Antiquities Book 14, Chapter 3
How Aristobulus And Hyrcanus Came To Pompey In Order To Argue Who Ought To Have The Kingdom; And How Upon The Plight Of Aristobulus To The Fortress Alexandrium Pompey Led His Army Against Him And Ordered Him To Deliver Up The Fortresses Whereof He Was Possessed.
1. A Little afterward Pompey came to Damascus, and marched over
Celesyria; at which time there came ambassadors to him from all Syria,
and Egypt, and out of Judea also, for Aristobulus had sent him a great
present, which was a golden vine 3 of the value of five hundred talents.
Now Strabo of Cappadocia mentions this present in these words: "There
came also an embassage out of Egypt, and a crown of the value of four
thousand pieces of gold; and out of Judea there came another, whether
you call it a vine or a garden; they call the thing Terpole, the
Delight. However, we ourselves saw that present reposited at Rome, in
the temple of Jupiter Capitolinus, with this inscription, 'The gift of
Alexander, the king of the Jews.' It was valued at five hundred talents;
and the report is, that Aristobulus, the governor of the Jews, sent it."
2. In a little time afterward came ambassadors again to him, Antipater
from Hyrcanus, and Nicodemus from Aristobulus; which last also accused
such as had taken bribes; first Gabinius, and then Scaurus,—the one
three hundred talents, and the other four hundred; by which procedure he
made these two his enemies, besides those he had before. And when Pompey
had ordered those that had controversies one with another to come to him
in the beginning of the spring, he brought his army out of their winter
quarters, and marched into the country of Damascus; and as he went along
he demolished the citadel that was at Apamia, which Antiochus Cyzicenus
had built, and took cognizance of the country of Ptolemy Menneus, a
wicked man, and not less so than Dionysius of Tripoli, who had been
beheaded, who was also his relation by marriage; yet did he buy off the
punishment of his crimes for a thousand talents, with which money Pompey
paid the soldiers their wages. He also conquered the place called
Lysias, of which Silas a Jew was tyrant. And when he had passed over the
cities of Heliopolis and Chalcis, and got over the mountain which is on
the limit of Celesyria, he came from Pella to Damascus; and there it was
that he heard the causes of the Jews, and of their governors Hyrcanus
and Aristobulus, who were at difference one with another, as also of the
nation against them both, which did not desire to be under kingly'
government, because the form of government they received from their
forefathers was that of subjection to the priests of that God whom they
worshipped; and [they complained], that though these two were the
posterity of priests, yet did they seek to change the government of
their nation to another form, in order to enslave them. Hyrcanus
complained, that although he were the elder brother, he was deprived of
the prerogative of his birth by Aristobulus, and that he had but a small
part of the country under him, Aristobulus having taken away the rest
from him by force. He also accused him, that the incursions which had
been made into their neighbors' countries, and the piracies that had
been at sea, were owing to him; and that the nation would not have
revolted, unless Aristobulus had been a man given to violence and
disorder; and there were no fewer than a thousand Jews, of the best
esteem among them, who confirmed this accusation; which confirmation was
procured by Antipater. But Aristobulus alleged against him, that it was
Hyrcanus's own temper, which was inactive, and on that account
contemptible, which caused him to be deprived of the government; and
that for himself, he was necessitated to take it upon him, for fear lest
it should be transferred to others. And that as to his title [of king],
it was no other than what his father had taken [before him]. He also
called for witnesses of what he said some persons who were both young
and insolent; whose purple garments, fine heads of hair, and other
ornaments, were detested [by the court], and which they appeared in, not
as though they were to plead their cause in a court of justice, but as
if they were marching in a pompous procession.
3. When Pompey had heard the causes of these two, and had condemned
Aristobulus for his violent procedure, he then spake civilly to them,
and sent them away; and told them, that when he came again into their
country, he would settle all their affairs, after he had first taken a
view of the affairs of the Nabateans. In the mean time, he ordered them
to be quiet; and treated Aristobulus civilly, lest he should make the
nation revolt, and hinder his return; which yet Aristobulus did; for
without expecting any further determination, which Pompey had promised
them, he went to the city Delius, and thence marched into Judea.
4. At this behavior Pompey was angry; and taking with him that army
which he was leading against the Nabateans, and the auxiliaries that
came from Damascus, and the other parts of Syria, with the other Roman
legions which he had with him, he made an expedition against
Aristobulus; but as he passed by Pella and Scythopolis, he came to
Corem, which is the first entrance into Judea when one passes over the
midland countries, where he came to a most beautiful fortress that was
built on the top of a mountain called Alexandrium, whither Aristobulus
had fled; and thence Pompey sent his commands to him, that he should
come to him. Accordingly, at the persuasions of many that he would not
make war with the Romans, he came down; and when he had disputed with
his brother about the right to the government, he went up again to the
citadel, as Pompey gave him leave to do; and this he did two or three
times, as flattering himself with the hopes of having the kingdom
granted him; so that he still pretended he would obey Pompey in
whatsoever he commanded, although at the same time he retired to his
fortress, that he might not depress himself too low, and that he might
be prepared for a war, in case it should prove as he feared, that Pompey
would transfer the government to Hyrcanus. But when Pompey enjoined
Aristobulus to deliver up the fortresses he held, and to send an
injunction to their governors under his own hand for that purpose, for
they had been forbidden to deliver them up upon any other commands, he
submitted indeed to do so; but still he retired in displeasure to
Jerusalem, and made preparation for war. A little after this, certain
persons came out of Pontus, and informed Pompey, as he was on the way,
and conducting his army against Aristobulus, that Mithridates was dead,
and was slain by his son Pharmaces.
Celesyria; at which time there came ambassadors to him from all Syria,
and Egypt, and out of Judea also, for Aristobulus had sent him a great
present, which was a golden vine 3 of the value of five hundred talents.
Now Strabo of Cappadocia mentions this present in these words: "There
came also an embassage out of Egypt, and a crown of the value of four
thousand pieces of gold; and out of Judea there came another, whether
you call it a vine or a garden; they call the thing Terpole, the
Delight. However, we ourselves saw that present reposited at Rome, in
the temple of Jupiter Capitolinus, with this inscription, 'The gift of
Alexander, the king of the Jews.' It was valued at five hundred talents;
and the report is, that Aristobulus, the governor of the Jews, sent it."
2. In a little time afterward came ambassadors again to him, Antipater
from Hyrcanus, and Nicodemus from Aristobulus; which last also accused
such as had taken bribes; first Gabinius, and then Scaurus,—the one
three hundred talents, and the other four hundred; by which procedure he
made these two his enemies, besides those he had before. And when Pompey
had ordered those that had controversies one with another to come to him
in the beginning of the spring, he brought his army out of their winter
quarters, and marched into the country of Damascus; and as he went along
he demolished the citadel that was at Apamia, which Antiochus Cyzicenus
had built, and took cognizance of the country of Ptolemy Menneus, a
wicked man, and not less so than Dionysius of Tripoli, who had been
beheaded, who was also his relation by marriage; yet did he buy off the
punishment of his crimes for a thousand talents, with which money Pompey
paid the soldiers their wages. He also conquered the place called
Lysias, of which Silas a Jew was tyrant. And when he had passed over the
cities of Heliopolis and Chalcis, and got over the mountain which is on
the limit of Celesyria, he came from Pella to Damascus; and there it was
that he heard the causes of the Jews, and of their governors Hyrcanus
and Aristobulus, who were at difference one with another, as also of the
nation against them both, which did not desire to be under kingly'
government, because the form of government they received from their
forefathers was that of subjection to the priests of that God whom they
worshipped; and [they complained], that though these two were the
posterity of priests, yet did they seek to change the government of
their nation to another form, in order to enslave them. Hyrcanus
complained, that although he were the elder brother, he was deprived of
the prerogative of his birth by Aristobulus, and that he had but a small
part of the country under him, Aristobulus having taken away the rest
from him by force. He also accused him, that the incursions which had
been made into their neighbors' countries, and the piracies that had
been at sea, were owing to him; and that the nation would not have
revolted, unless Aristobulus had been a man given to violence and
disorder; and there were no fewer than a thousand Jews, of the best
esteem among them, who confirmed this accusation; which confirmation was
procured by Antipater. But Aristobulus alleged against him, that it was
Hyrcanus's own temper, which was inactive, and on that account
contemptible, which caused him to be deprived of the government; and
that for himself, he was necessitated to take it upon him, for fear lest
it should be transferred to others. And that as to his title [of king],
it was no other than what his father had taken [before him]. He also
called for witnesses of what he said some persons who were both young
and insolent; whose purple garments, fine heads of hair, and other
ornaments, were detested [by the court], and which they appeared in, not
as though they were to plead their cause in a court of justice, but as
if they were marching in a pompous procession.
3. When Pompey had heard the causes of these two, and had condemned
Aristobulus for his violent procedure, he then spake civilly to them,
and sent them away; and told them, that when he came again into their
country, he would settle all their affairs, after he had first taken a
view of the affairs of the Nabateans. In the mean time, he ordered them
to be quiet; and treated Aristobulus civilly, lest he should make the
nation revolt, and hinder his return; which yet Aristobulus did; for
without expecting any further determination, which Pompey had promised
them, he went to the city Delius, and thence marched into Judea.
4. At this behavior Pompey was angry; and taking with him that army
which he was leading against the Nabateans, and the auxiliaries that
came from Damascus, and the other parts of Syria, with the other Roman
legions which he had with him, he made an expedition against
Aristobulus; but as he passed by Pella and Scythopolis, he came to
Corem, which is the first entrance into Judea when one passes over the
midland countries, where he came to a most beautiful fortress that was
built on the top of a mountain called Alexandrium, whither Aristobulus
had fled; and thence Pompey sent his commands to him, that he should
come to him. Accordingly, at the persuasions of many that he would not
make war with the Romans, he came down; and when he had disputed with
his brother about the right to the government, he went up again to the
citadel, as Pompey gave him leave to do; and this he did two or three
times, as flattering himself with the hopes of having the kingdom
granted him; so that he still pretended he would obey Pompey in
whatsoever he commanded, although at the same time he retired to his
fortress, that he might not depress himself too low, and that he might
be prepared for a war, in case it should prove as he feared, that Pompey
would transfer the government to Hyrcanus. But when Pompey enjoined
Aristobulus to deliver up the fortresses he held, and to send an
injunction to their governors under his own hand for that purpose, for
they had been forbidden to deliver them up upon any other commands, he
submitted indeed to do so; but still he retired in displeasure to
Jerusalem, and made preparation for war. A little after this, certain
persons came out of Pontus, and informed Pompey, as he was on the way,
and conducting his army against Aristobulus, that Mithridates was dead,
and was slain by his son Pharmaces.