος αὐτὸν παρὰ τὴν Ἡρώδου γνώμην χρήμασι διεφθαρμένος ἀπῄει ὡς κατασκεψόμενος αὐτοῦ τὰ πράγματα. τὴν δὲ διάνοιαν ὑπιδόμενος αὐτοῦ τὴν τῆς ἀφίξεως Ἀντίγονος οὐδὲ προσεδέξατο, ἀλλὰ σφενδόναις βάλλων αὐτὸν ἀνεῖργεν, καὶ διεδήλου τὴν αὐτοῦ προαίρεσιν. αἰσθόμενος δὲ τὰ βέλτιστα Ἡρώδην αὐτῷ παραινοῦντα καὶ αὐτὸν διημαρτηκότα παρακούσαντα τῆς ἐκείνου συμβουλίας, ἀνεχώρει μὲν εἰς Ἀμμαοῦν πόλιν, οἷς δὲ κατὰ τὴν ὁδὸν Ἰουδαίοις περιετύγχανεν τούτους ἀπέσφαττεν ἐχθρούς τε καὶ φίλους ὀργιζόμενος ὑπὲρ ὧν πεπόνθει. παροξυνθεὶς δʼ ἐπὶ τούτοις ὁ βασιλεὺς ἐπὶ Σαμαρείας ᾔει· πρὸς γὰρ Ἀντώνιον ἐγνώκει περὶ τούτων ἀφικέσθαι· δεῖσθαι γὰρ οὐχὶ τοιούτων συμμάχων, οἳ βλάψουσι μᾶλλον αὐτὸν ἢ τοὺς πολεμίους· ἐξαρκεῖν δὲ καὶ αὐτῷ πρὸς τὴν Ἀντιγόνου καθαίρεσιν. παρακολουθῶν δʼ ὁ Μαχαιρᾶς ἐδεῖτο μένειν· εἰ δὲ οὕτως ὥρμηκεν, ἀλλὰ τόν γε ἀδελφὸν αὐτοῦ Ἰώσηπον παρακαθιστάνειν σφίσι προσπολεμοῦσιν Ἀντιγόνῳ. καὶ διαλλάττεται μὲν πολλὰ τοῦ Μαχαιρᾶ δεηθέντος, καταλιπὼν δὲ τὸν Ἰώσηπον αὐτόθι σὺν στρατῷ παρῄνεσεν μὴ ἀποκινδυνεύειν μηδὲ τῷ Μαχαιρᾷ διαφέρεσθαι.
439. But for his own part, he made haste to Antony (who was then at the siege of Samosata, a place upon Euphrates) with his troops, both horsemen and footmen, to be auxiliaries to him. And when he came to Antioch, and met there a great number of men gotten together that were very desirous to go to Antony, but durst not venture to go, out of fear, because the barbarians fell upon men on the road, and slew many, so he encouraged them, and became their conductor upon the road. Now when they were within two days’ march of Samosata, the barbarians had laid an ambush there to disturb those that came to Antony, and where the woods made the passes narrow, as they led to the plains, there they laid not a few of their horsemen, who were to lie still until those passengers were gone by into the wide place. Now as soon as the first ranks were gone by, (for Herod brought on the rear,) those that lay in ambush, who were about five hundred, fell upon them on the sudden, and when they had put the foremost to flight, the king came riding hard, with the forces that were about him, and immediately drove back the enemy; by which means he made the minds of his own men courageous, and imboldened them to go on, insomuch that those who ran away before now returned back, and the barbarians were slain on all sides. The king also went on killing them, and recovered all the baggage, among which were a great number of beasts for burden, and of slaves, and proceeded on in his march; and whereas there were a great number of those in the woods that attacked them, and were near the passage that led into the plain, he made a sally upon these also with a strong body of men, and put them to flight, and slew many of them, and thereby rendered the way safe for those that came after; and these called Herod their savior and protector.
439. Αὐτὸς δὲ πρὸς Ἀντώνιον ἔσπευδεν, ἐτύγχανεν γὰρ πολιορκῶν Σαμόσατα τὸ πρὸς τῷ Εὐφράτῃ χωρίον, σὺν ἱππόταις τε καὶ πεζοῖς κατὰ συμμαχίαν αὐτῷ παροῦσιν. παραγενόμενος δʼ εἰς Ἀντιόχειαν καὶ πολλοῖς ἐπιτυχὼν ἠθροισμένοις καὶ πρὸς Ἀντώνιον μὲν σπουδὴν βαδίζειν ἔχουσιν, ὑπὸ δέους δὲ διὰ τὸ κατὰ τὰς ὁδοὺς ἐπιτίθεσθαι τοὺς βαρβάρους καὶ πολλοὺς ἀναιρεῖν οὐ τολμῶντας ἐξορμᾶν, παραθαρσύνας αὐτὸς ἡγεμὼν γίνεται τῆς ὁδοῦ. κατὰ δὲ σταθμὸν δεύτερον τῶν Σαμοσάτων ἐλόχα μὲν αὐτόθι τῶν βαρβάρων ἐνέδρα τοὺς φοιτῶντας πρὸς Ἀντώνιον, δρυμῶν δὲ τὰς εἰσβολὰς τὰς εἰς τὰ πεδία διαλαμβανόντων προλοχίζουσιν αὐτόθι τῶν ἱππέων οὐκ ὀλίγους ἠρεμήσοντας ἕως ἂν εἰς τὸ ἱππήλατον οἱ διεξιόντες ἔλθοιεν. ὡς δʼ οἱ πρῶτοι διεξῆλθον, ὀπισθοφυλακεῖ μὲν Ἡρώδης, προσπίπτουσι δὲ ἐξαπιναίως οἱ ἐκ τῆς ἐνέδρας ὄντες εἰς πεντακοσίους, καὶ τρεψαμένων τοὺς πρώτους ἐπιδραμὼν ὁ βασιλεὺς τῇ ῥύμῃ τῇ περὶ αὐτὸν παραχρῆμα μὲν ἀνακόπτει τοὺς πολεμίους, ἐπεγείρει δὲ τὸ τῶν οἰκείων φρόνημα καὶ θαρραλέους ἀπεργάζεται, καὶ τῶν πάλαι φευγόντων ἐξ ὑποστροφῆς μαχομένων ἐκτείνοντο πάντοθεν οἱ βάρβαροι. ἐπέκειτο δʼ ὁ βασιλεὺς ἀναιρῶν καὶ τὰ διηρπασμένα, πολλὰ δʼ ἦν σκευοφόρα καὶ ἀνδράποδα, πάντα ἀνασωσάμενος προῄει. καὶ πλειόνων αὐτοῖς ἐπιθεμένων τῶν ἐν τοῖς δρυμῶσιν, οἳ πλησίον τῆς εἰς τὸ πεδίον ἐκβολῆς ἦσαν, καὶ τούτοις προσμίξας αὐτὸς μετὰ στίφους καρτεροῦ τρέπεται καὶ πολλοὺς αὐτῶν ἀποκτείνας ἀδεᾶ τοῖς ἑπομένοις ὁδὸν παρεῖχεν· οἱ δὲ σωτῆρα καὶ προστάτην αὐτὸν ἐκάλουν.
445. And when he was near to Samosata, Antony sent out his army in all their proper habiliments to meet him, in order to pay Herod this respect, and because of the assistance he had given him; for he had heard what attacks the barbarians had made upon him [in Judea]. He also was very glad to see him there, as having been made acquainted with the great actions he had performed upon the road. So he entertained him very kindly, and could not but admire his courage. Antony also embraced him as soon as he saw him, and saluted him after a most affectionate manner, and gave him the upper hand, as having himself lately made him a king; and in a little time Antiochus delivered up the fortress, and on that account this war was at an end; then Antony committed the rest to Sosius, and gave him orders to assist Herod, and went himself to Egypt. Accordingly, Sosius sent two legions before into Judea to the assistance of Herod, and he followed himself with the body of the army.
445. Ἐπεὶ δὲ πλησίον τῶν Σαμοσάτων γεγόνει, πέμπει τὸ στράτευμα ὑπαντησόμενον Ἀντώνιος σὺν τῷ οἰκείῳ κόσμῳ τιμὴν Ἡρώδῃ ταύτην ἀπονέμων καὶ ἐπικουρίας ἕνεκα· τὴν γὰρ τῶν βαρβάρων ἀκηκόει κατʼ αὐτῶν ἐπίθεσιν. καὶ δὴ παρόντα τε εἶδεν ἀσμένως καὶ τὰ κατὰ τὴν ὁδὸν αὐτῷ πεπραγμένα μαθὼν ἐδεξιοῦτο καὶ τῆς ἀρετῆς ἐθαύμαζεν, αὐτός τε περιλαβὼν αὐτὸν Ἀντώνιος ὡς εἶδεν ἠσπάζετο προυτίμα τε νεωστὶ βασιλέα ἀποδείξας. Ἀντιόχου δὲ μετʼ οὐ πολὺ τὸ ἔρυμα παραδόντος καὶ διὰ τοῦτο παυσαμένου τοῦ πολέμου Σοσσίῳ μὲν Ἀντώνιος παραδίδωσιν παρακελευσάμενος δὲ Ἡρώδῃ συμμαχεῖν αὐτὸς ἐπʼ Αἰγύπτου ἐχώρει. καὶ Σόσσιος μὲν δύο τάγματα ἐπικουρικὰ Ἡρώδῃ προύπεμψεν εἰς τὴν Ἰουδαίαν, αὐτὸς δὲ μετὰ τοῦ πλείονος στρατοῦ ἠκολούθει.
448. Now Joseph was already slain in Judea, in the manner following: He forgot what charge his brother Herod had given him when he went to Antony; and when he had pitched his camp among the mountains, for Macheras had lent him five regiments, with these he went hastily to Jericho, in: order to reap the corn thereto belonging; and as the Roman regiments were but newly raised, and were unskillful in war, for they were in great part collected out of Syria, he was attacked by the enemy, and caught in those places of difficulty, and was himself slain, as he was fighting bravely, and the whole army was lost, for there were six regiments slain. So when Antigonus had got possession of the dead bodies, he cut off Joseph’s head, although Pheroras his brother would have redeemed it at the price of fifty talents. After which defeat, the Galileans revolted from their commanders, and took those of Herod’s party, and drowned them in the lake, and a great part of Judea was become seditious; but Macheras fortified the place Gitta [in Samaria].
448. Ἔτυχεν δʼ ἤδη κατὰ τὴν Ἰουδαίαν τεθνεὼς Ἰώσηπος τρόπῳ τοιούτῳ· λήθην μὲν ὧν αὐτῷ παρήγγειλεν ὁ ἀδελφὸς πρὸς Ἀντώνιον ἀπερχόμενος λαμβάνει, στρατοπεδευσάμενος δὲ ἀνὰ τὰ ὄρη, πέντε γὰρ αὐτῷ σπείρας Μαχαιρᾶ δόντος ἐπὶ Ἱεριχοῦντος ἠπείγετο βουλόμενος ἐκθερίσαι τὸν σῖτον αὐτῶν, καὶ νεοσυλλέκτου τοῦ Ῥωμαίων στρατεύματος ὄντος, καὶ πολέμων ἀπείρως ἔχοντος καὶ γὰρ πολὺ ἐκ Συρίας ἦν τὸ κατειλεγμένον, ἐπιθεμένων αὐτόθι τῶν πολεμίων, ἀποληφθεὶς ἐν δυσχωρίαις αὐτός τε ἀποθνήσκει γενναίως μαχόμενος καὶ τὸ στράτευμα πᾶν ἀπέβαλεν· ἓξ γὰρ σπεῖραι διεφθάρησαν. κρατήσας δὲ τῶν νεκρῶν Ἀντίγονος ἀποτέμνει τὴν Ἰωσήπου κεφαλὴν πεντήκοντα ταλάντων αὐτὴν ῥυομένου Φερώρα τἀδελφοῦ. καὶ μετὰ τοῦτο ἀποστάντες Γαλιλαῖοι τῶν παρὰ σφίσι δυνατῶν τοὺς τὰ Ἡρώδου φρονοῦντας ἐν τῇ λίμνῃ κατεπόντωσαν, καὶ τῆς Ἰουδαίας πολλὰ ἐνεωτερίσθη. Μαχαιρᾶς δὲ χωρίον Ηττον ἐξωχύρου.
451. At this time messengers came to Herod, and informed him of what had been done; and when he was come to Daphne by Antioch, they told him of the ill fortune that had befallen his brother; which yet he expected, from certain visions that appeared to him in his dreams, which clearly foreshowed his brother’s death. So he hastened his march; and when he came to Mount Libanus, he received about eight hundred of the men of that place, having already with him also one Roman legion, and with these he came to Ptolemais. He also marched thence by night with his army, and proceeded along Galilee. Here it was that the enemy met him, and fought him, and were beaten, and shut up in the same place of strength whence they had sallied out the day before. So he attacked the place in the morning; but by reason of a great storm that was then very violent, he was able to do nothing, but drew off his army into the neighboring villages; yet as soon as the other legion that Antony sent him was come to his assistance, those that were in garrison in the place were afraid, and deserted it in the night time. Then did the king march hastily to Jericho, intending to avenge himself on the enemy for the slaughter of his brother; and when he had pitched his tents, he made a feast for the principal commanders; and after this collation was over, and he had dismissed his guests, he retired to his own chamber; and here may one see what kindness God had for the king, for the upper part of the house fell down when nobody was in it, and so killed none, insomuch that all the people believed that Herod was beloved of God, since he had escaped such a great and surprising danger.
451. Παρῆσαν δʼ ἄγγελοι τῶν πεπραγμένων πρὸς τὸν βασιλέα καὶ ἐν Δάφνῃ τῆς Ἀντιοχείας ἐδήλωσαν αὐτῷ τὴν κατὰ τὸν ἀδελφὸν τύχην, προσδεχομένῳ μέντοι καὶ αὐτῷ διά τινας ὀνείρων ὄψεις τρανῶς προφαινούσας τὸν τοῦ ἀδελφοῦ θάνατον. ἐπειχθεὶς οὖν κατὰ τὴν πορείαν ὡς κατὰ Λίβανον τὸ ὄρος γίνεται, ὀκτακοσίους μὲν τῶν αὐτόθι προσλαμβάνει, ἔχων δὲ καὶ Ῥωμαϊκὸν ἓν τάγμα εἰς Πτολεμαΐδα παραγίνεται, κἀκεῖθεν νυκτὸς ἀναστὰς μετὰ τοῦ στρατοῦ προῄει διὰ τῆς Γαλιλαίας. ὑπήντων δʼ οἱ πολέμιοι καὶ κρατηθέντες τῇ μάχῃ κατεκλείσθησαν εἰς χωρίον, ὅθεν ἦσαν ὡρμηκότες τῇ προτεραίᾳ· προσβολὰς δὴ τοὐντεῦθεν [ἕωθεν] ἐποιεῖτο, καὶ πολλοῦ χειμῶνος καταρραγέντος οὐδὲν ποιεῖν δυνάμενος ἀπάγει τὴν στρατιὰν εἰς τὰς πλησίον κώμας. ἐλθόντος δʼ αὐτῷ παρʼ Ἀντωνίου καὶ δευτέρου τάγματος οἱ τὸ χωρίον ἔχοντες φοβηθέντες νυκτὸς ἐξέλιπον αὐτό. καὶ ὁ βασιλεὺς ἔσπευδεν ἐπὶ Ἱεριχοῦντος τιμωρήσασθαι κατὰ νοῦν ἔχων αὐτοὺς ὑπὲρ τἀδελφοῦ. ἐπεὶ δὲ κατέζευξεν, εἱστία μὲν τοὺς ἐν τέλει, μετὰ δὲ τὴν συνουσίαν παρῆλθεν εἰς τὸ δωμάτιον ἀπολύσας τοὺς παρόντας. ἐνταῦθα ἴδοι τις ἂν τοῦ βασιλέως τὴν ἐκ τοῦ θεοῦ εὔνοιαν· πίπτει μὲν γὰρ ἡ στέγη τοῦ οἰκήματος, οὐδένα δὲ ἀπολαβοῦσα διέφθειρεν, ὥστε πάντας πιστεῦσαι τὸν Ἡρώδην εἶναι θεοφιλῆ, μέγαν οὕτω καὶ παράδοξον διαφυγόντα κίνδυνον.
456. But the next day six thousand of the enemy came down from the tops of the mountains to fight the Romans, which greatly terrified them; and the soldiers that were in light armor came near, and pelted the king’s guards that were come out with darts and stones, and one of them hit him on the side with a dart. Antigonus also sent a commander against Samaria, whose name was Pappus, with some forces, being desirous to show the enemy how potent he was, and that he had men to spare in his war with them. He sat down to oppose Macheras; but Herod, when he had taken five cities, took such as were left in them, being about two thousand, and slew them, and burnt the cities themselves, and then returned to go against Pappus, who was encamped at a village called Isanas; and there ran in to him many out of Jericho and Judea, near to which places he was, and the enemy fell upon his men, so stout were they at this time, and joined battle with them, but he beat them in the fight; and in order to be revenged on them for the slaughter of his brother, he pursued them sharply, and killed them as they ran away; and as the houses were full of armed men, and many of them ran as far as the tops of the houses, he got them under his power, and pulled down the roofs of the houses, and saw the lower rooms full of soldiers that were caught, and lay all on a heap; so they threw stones down upon them as they lay piled one upon another, and thereby killed them; nor was there a more frightful spectacle in all the war than this, where beyond the walls an immense multitude of dead men lay heaped one upon another. This action it was which chiefly brake the spirits of the enemy, who expected now what would come; for there appeared a mighty number of people that came from places far distant, that were now about the village, but then ran away; and had it not been for the depth of winter, which then restrained them, the king’s army had presently gone to Jerusalem, as being very courageous at this good success, and the whole work had been done immediately; for Antigonus was already looking about how he might fly away and leave the city.
456. Τῇ δʼ ὑστεραίᾳ τῶν πολεμίων ἑξακισχίλιοι ἀπʼ ἄκρων κατιόντες τῶν ὀρῶν εἰς μάχην ἐφόβουν τοὺς Ῥωμαίους. οἱ δὲ γυμνῆτες προσιόντες τοῖς παλτοῖς ἔβαλλον καὶ λίθοις τοὺς περὶ τὸν βασιλέα ἐξεληλυθότας αὐτόν τε παλτῷ τις παρὰ τὴν λαπάραν ἔβαλεν. Ἀντίγονος δʼ ἐπὶ τὴν Σαμάρειαν πέμπει στρατηγὸν Πάππον ὄνομα σὺν δυνάμει πολλῇ βουλόμενος παρασχεῖν τοῖς πολεμίοις δόξαν πολεμοῦντος ἐκ περιουσίας. ἀλλʼ ὁ μὲν Μαχαιρᾷ τῷ στρατηγῷ προσεκάθητο· Ἡρώδης δὲ πέντε πόλεις καταλαβὼν τοὺς ἐγκαταληφθέντας περὶ δισχιλίους ὄντας ἐφόνευσεν αὐτάς τε τὰς πόλεις ἐμπρήσας ἐπανῆλθεν ἐπὶ τὸν Πάππον· ἐστρατοπεδεύσατο δʼ οὗτος περὶ κώμην Ἰσάνας καλουμένην καὶ πολλῶν αὐτῷ προσρεόντων ἐκ τῆς Ἱεριχοῦς καὶ τῆς ἄλλης Ἰουδαίας, ἐπεὶ πλησίον γίνεται, τῶν πολεμίων ἐπεξελθόντων αὐτοῖς ὑπὸ θράσους συμβαλὼν κρατεῖ τῇ μάχῃ, καὶ τιμωρῶν τἀδελφῷ φεύγουσιν εἰς τὴν κώμην εἵπετο κτείνων. πεπληρωμένων δὲ τῶν οἰκήσεων ὁπλιτῶν καί τινων ἀναφευγόντων ἐπὶ τὰς στέγας κρατεῖ τούτων, καὶ τοὺς ὀρόφους τῶν οἴκων ἀνασκάπτων ἔμπλεα τὰ κάτω τῶν στρατιωτῶν ἑώρα ἀθρόων ἀπειλημμένων. τούτους μὲν οὖν πέτραις ἄνωθεν βάλλοντες σωρηδὸν ἐπʼ ἀλλήλοις ἀνῄρουν· καὶ θέαμα τοῦτο δεινότατον ἦν κατὰ τόνδε τὸν πόλεμον νεκρῶν τὸ πλῆθος ἀπείρων ἐντὸς τῶν τειχῶν ἐπʼ ἀλλήλοις κειμένων. τοῦτο τὸ ἔργον μάλιστα τὰ φρονήματα τῶν πολεμίων ἔκλασεν καραδοκούντων τὸ μέλλον· ἑωρῶντο γὰρ παμπληθεῖς πόρρωθεν συγγενόμενοι περὶ τὴν κώμην· οἳ τότε ἔφευγον, καὶ εἰ μὴ χειμὼν ἐπέσχεν βαθύς, ἧκεν ἂν καὶ ἐπὶ Ἱεροσόλυμα ἡ βασιλέως στρατιὰ θαρροῦσα τῷ νενικηκέναι, καὶ τὸ πᾶν ἦν ἂν εἰργασμένη· καὶ γὰρ Ἀντίγονος ἤδη τὴν παντελῆ φυγὴν ἐσκόπει καὶ ἀπανάστασιν ἐκ τῆς πόλεως.
462. At this time the king gave order that the soldiers should go to supper, for it was late at night, while he went into a chamber to use the bath, for he was very weary; and here it was that he was in the greatest danger, which yet, by God’s providence, he escaped; for as he was naked, and had but one servant that followed him, to be with him while he was bathing in an inner room, certain of the enemy, who were in their armor, and had fled thither, out of fear, were then in the place; and as he was bathing, the first of them came out with his naked sword drawn, and went out at the doors, and after him a second, and a third, armed in like manner, and were under such a consternation, that they did no hurt to the king, and thought themselves to have come off very well ill suffering no harm themselves in their getting out of the house. However, on the next day, he cut off the head of Pappus, for he was already slain, and sent it to Pheroras, as a punishment of what their brother had suffered by his means, for he was the man that slew him with his own hand.
462. Τότε μὲν οὖν ὁ βασιλεύς, ὀψία γὰρ ἦν, δειπνοποιεῖσθαι κελεύει τοὺς στρατιώτας, αὐτὸς δέ, ἐκεκμήκει γάρ, εἰσελθὼν εἴς τι δωμάτιον περὶ λουτρὸν ἦν. ἔνθα καὶ κίνδυνος αὐτῷ μέγιστος συνέπεσεν, ὃν κατὰ θεοῦ πρόνοιαν διέφυγεν· γυμνοῦ γὰρ ὄντος αὐτοῦ καὶ μετὰ παιδὸς ἑνὸς ἀκολούθου λουομένου [ἐν τῷ] ἐντὸς οἰκήματι τῶν πολεμίων τινὲς ὡπλισμένοι συμπεφευγότες αὐτόθι διὰ φόβον μεταξὺ λουομένου ὁ πρῶτος ὑπεξέρχεται ξίφος ἔχων γυμνὸν καὶ διὰ θυρῶν χωρεῖ, καὶ μετὰ τοῦτον δεύτερος καὶ τρίτος ὁμοίως ὡπλισμένοι, οὐδὲν βλάψαντες τὸν βασιλέα ὑπʼ ἐκπλήξεως, ἀγαπῶντες δὲ τὸ μηδὲν αὐτοὶ παθόντες εἰς τὸ πρόσθεν διεκπεσεῖν. τῇ δʼ ὑστεραίᾳ τὴν μὲν Πάππου κεφαλήν, ἀνῄρητο γάρ, ἀποκόψας Φερώρᾳ ἔπεμψεν ποινὴν ἀνθʼ ὧν ὁ ἀδελφὸς αὐτοῦ πάθοι· οὗτος γὰρ ἦν αὐτόχειρ ἐκείνου γεγενημένος.
465. When the rigor of winter was over, Herod removed his army, and came near to Jerusalem, and pitched his camp hard by the city. Now this was the third year since he had been made king at Rome; and as he removed his camp, and came near that part of the wall where it could be most easily assaulted, he pitched that camp before the temple, intending to make his attacks in the same manner as did Pompey. So he encompassed the place with three bulwarks, and erected towers, and employed a great many hands about the work, and cut down the trees that were round about the city; and when he had appointed proper persons to oversee the works, even while the army lay before the city, he himself went to Samaria, to complete his marriage, and to take to wife the daughter of Alexander, the son of Aristobulus; for he had betrothed her already, as I have before related.
465. Λήξαντος δὲ τοῦ χειμῶνος ἄρας ἐκεῖθεν ἐγγὺς τῶν Ἱεροσολύμων ἔρχεται καὶ πλησίον στρατοπεδεύεται τῆς πόλεως· τρίτον δὲ ἔτος τοῦτο ἦν αὐτῷ ἐξ οὗ βασιλεὺς ἐν Ῥώμῃ ἀποδέδεικτο. ἀναστρατοπεδευσάμενος δὲ καὶ πλησίον ἐλθὼν τοῦ τείχους κατὰ τὸ ἐπιμαχώτατον πρὸ τοῦ ἱεροῦ στρατοπεδεύεται προσβαλεῖν διεγνωκώς, ὡς καὶ πρότερόν ποτε Πομπήιος. τρισὶν δὲ διαλαβὼν χώμασιν τὸν τόπον πύργους ἀνίστα πολλῇ τε χειρὶ πρὸς τὸ ἔργον χρώμενος καὶ τέμνων τὴν πέριξ ὕλην. παρακαταστήσας δὲ τοῖς ἔργοις τοὺς ἐπιτηδείους, ἱδρυμένης ἔτι τῆς στρατιᾶς αὐτὸς εἰς Σαμάρειαν ἐπὶ τὸν γάμον ᾤχετο ἀξόμενος τὴν Ἀλεξάνδρου τοῦ Ἀριστοβούλου θυγατέρα· ταύτην γὰρ ἦν ἐγγεγυημένος, ὥς μοι καὶ πρότερον εἴρηται.
468. AFTER the wedding was over, came Sosius through Phoenicia, having sent out his army before him over the midland parts. He also, who was their commander, came himself, with a great number of horsemen and footmen. The king also came himself from Samaria, and brought with him no small army, besides that which was there before, for they were about thirty thousand; and they all met together at the walls of Jerusalem, and encamped at the north wall of the city, being now an army of eleven legions, armed men on foot, and six thousand horsemen, with other auxiliaries out of Syria. The generals were two: Sosius, sent by Antony to assist Herod, and Herod on his own account, in order to take the government from Antigonus, who was declared all enemy at Rome, and that he might himself be king, according to the decree of the Senate.
468. Μετὰ δὲ τοὺς γάμους ἦλθεν μὲν διὰ Φοινίκης Σόσσιος προεκπέμψας τὴν δύναμιν διὰ τῆς μεσογαίας, ἦλθεν δὲ καὶ ὁ στρατὸς πλῆθος ἱππέων τε καὶ πεζῶν, παρεγένετο δὲ καὶ ὁ βασιλεὺς ἐκ τῆς Σαμαρείτιδος οὐκ ὀλίγον πρὸς τῷ πάλαι στρατὸν ἄγων· περὶ τρισμυρίους γὰρ ἦσαν. πάντες δʼ ἐπὶ τὸ Ἱεροσολυμιτῶν ἠθροίζοντο τεῖχος, καὶ διεκάθητο πρὸς τῷ βορείῳ τείχει τῆς πόλεως στρατιᾶς ἕνδεκα μὲν οὖσα τέλη ὁπλιτικοῦ, ἓξ δὲ χιλιάδες ἱππέων, ἄλλα δὲ ἐπικουρικὰ ἀπὸ τῆς Συρίας, δύο δʼ ἡγεμόνες, Σόσσιος μὲν ὑπʼ Ἀντωνίου σταλεὶς σύμμαχος, Ἡρώδης δʼ ὑπὲρ αὐτοῦ, ὡς Ἀντίγονον ἀφελόμενος τὴν ἀρχὴν ἀποδειχθέντα ἐν Ῥώμῃ πολέμιον αὐτὸς ἀντʼ ἐκείνου βασιλεὺς εἴη κατὰ τὸ τῆς συγκλήτου δόγμα.
470. Now the Jews that were enclosed within the walls of the city fought against Herod with great alacrity and zeal (for the whole nation was gathered together); they also gave out many prophecies about the temple, and many things agreeable to the people, as if God would deliver them out of the dangers they were in; they had also carried off what was out of the city, that they might not leave any thing to afford sustenance either for men or for beasts; and by private robberies they made the want of necessaries greater. When Herod understood this, he opposed ambushes in the fittest places against their private robberies, and he sent legions of armed men to bring its provisions, and that from remote places, so that in a little time they had great plenty of provisions. Now the three bulwarks were easily erected, because so many hands were continually at work upon it; for it was summer time, and there was nothing to hinder them in raising their works, neither from the air nor from the workmen; so they brought their engines to bear, and shook the walls of the city, and tried all manner of ways to get its; yet did not those within discover any fear, but they also contrived not a few engines to oppose their engines withal. They also sallied out, and burnt not only those engines that were not yet perfected, but those that were; and when they came hand to hand, their attempts were not less bold than those of the Romans, though they were behind them in skill. They also erected new works when the former were ruined, and making mines underground, they met each other, and fought there; and making use of brutish courage rather than of prudent valor, they persisted in this war to the very last; and this they did while a mighty army lay round about them, and while they were distressed by famine and the want of necessaries, for this happened to be a Sabbatic year. The first that scaled the walls were twenty chosen men, the next were Sosius’s centurions; for the first wall was taken in forty days, and the second in fifteen more, when some of the cloisters that were about the temple were burnt, which Herod gave out to have been burnt by Antigonus, in order to expose him to the hatred of the Jews. And when the outer court of the temple and the lower city were taken, the Jews fled into the inner court of the temple, and into the upper city; but now fearing lest the Romans should hinder them from offering their daily sacrifices to God, they sent an embassage, and desired that they would only permit them to bring in beasts for sacrifices, which Herod granted, hoping they were going to yield; but when he saw that they did nothing of what he supposed, but bitterly opposed him, in order to preserve the kingdom to Antigonus, he made an assault upon the city, and took it by storm; and now all parts were full of those that were slain, by the rage of the Romans at the long duration of the siege, and by the zeal of the Jews that were on Herod’s side, who were not willing to leave one of their adversaries alive; so they were murdered continually in the narrow streets and in the houses by crowds, and as they were flying to the temple for shelter, and there was no pity taken of either infants or the aged, nor did they spare so much as the weaker sex; nay, although the king sent about, and besought them to spare the people, yet nobody restrained their hand from slaughter, but, as if they were a company of madmen, they fell upon persons of all ages, without distinction; and then Antigonus, without regard to either his past or present circumstances, came down from the citadel, and fell down at the feet of Sosius, who took no pity of him, in the change of his fortune, but insulted him beyond measure, and called him Antigone [i.e. a woman, and not a man;] yet did he not treat him as if he were a woman, by letting him go at liberty, but put him into bonds, and kept him in close custody.
470. Μετὰ δὲ πολλῆς προθυμίας καὶ ἔριδος ἅτε σύμπαντος ἠθροισμένου τοῦ πλήθους οἱ Ἰουδαῖοι τοῖς περὶ τὸν Ἡρώδην ἀντεπολέμουν κατειληθέντες ἐντὸς τοῦ τείχους, πολλά τε ἐπεφήμιζον περὶ τὸ ἱερὸν καὶ πολλὰ ἐπʼ εὐφημίᾳ τοῦ δήμου, ὡς ῥυσομένου τῶν κινδύνων αὐτοὺς τοῦ θεοῦ. τά τε ἐκτὸς τῆς πόλεως ἀπεσκευάσαντο, ὡς μηδʼ ὅσα τροφὴ δύναιτο εἶναι ὑπολιπεῖν ἢ ἀνθρώποις ἢ ὑποζυγίοις, λῃστείαις τε λάθρα χρώμενοι ἀπορίαν παρέσχον. ταῦτα δʼ Ἡρώδης συνιδὼν πρὸς μὲν τὰς λῃστείας ἐν τοῖς ἐπικαιροτάτοις τόποις παρελόχιζεν, πρὸς δὲ τὰ ἐπιτήδεια πέμπων ὁπλιτικὰ τέλη πόρρωθεν ἀγορὰν συνεκόμιζεν, ὡς ὀλίγου χρόνου πολλὴν ἀφθονίαν αὐτοῖς γενέσθαι τῶν ἀναγκαίων. ἦρτο δὲ συνεχῶς ἤδη πολλῆς χειρὸς ἐργαζομένης καὶ τὰ τρία χώματα εὐπετῶς· θέρος τε γὰρ ἦν καὶ οὐδὲν ἐμποδὼν πρὸς τὴν ἀνάστασιν οὔτʼ ἀπὸ τοῦ ἀέρος οὔτʼ ἀπὸ τῶν ἐργαζομένων, τά τε μηχανήματα προσάγοντες κατέσειον τὸ τεῖχος καὶ πάσαις ἐχρῶντο πείραις. οὐ μὴν ἐξέπληττον τοὺς ἔνδον, ἀλλὰ ἀντετεχνῶντο κἀκεῖνοι πρὸς τὰ παρὰ τούτων γινόμενα οὐκ ὀλίγα, ἐπεκθέοντές τε τὰ μὲν ἡμίεργα ἐνεπίμπρασαν τὰ δʼ ἐξειργασμένα, εἴς τε χεῖρας ἰόντες οὐδὲν κακίους τὰς τόλμας Ῥωμαίων ἦσαν, ἐπιστήμῃ δʼ ἐλείποντο. πρός τε τὰς μηχανὰς ἀντετείχιζον ἐρειπομένων τῶν πρώτων οἰκοδομημάτων, ὑπὸ γῆν τε ἀπαντῶντες ἐν ταῖς μεταλλεύσεσιν διεμάχοντο, ἀπονοίᾳ δὲ τὸ πλέον ἢ προμηθείᾳ χρώμενοι προσελιπάρουν τῷ πολέμῳ εἰς τοὔσχατον, καὶ ταῦτα μεγάλου στρατοῦ περικαθημένου σφᾶς καὶ λιμῷ ταλαιπωρούμενοι καὶ σπάνει τῶν ἐπιτηδείων· τὸν γὰρ ἑβδοματικὸν ἐνιαυτὸν συνέβη κατὰ ταῦτʼ εἶναι. ἀναβαίνουσιν δὲ ἐπὶ τὸ τεῖχος πρῶτον μὲν λογάδες εἴκοσι, ἔπειτα δὲ ἑκατόνταρχοι Σοσσίου· ᾑρέθη γὰρ τὸ μὲν πρῶτον τεῖχος ἡμέραις τεσσαράκοντα, τὸ δὲ δεύτερον πεντεκαίδεκα· καί τινες τῶν περὶ τὸ ἱερὸν ἐνεπρήσθησαν στοῶν, ἃς Ἡρώδης Ἀντίγονον ἐμπρῆσαι διέβαλεν, μῖσος αὐτῷ πραγματευόμενος παρὰ τῶν Ἰουδαίων γενέσθαι. ᾑρημένου δὲ τοῦ ἔξωθεν ἱεροῦ καὶ τῆς κάτω πόλεως εἰς τὸ ἔσωθεν ἱερὸν καὶ τὴν ἄνω πόλιν οἱ Ἰουδαῖοι συνέφυγον, δείσαντες δὲ μὴ διακωλύσωσιν αὐτοὺς οἱ Ῥωμαῖοι τὰς καθημερινὰς θυσίας ἐπιτελεῖν τῷ θεῷ, πρεσβεύονται ἐπιτρέψαι παρακαλοῦντες θύματα αὐτοῖς μόνον εἰσκομίζεσθαι· ὁ δʼ ὡς ἐνδωσόντων αὐτῶν συνεχώρει ταῦτα. καὶ ἐπεὶ μηδὲν ἑώρα γινόμενον παρʼ αὐτῶν ὧν ὑπενόει, ἀλλὰ ἰσχυρῶς ἀντέχοντας ὑπὲρ τῆς Ἀντιγόνου βασιλείας, προσβαλὼν κατὰ κράτος εἷλεν τὴν πόλιν. καὶ πάντα εὐθὺς φόνων ἦν ἀνάπλεα τῶν μὲν Ῥωμαίων ἐπὶ τῇ τριβῇ τῆς πολιορκίας διωργισμένων, τοῦ δὲ περὶ Ἡρώδην Ἰουδαϊκοῦ μηδὲν ὑπολιπεῖν σπεύδοντος ἀντίπαλον. ἐσφάττοντο δὲ παμπληθεῖς ἔν τε τοῖς στενωποῖς καὶ κατὰ τὰς οἰκίας συνωθούμενοι καὶ τῷ ναῷ προσφεύγοντες, ἦν τε οὔτε νηπίων οὔτε γήρως ἔλεος οὔτε ἀσθενείας γυναικῶν φειδώ, ἀλλὰ καίτοι περιπέμποντος τοῦ βασιλέως καὶ φείδεσθαι παρακαλοῦντος οὐδεὶς ἐκράτησεν τῆς δεξιᾶς, ἀλλʼ ὥσπερ μεμηνότες πᾶσαν ἡλικίαν ἐπεξῄεσαν. ἔνθα καὶ Ἀντίγονος μήτε τῆς πάλαι μήτε τῆς τότε τύχης ἔννοιαν λαβὼν κάτεισι μὲν ἀπὸ τῆς βάρεως, προσπίπτει δὲ τοῖς Σοσσίου ποσίν, κἀκεῖνος μηδὲν αὐτὸν οἰκτείρας πρὸς τὴν μεταβολὴν ἐπεκρότησεν μὲν ἀκρατῶς καὶ Ἀντιγόνην ἐκάλεσεν, οὐ μὴν ὡς γυναῖκά γε φρουρᾶς ἐλεύθερον ἀφῆκεν, ἀλλʼ ὁ μὲν δεθεὶς ἐφυλάττετο.
482. And now Herod having overcome his enemies, his care was to govern those foreigners who had been his assistants, for the crowd of strangers rushed to see the temple, and the sacred things in the temple; but the king, thinking a victory to be a more severe affliction than a defeat, if any of those things which it was not lawful to see should be seen by them, used entreaties and threatenings, and even sometimes force itself, to restrain them. He also prohibited the ravage that was made in the city, and many times asked Sosius whether the Romans would empty the city both of money and men, and leave him king of a desert; and told him that he esteemed the dominion over the whole habitable earth as by no means an equivalent satisfaction for such a murder of his citizens’; and when he said that this plunder was justly to be permitted the soldiers for the siege they had undergone, he replied, that he would give every one their reward out of his own money; and by this means be redeemed what remained of the city from destruction; and he performed what he had promised him, for he gave a noble present to every soldier, and a proportionable present to their commanders, but a most royal present to Sosius himself, till they all went away full of money.
482. Πρόνοια δʼ ἦν Ἡρώδῃ κρατοῦντι τῶν πολεμίων τοῦ κρατῆσαι καὶ τῶν ἀλλοφύλων συμμάχων· ὥρμητο γὰρ τὸ ξενικὸν πλῆθος ἐπὶ θέᾳ τοῦ τε ἱεροῦ καὶ τῶν κατὰ τὸν ναὸν ἁγίων. ὁ δὲ βασιλεὺς τοὺς μὲν παρακαλῶν τοὺς δʼ ἀπειλῶν ἔστιν δʼ οὓς καὶ τοῖς ὅπλοις ἀνέστελλεν, ἥττης χαλεπωτέραν ἡγούμενος τὴν νίκην, εἴ τι τῶν ἀθεάτων παρʼ αὐτῶν ὀφθείη. διεκώλυέ τε καὶ τὰς κατὰ τὴν πόλιν ἁρπαγάς, πολλὰ διατεινάμενος πρὸς Σόσσιον, εἰ χρημάτων τε καὶ ἀνδρῶν Ῥωμαῖοι τὴν πόλιν κενώσαντες καταλείψουσιν αὐτὸν ἐρημίας βασιλέα, καὶ ὡς ἐπὶ τοσούτῳ πολιτῶν φόνῳ βραχὺ καὶ τὴν τῆς οἰκουμένης ἡγεμονίαν ἀντάλλαγμα κρίνει. τοῦ δὲ ἀντὶ τῆς πολιορκίας τὰς ἁρπαγὰς δικαίως τοῖς στρατιώταις ἐπιτρέπειν φαμένου, αὐτὸς ἔφη διανεμεῖν ἐκ τῶν ἰδίων χρημάτων τοὺς μισθοὺς ἑκάστοις. οὕτως τε τὴν λοιπὴν ἐξωνησάμενος πόλιν τὰς ὑποσχέσεις ἐπλήρωσεν· λαμπρῶς μὲν γὰρ ἕκαστον στρατιώτην, ἀναλόγως δὲ τοὺς ἡγεμόνας, βασιλικώτατα δʼ αὐτὸν ἐδωρήσατο Σόσσιον, ὡς πάντας ἀπελθεῖν χρημάτων εὐποροῦντας.
487. This destruction befell the city of Jerusalem when Marcus Agrippa and Caninius Gallus were consuls of Rome on the hundred eighty and fifth olympiad, on the third month, on the solemnity of the fast, as if a periodical revolution of calamities had returned since that which befell the Jews under Pompey; for the Jews were taken by him on the same day, and this was after twenty-seven years’ time. So when Sosius had dedicated a crown of gold to God, he marched away from Jerusalem, and carried Antigonus with him in bonds to Antony; but Herod was afraid lest Antigonus should be kept in prison [only] by Antony, and that when he was carried to Rome by him, he might get his cause to be heard by the senate, and might demonstrate, as he was himself of the royal blood, and Herod but a private man, that therefore it belonged to his sons however to have the kingdom, on account of the family they were of, in case he had himself offended the Romans by what he had done. Out of Herod’s fear of this it was that he, by giving Antony a great deal of money, endeavored to persuade him to have Antigonus slain, which if it were once done, he should be free from that fear. And thus did the government of the Asamoneans cease, a hundred twenty and six years after it was first set up. This family was a splendid and an illustrious one, both on account of the nobility of their stock, and of the dignity of the high priesthood, as also for the glorious actions their ancestors had performed for our nation; but these men lost the government by their dissensions one with another, and it came to Herod, the son of Antipater, who was of no more than a vulgar family, and of no eminent extraction, but one that was subject to other kings. And this is what history tells us was the end of the Asamonean family.
487. Τοῦτο τὸ πάθος συνέβη τῇ Ἱεροσολυμιτῶν πόλει ὑπατεύοντος ἐν Ῥώμῃ Μάρκου Ἀγρίππα καὶ Κανιδίου Γάλλου ἐπὶ τῆς ἑκατοστῆς ὀγδοηκοστῆς καὶ πέμπτης ὀλυμπιάδος τῷ τρίτῳ μηνὶ τῇ ἑορτῇ τῆς νηστείας, ὥσπερ ἐκ περιτροπῆς τῆς γενομένης ἐπὶ Πομπηίου τοῖς Ἰουδαίοις συμφορᾶς· καὶ γὰρ ὑπʼ ἐκείνου τῇ αὐτῇ ἑάλωσαν ἡμέρᾳ μετὰ ἔτη εἰκοσιεπτά. Σόσσιος δὲ χρυσοῦν ἀναθεὶς τῷ θεῷ στέφανον ἀνέζευξεν ἀπὸ Ἱεροσολύμων Ἀντίγονον ἄγων δεσμώτην Ἀντωνίῳ. δείσας δὲ Ἡρώδης μὴ φυλαχθεὶς Ἀντίγονος ὑπʼ Ἀντωνίου καὶ κομισθεὶς εἰς Ῥώμην ὑπʼ αὐτοῦ δικαιολογήσηται πρὸς τὴν σύγκλητον, ἐπιδεικνὺς αὐτὸν μὲν ἐκ βασιλέων, Ἡρώδην δὲ ἰδιώτην, καὶ ὅτι προσῆκεν αὐτοῦ βασιλεύειν τοὺς παῖδας διὰ τὸ γένος, εἰ καὶ αὐτὸς εἰς Ῥωμαίους ἐξήμαρτεν· ταῦτα φοβούμενος πολλοῖς χρήμασι πείθει τὸν Ἀντώνιον ἀνελεῖν Ἀντίγονον. οὗ γενομένου τοῦ δέους μὲν Ἡρώδης ἀπαλλάσσεται, παύεται δʼ οὕτως ἡ τοῦ Ἀσσαμωναίου ἀρχὴ μετὰ ἔτη ἑκατὸν εἰκοσιέξ. οἶκος λαμπρὸς οὗτος ἦν καὶ διάσημος γένους τε ἕνεκα καὶ τῆς ἱερατικῆς τιμῆς ὧν τε ὑπὲρ τοῦ ἔθνους οἱ γονεῖς αὐτοῦ διεπράξαντο. ἀλλʼ οὗτοι μὲν διὰ τὴν πρὸς ἀλλήλους στάσιν τὴν ἀρχὴν ἀπέβαλον, μετέβη δʼ εἰς Ἡρώδην τὸν Ἀντιπάτρου οἰκίας ὄντα δημοτικῆς καὶ γένους ἰδιωτικοῦ καὶ ὑπακούοντος τοῖς βασιλεῦσιν. καὶ τοῦτο μὲν τὸ τέλος τῆς Ἀσσαμωναίων γενεᾶς παρειλήφαμεν. Ὡς ληφθείσης τῆς Ἱεροσολυμιτῶν πόλεως ὑπὸ Σοσσίου καὶ Ἡρώδου Ἀντώνιος μὲν Ἀντίγονον ἐπελέκισεν ἐν Ἀντιοχείᾳ, Ἡρώδης δὲ τεσσαρακονταπέντε τῶν ἐκείνου φίλων πρώτους Ἱεροσολυμιτῶν ἐπανείλετο καὶ τὴν πόλιν ἠργυρολόγησεν. ὃν τρόπον Ὑρκανὸς ὁ πρῶτος βασιλεὺς Ἰουδαίων καὶ ἀρχιερεὺς ἀφεθεὶς ὑπὸ τοῦ τῶν Πάρθων βασιλέως Ἀρσάκου πρὸς Ἡρώδην ὑπέστρεψεν. ὡς Ἡρώδης Ἀριστόβουλον τὸν τῆς γυναικὸς Μαριάμμης ἀδελφὸν ἀρχιερέα καταστήσας μετ' οὐ πολὺ διαφθαρῆναι παρεσκεύασεν. ὡς Κλεοπάτρα τῇ τῶν Ἰουδαίων καὶ Ἀράβων ἐπιβουλεύουσα βασιλείᾳ μέρη λαβεῖν αὐτῶν ἴσχυνε παρ' Ἀντωνίου. Κλεοπάτρας εἰς τὴν Ἰουδαίαν παρουσία. ὡς Ἡρώδης ἐπολέμησεν Ἀρέτᾳ καθ' ὃν καιρὸν Ἀντώνιος ὑπὸ Καίσαρος ἐν τῇ κατ' Ἄκτιον νικᾶται μάχῃ. περὶ τοῦ γενομένου σεισμοῦ κατὰ τὴν Ἰουδαίαν καὶ τῆς φθορᾶς τῶν ἀνθρώπων καὶ τῶν βοσκημάτων. λόγος Ἡρώδου πρὸς τοὺς Ἰουδαίους ἀθυμοῦντας πρὸς τὰ πάθη καὶ τὴν ἧτταν τὴν γενομένην. ὡς ἀνάγκην ἔχων Ἡρώδης ἀπιέναι πρὸς Καίσαρα νενικηκότα διέφθειρεν Ὑρκανόν. ὡς ἔσχε καὶ παρὰ Καίσαρος τὴν βασιλείαν καὶ παρέπεμψεν αὐτὸν ἐπ' Αἰγύπτου. ὡς Ἡρώδης ἀφικόμενος εἰς Ἀλεξάνδρειαν ὑπὸ Καίσαρος ἐτιμήθη. ὡς ἐπανελθὼν ψευδέσι διαβολαῖς παρωξύνθη τὴν γυναῖκα Μαριάμμην ἀποκτεῖναι. περὶ τοῦ λιμοῦ τοῦ κατὰ τὴν Ἰουδαίαν καὶ Συρίαν γεγονότος καὶ ὡς διέσωσε τὰ πλήθη καὶ τὰς πόλεις Ἡρώδης. κτίσεις πόλεων Ἑλληνίδων ἃς Ἡρώδης ἐποιήσατο. ὡς καθελὼν ἐν Ἱεροσολύμοις τὸν ἀρχαῖον ναὸν ἄλλον ἀνέστησεν μετὰ ἔτη ἑξακόσια διπλοῦν τοῖς μέτροις. περιέχει ἡ βίβλος χρόνον ἐτῶν ιη.