Antiquities Book 13, Chapter 14
How Demetrius Eucerus Overcame Alexander And Yet In A Little Time Retired Out Of The Country For Fear; As Also How Alexander Slew Many Of The Jews And Thereby Got Clear Of His Troubles. Concerning The Death Of Demetrius.
1. So Demetrius came with an army, and took those that invited him, and
pitched his camp near the city Shechem; upon which Alexander, with his
six thousand two hundred mercenaries, and about twenty thousand Jews,
who were of his party, went against Demetrius, who had three thousand
horsemen, and forty thousand footmen. Now there were great endeavors
used on both sides,—Demetrius trying to bring off the mercenaries that
were with Alexander, because they were Greeks, and Alexander trying to
bring off the Jews that were with Demetrius. However, when neither of
them could persuade them so to do, they came to a battle, and Demetrius
was the conqueror; in which all Alexander's mercenaries were killed,
when they had given demonstration of their fidelity and courage. A great
number of Demetrius's soldiers were slain also.
2. Now as Alexander fled to the mountains, six thousand of the Jews
hereupon came together [from Demetrius] to him out of pity at the change
of his fortune; upon which Demetrius was afraid, and retired out of the
country; after which the Jews fought against Alexander, and being
beaten, were slain in great numbers in the several battles which they
had; and when he had shut up the most powerful of them in the city
Bethome, he besieged them therein; and when he had taken the city, and
gotten the men into his power, he brought them to Jerusalem, and did one
of the most barbarous actions in the world to them; for as he was
feasting with his concubines, in the sight of all the city, he ordered
about eight hundred of them to be crucified; and while they were living,
he ordered the throats of their children and wives to be cut before
their eyes. This was indeed by way of revenge for the injuries they had
done him; which punishment yet was of an inhuman nature, though we
suppose that he had been never so much distressed, as indeed he had
been, by his wars with them, for he had by their means come to the last
degree of hazard, both of his life and of his kingdom, while they were
not satisfied by themselves only to fight against him, but introduced
foreigners also for the same purpose; nay, at length they reduced him to
that degree of necessity, that he was forced to deliver back to the king
of Arabia the land of Moab and Gilead, which he had subdued, and the
places that were in them, that they might not join with them in the war
against him, as they had done ten thousand other things that tended to
affront and reproach him. However, this barbarity seems to have been
without any necessity, on which account he bare the name of a Thracian
among the Jews 40 whereupon the soldiers that had fought against him,
being about eight thousand in number, ran away by night, and continued
fugitives all the time that Alexander lived; who being now freed from
any further disturbance from them, reigned the rest of his time in the
utmost tranquillity.
3. But when Demetrius was departed out of Judea, he went to Berea, and
besieged his brother Philip, having with him ten thousand footmen, and a
thousand horsemen. However Strato, the tyrant of Berea, the confederate
of Philip, called in Zizon, the ruler of the Arabian tribes, and
Mithridates Sinax, the ruler of the Parthians, who coming with a great
number of forces, and besieging Demetrius in his encampment, into which
they had driven them with their arrows, they compelled those that were
with him by thirst to deliver up themselves. So they took a great many
spoils out of that country, and Demetrius himself, whom they sent to
Mithridates, who was then king of Parthia; but as to those whom they
took captives of the people of Antioch, they restored them to the
Antiochinus without any reward. Now Mithridates, the king of Parthia,
had Demetrius in great honor, till Demetrius ended his life by sickness.
So Philip, presently after the fight was over, came to Antioch, and took
it, and reigned over Syria.
pitched his camp near the city Shechem; upon which Alexander, with his
six thousand two hundred mercenaries, and about twenty thousand Jews,
who were of his party, went against Demetrius, who had three thousand
horsemen, and forty thousand footmen. Now there were great endeavors
used on both sides,—Demetrius trying to bring off the mercenaries that
were with Alexander, because they were Greeks, and Alexander trying to
bring off the Jews that were with Demetrius. However, when neither of
them could persuade them so to do, they came to a battle, and Demetrius
was the conqueror; in which all Alexander's mercenaries were killed,
when they had given demonstration of their fidelity and courage. A great
number of Demetrius's soldiers were slain also.
2. Now as Alexander fled to the mountains, six thousand of the Jews
hereupon came together [from Demetrius] to him out of pity at the change
of his fortune; upon which Demetrius was afraid, and retired out of the
country; after which the Jews fought against Alexander, and being
beaten, were slain in great numbers in the several battles which they
had; and when he had shut up the most powerful of them in the city
Bethome, he besieged them therein; and when he had taken the city, and
gotten the men into his power, he brought them to Jerusalem, and did one
of the most barbarous actions in the world to them; for as he was
feasting with his concubines, in the sight of all the city, he ordered
about eight hundred of them to be crucified; and while they were living,
he ordered the throats of their children and wives to be cut before
their eyes. This was indeed by way of revenge for the injuries they had
done him; which punishment yet was of an inhuman nature, though we
suppose that he had been never so much distressed, as indeed he had
been, by his wars with them, for he had by their means come to the last
degree of hazard, both of his life and of his kingdom, while they were
not satisfied by themselves only to fight against him, but introduced
foreigners also for the same purpose; nay, at length they reduced him to
that degree of necessity, that he was forced to deliver back to the king
of Arabia the land of Moab and Gilead, which he had subdued, and the
places that were in them, that they might not join with them in the war
against him, as they had done ten thousand other things that tended to
affront and reproach him. However, this barbarity seems to have been
without any necessity, on which account he bare the name of a Thracian
among the Jews 40 whereupon the soldiers that had fought against him,
being about eight thousand in number, ran away by night, and continued
fugitives all the time that Alexander lived; who being now freed from
any further disturbance from them, reigned the rest of his time in the
utmost tranquillity.
3. But when Demetrius was departed out of Judea, he went to Berea, and
besieged his brother Philip, having with him ten thousand footmen, and a
thousand horsemen. However Strato, the tyrant of Berea, the confederate
of Philip, called in Zizon, the ruler of the Arabian tribes, and
Mithridates Sinax, the ruler of the Parthians, who coming with a great
number of forces, and besieging Demetrius in his encampment, into which
they had driven them with their arrows, they compelled those that were
with him by thirst to deliver up themselves. So they took a great many
spoils out of that country, and Demetrius himself, whom they sent to
Mithridates, who was then king of Parthia; but as to those whom they
took captives of the people of Antioch, they restored them to the
Antiochinus without any reward. Now Mithridates, the king of Parthia,
had Demetrius in great honor, till Demetrius ended his life by sickness.
So Philip, presently after the fight was over, came to Antioch, and took
it, and reigned over Syria.