Antiquities Book 14, Chapter 8
The Jews Become Confederates With Cæsar When He Fought Against Egypt. The Glorious Actions Of Antipater, And His Friendship With Cæsar. The Honors Which The Jews Received From The Romans And Athenians.
1. Now after Pompey was dead, and after that victory Cæsar had gained
over him, Antipater, who managed the Jewish affairs, became very useful
to Cæsar when he made war against Egypt, and that by the order of
Hyrcanus; for when Mithridates of Pergainus was bringing his
auxiliaries, and was not able to continue his march through Pelusium,
but obliged to stay at Askelon, Antipater came to him, conducting three
thousand of the Jews, armed men. He had also taken care the principal
men of the Arabians should come to his assistance; and on his account it
was that all the Syrians assisted him also, as not willing to appear
behindhand in their alacrity for Cæsar, viz. Jamblicus the ruler, and
Ptolemy his son, and Tholomy the son of Sohemus, who dwelt at Mount
Libanus, and almost all the cities. So Mithridates marched out of Syria,
and came to Pelusium; and when its inhabitants would not admit him, he
besieged the city. Now Antipater signalized himself here, and was the
first who plucked down a part of the wall, and so opened a way to the
rest, whereby they might enter the city, and by this means Pelusium was
taken. But it happened that the Egyptian Jews, who dwelt in the country
called Onion, would not let Antipater and Mithridates, with their
soldiers, pass to Cæsar; but Antipater persuaded them to come over with
their party, because he was of the same people with them, and that
chiefly by showing them the epistles of Hyrcanus the high priest,
wherein he exhorted them to cultivate friendship with Cæsar, and to
supply his army with money, and all sorts of provisions which they
wanted; and accordingly, when they saw Antipater and the high priest of
the same sentiments, they did as they were desired. And when the Jews
about Memphis heard that these Jews were come over to Cæsar, they also
invited Mithridates to come to them; so he came and received them also
into his army.
2. And when Mithridates had gone over all Delta, as the place is called,
he came to a pitched battle with the enemy, near the place called the
Jewish Camp. Now Mithridates had the right wing, and Antipater the left;
and when it came to a fight, that wing where Mithridates was gave way,
and was likely to suffer extremely, unless Antipater had come running to
him with his own soldiers along the shore, when he had already beaten
the enemy that opposed him; so he delivered Mithridates, and put those
Egyptians who had been too hard for him to flight. He also took their
camp, and continued in the pursuit of them. He also recalled
Mithridates, who had been worsted, and was retired a great way off; of
whose soldiers eight hundred fell, but of Antipater's fifty. So
Mithridates sent an account of this battle to Cæsar, and openly declared
that Antipater was the author of this victory, and of his own
preservation, insomuch that Cæsar commended Antipater then, and made use
of him all the rest of that war in the most hazardous undertakings; he
happened also to be wounded in one of those engagements.
3. However, when Cæsar, after some time, had finished that war, and was
sailed away for Syria, he honored Antipater greatly, and confirmed
Hyrcanus in the high priesthood; and bestowed on Antipater the privilege
of a citizen of Rome, and a freedom from taxes every where; and it is
reported by many, that Hyrcanus went along with Antipater in this
expedition, and came himself into Egypt. And Strabo of Cappadocia bears
witness to this, when he says thus, in the name of Aslnius: "After
Mithridates had invaded Egypt, and with him Hyrcanus the high priest of
the Jews." Nay, the same Strabo says thus again, in another place, in
the name of Hypsicrates, that "Mithridates at first went out alone; but
that Antipater, who had the care of the Jewish affairs, was called by
him to Askelon, and that he had gotten ready three thousand soldiers to
go along with him, and encouraged other governors of the country to go
along with him also; and that Hyrcanus the high priest was also present
in this expedition." This is what Strabo says.
4. But Antigonus, the son of Aristobulus, came at this time to Cæsar,
and lamented his father's fate; and complained, that it was by
Antipater's means that Aristobulus was taken off by poison, and his
brother was beheaded by Scipio, and desired that he would take pity of
him who had been ejected out of that principality which was due to him.
He also accused Hyrcanus and Antipater as governing the nation by
violence, and offering injuries to himself. Antipater was present, and
made his defense as to the accusations that were laid against him. He
demonstrated that Antigonus and his party were given to innovation, and
were seditious persons. He also put Cæsar in mind what difficult
services he had undergone when he assisted him in his wars, and
discoursed about what he was a witness of himself. He added, that
Aristobulus was justly carried away to Rome, as one that was an enemy to
the Romans, and could never be brought to be a friend to them, and that
his brother had no more than he deserved from Scipio, as being seized in
committing robberies; and that this punishment was not inflicted on him
in a way of violence or injustice by him that did it.
5. When Antipater had made this speech, Cæsar appointed Hyrcauus to be
high priest, and gave Antipater what principality he himself should
choose, leaving the determination to himself; so he made him procurator
of Judea. He also gave Hyrcanus leave to raise up the walls of his own
city, upon his asking that favor of him, for they had been demolished by
Pompey. And this grant he sent to the consuls to Rome, to be engraven in
the capitol. The decree of the senate was this that follows: 13 "Lucius
Valerius, the son of Lucius the praetor, referred this to the senate,
upon the Ides of December, in the temple of Concord. There were present
at the writing of this decree Lucius Coponius, the son of Lucius of the
Colline tribe, and Papirius of the Quirine tribe, concerning the affairs
which Alexander, the son of Jason, and Numenius, the son of Antiochus,
and Alexander, the son of Dositheus, ambassadors of the Jews, good and
worthy men, proposed, who came to renew that league of goodwill and
friendship with the Romans which was in being before. They also brought
a shield of gold, as a mark of confederacy, valued at fifty thousand
pieces of gold; and desired that letters might be given them, directed
both to the free cities and to the kings, that their country and their
havens might be at peace, and that no one among them might receive any
injury. It therefore pleased [the senate] to make a league of friendship
and good-will with them, and to bestow on them whatsoever they stood in
need of, and to accept of the shield which was brought by them. This was
done in the ninth year of Hyrcanus the high priest and ethnarch, in the
month Panemus." Hyrcanus also received honors from the people of Athens,
as having been useful to them on many occasions. And when they wrote to
him, they sent him this decree, as it here follows "Under the prutaneia
and priesthood of Dionysius, the son of Esculapius, on the fifth day of
the latter part of the month Panemus, this decree of the Athenians was
given to their commanders, when Agathocles was archon, and Eucles, the
son of Menander of Alimusia, was the scribe. In the month Munychion, on
the eleventh day of the prutaneia, a council of the presidents was held
in the theater. Dorotheus the high priest, and the fellow presidents
with him, put it to the vote of the people. Dionysius, the son of
Dionysius, gave the sentence. Since Hyrcanus, the son of Alexander, the
high priest and ethnarch of the Jews, continues to bear good-will to our
people in general, and to every one of our citizens in particular, and
treats them with all sorts of kindness; and when any of the Athenians
come to him, either as ambassadors, or on any occasion of their own, he
receives them in an obliging manner, and sees that they are conducted
back in safety, of which we have had several former testimonies; it is
now also decreed, at the report of Theodosius, the son of Theodorus, and
upon his putting the people in mind of the virtue of this man, and that
his purpose is to do us all the good that is in his power, to honor him
with a crown of gold, the usual reward according to the law, and to
erect his statue in brass in the temple of Demus and of the Graces; and
that this present of a crown shall be proclaimed publicly in the
theater, in the Dionysian shows, while the new tragedies are acting; and
in the Panathenean, and Eleusinian, and Gymnical shows also; and that
the commanders shall take care, while he continues in his friendship,
and preserves his good-will to us, to return all possible honor and
favor to the man for his affection and generosity; that by this
treatment it may appear how our people receive the good kindly, and
repay them a suitable reward; and he may be induced to proceed in his
affection towards us, by the honors we have already paid him. That
ambassadors be also chosen out of all the Athenians, who shall carry
this decree to him, and desire him to accept of the honors we do him,
and to endeavor always to be doing some good to our city." And this
shall suffice us to have spoken as to the honors that were paid by the
Romans and the people of Athens to Hyrcanus.
over him, Antipater, who managed the Jewish affairs, became very useful
to Cæsar when he made war against Egypt, and that by the order of
Hyrcanus; for when Mithridates of Pergainus was bringing his
auxiliaries, and was not able to continue his march through Pelusium,
but obliged to stay at Askelon, Antipater came to him, conducting three
thousand of the Jews, armed men. He had also taken care the principal
men of the Arabians should come to his assistance; and on his account it
was that all the Syrians assisted him also, as not willing to appear
behindhand in their alacrity for Cæsar, viz. Jamblicus the ruler, and
Ptolemy his son, and Tholomy the son of Sohemus, who dwelt at Mount
Libanus, and almost all the cities. So Mithridates marched out of Syria,
and came to Pelusium; and when its inhabitants would not admit him, he
besieged the city. Now Antipater signalized himself here, and was the
first who plucked down a part of the wall, and so opened a way to the
rest, whereby they might enter the city, and by this means Pelusium was
taken. But it happened that the Egyptian Jews, who dwelt in the country
called Onion, would not let Antipater and Mithridates, with their
soldiers, pass to Cæsar; but Antipater persuaded them to come over with
their party, because he was of the same people with them, and that
chiefly by showing them the epistles of Hyrcanus the high priest,
wherein he exhorted them to cultivate friendship with Cæsar, and to
supply his army with money, and all sorts of provisions which they
wanted; and accordingly, when they saw Antipater and the high priest of
the same sentiments, they did as they were desired. And when the Jews
about Memphis heard that these Jews were come over to Cæsar, they also
invited Mithridates to come to them; so he came and received them also
into his army.
2. And when Mithridates had gone over all Delta, as the place is called,
he came to a pitched battle with the enemy, near the place called the
Jewish Camp. Now Mithridates had the right wing, and Antipater the left;
and when it came to a fight, that wing where Mithridates was gave way,
and was likely to suffer extremely, unless Antipater had come running to
him with his own soldiers along the shore, when he had already beaten
the enemy that opposed him; so he delivered Mithridates, and put those
Egyptians who had been too hard for him to flight. He also took their
camp, and continued in the pursuit of them. He also recalled
Mithridates, who had been worsted, and was retired a great way off; of
whose soldiers eight hundred fell, but of Antipater's fifty. So
Mithridates sent an account of this battle to Cæsar, and openly declared
that Antipater was the author of this victory, and of his own
preservation, insomuch that Cæsar commended Antipater then, and made use
of him all the rest of that war in the most hazardous undertakings; he
happened also to be wounded in one of those engagements.
3. However, when Cæsar, after some time, had finished that war, and was
sailed away for Syria, he honored Antipater greatly, and confirmed
Hyrcanus in the high priesthood; and bestowed on Antipater the privilege
of a citizen of Rome, and a freedom from taxes every where; and it is
reported by many, that Hyrcanus went along with Antipater in this
expedition, and came himself into Egypt. And Strabo of Cappadocia bears
witness to this, when he says thus, in the name of Aslnius: "After
Mithridates had invaded Egypt, and with him Hyrcanus the high priest of
the Jews." Nay, the same Strabo says thus again, in another place, in
the name of Hypsicrates, that "Mithridates at first went out alone; but
that Antipater, who had the care of the Jewish affairs, was called by
him to Askelon, and that he had gotten ready three thousand soldiers to
go along with him, and encouraged other governors of the country to go
along with him also; and that Hyrcanus the high priest was also present
in this expedition." This is what Strabo says.
4. But Antigonus, the son of Aristobulus, came at this time to Cæsar,
and lamented his father's fate; and complained, that it was by
Antipater's means that Aristobulus was taken off by poison, and his
brother was beheaded by Scipio, and desired that he would take pity of
him who had been ejected out of that principality which was due to him.
He also accused Hyrcanus and Antipater as governing the nation by
violence, and offering injuries to himself. Antipater was present, and
made his defense as to the accusations that were laid against him. He
demonstrated that Antigonus and his party were given to innovation, and
were seditious persons. He also put Cæsar in mind what difficult
services he had undergone when he assisted him in his wars, and
discoursed about what he was a witness of himself. He added, that
Aristobulus was justly carried away to Rome, as one that was an enemy to
the Romans, and could never be brought to be a friend to them, and that
his brother had no more than he deserved from Scipio, as being seized in
committing robberies; and that this punishment was not inflicted on him
in a way of violence or injustice by him that did it.
5. When Antipater had made this speech, Cæsar appointed Hyrcauus to be
high priest, and gave Antipater what principality he himself should
choose, leaving the determination to himself; so he made him procurator
of Judea. He also gave Hyrcanus leave to raise up the walls of his own
city, upon his asking that favor of him, for they had been demolished by
Pompey. And this grant he sent to the consuls to Rome, to be engraven in
the capitol. The decree of the senate was this that follows: 13 "Lucius
Valerius, the son of Lucius the praetor, referred this to the senate,
upon the Ides of December, in the temple of Concord. There were present
at the writing of this decree Lucius Coponius, the son of Lucius of the
Colline tribe, and Papirius of the Quirine tribe, concerning the affairs
which Alexander, the son of Jason, and Numenius, the son of Antiochus,
and Alexander, the son of Dositheus, ambassadors of the Jews, good and
worthy men, proposed, who came to renew that league of goodwill and
friendship with the Romans which was in being before. They also brought
a shield of gold, as a mark of confederacy, valued at fifty thousand
pieces of gold; and desired that letters might be given them, directed
both to the free cities and to the kings, that their country and their
havens might be at peace, and that no one among them might receive any
injury. It therefore pleased [the senate] to make a league of friendship
and good-will with them, and to bestow on them whatsoever they stood in
need of, and to accept of the shield which was brought by them. This was
done in the ninth year of Hyrcanus the high priest and ethnarch, in the
month Panemus." Hyrcanus also received honors from the people of Athens,
as having been useful to them on many occasions. And when they wrote to
him, they sent him this decree, as it here follows "Under the prutaneia
and priesthood of Dionysius, the son of Esculapius, on the fifth day of
the latter part of the month Panemus, this decree of the Athenians was
given to their commanders, when Agathocles was archon, and Eucles, the
son of Menander of Alimusia, was the scribe. In the month Munychion, on
the eleventh day of the prutaneia, a council of the presidents was held
in the theater. Dorotheus the high priest, and the fellow presidents
with him, put it to the vote of the people. Dionysius, the son of
Dionysius, gave the sentence. Since Hyrcanus, the son of Alexander, the
high priest and ethnarch of the Jews, continues to bear good-will to our
people in general, and to every one of our citizens in particular, and
treats them with all sorts of kindness; and when any of the Athenians
come to him, either as ambassadors, or on any occasion of their own, he
receives them in an obliging manner, and sees that they are conducted
back in safety, of which we have had several former testimonies; it is
now also decreed, at the report of Theodosius, the son of Theodorus, and
upon his putting the people in mind of the virtue of this man, and that
his purpose is to do us all the good that is in his power, to honor him
with a crown of gold, the usual reward according to the law, and to
erect his statue in brass in the temple of Demus and of the Graces; and
that this present of a crown shall be proclaimed publicly in the
theater, in the Dionysian shows, while the new tragedies are acting; and
in the Panathenean, and Eleusinian, and Gymnical shows also; and that
the commanders shall take care, while he continues in his friendship,
and preserves his good-will to us, to return all possible honor and
favor to the man for his affection and generosity; that by this
treatment it may appear how our people receive the good kindly, and
repay them a suitable reward; and he may be induced to proceed in his
affection towards us, by the honors we have already paid him. That
ambassadors be also chosen out of all the Athenians, who shall carry
this decree to him, and desire him to accept of the honors we do him,
and to endeavor always to be doing some good to our city." And this
shall suffice us to have spoken as to the honors that were paid by the
Romans and the people of Athens to Hyrcanus.