Antiquities Book 20, Chapter 4
How Izates Was Betrayed By His Own Subjects, And Fought Against By The Arabians And How Izates, By The Providence Of God, Was Delivered Out Of Their Hands.
1. Now when the king's brother, Monobazus, and his other kindred, saw
how Izates, by his piety to God, was become greatly esteemed by all men,
they also had a desire to leave the religion of their country, and to
embrace the customs of the Jews; but that act of theirs was discovered
by Izates's subjects. Whereupon the grandees were much displeased, and
could not contain their anger at them; but had an intention, when they
should find a proper opportunity, to inflict a punishment upon them.
Accordingly, they wrote to Abia, king of the Arabians, and promised him
great sums of money, if he would make an expedition against their king;
and they further promised him, that, on the first onset, they would
desert their king, because they were desirous to punish him, by reason
of the hatred he had to their religious worship; then they obliged
themselves, by oaths, to be faithful to each other, and desired that he
would make haste in this design. The king of Arabia complied with their
desires, and brought a great army into the field, and marched against
Izates; and, in the beginning of the first onset, and before they came
to a close fight, those grandees, as if they had a panic terror upon
them, all deserted Izates, as they had agreed to do, and, turning their
backs upon their enemies, ran away. Yet was not Izates dismayed at this;
but when he understood that the grandees had betrayed him, he also
retired into his camp, and made inquiry into the matter; and as soon as
he knew who they were that made this conspiracy with the king of Arabia,
he cut off those that were found guilty; and renewing the fight on the
next day, he slew the greatest part of his enemies, and forced all the
rest to betake themselves to flight. He also pursued their king, and
drove him into a fortress called Arsamus, and following on the siege
vigorously, he took that fortress. And when he had plundered it of all
the prey that was in it, which was not small, he returned to Adiabene;
yet did not he take Abia alive, because, when he found himself
encompassed on every side, he slew himself.
2. But although the grandees of Adiabene had failed in their first
attempt, as being delivered up by God into their king's hands, yet would
they not even then be quiet, but wrote again to Vologases, who was then
king of Parthia, and desired that he would kill Izates, and set over
them some other potentate, who should be of a Parthian family; for they
said that they hated their own king for abrogating the laws of their
forefathers, and embracing foreign customs. When the king of Parthia
heard this, he boldly made war upon Izates; and as he had no just
pretense for this war, he sent to him, and demanded back those honorable
privileges which had been bestowed on him by his father, and threatened,
on his refusal, to make war upon him. Upon hearing of this, Izates was
under no small trouble of mind, as thinking it would be a reproach upon
him to appear to resign those privileges that had been bestowed upon him
out of cowardice; yet because he knew, that though the king of Parthia
should receive back those honors, yet would he not be quiet, he resolved
to commit himself to God, his Protector, in the present danger he was in
of his life; and as he esteemed him to be his principal assistant, he
intrusted his children and his wives to a very strong fortress, and laid
up his corn in his citadels, and set the hay and the grass on fire. And
when he had thus put things in order, as well as he could, he awaited
the coming of the enemy. And when the king of Parthia was come, with a
great army of footmen and horsemen, which he did sooner than was
expected, [for he marched in great haste,] and had cast up a bank at the
river that parted Adiabene from Media,—Izates also pitched his camp not
far off, having with him six thousand horsemen. But there came a
messenger to Izates, sent by the king of Parthia, who told him how large
his dominions were, as reaching from the river Euphrates to Bactria, and
enumerated that king's subjects; he also threatened him that he should
be punished, as a person ungrateful to his lords; and said that the God
whom he worshipped could not deliver him out of the king's hands. When
the messenger had delivered this his message, Izates replied that he
knew the king of Parthia's power was much greater than his own; but that
he knew also that God was much more powerful than all men. And when he
had returned him this answer, he betook himself to make supplication to
God, and threw himself upon the ground, and put ashes upon his head, in
testimony of his confusion, and fasted, together with his wives and
children. 7 Then he called upon God, and said, "O Lord and Governor, if
I have not in vain committed myself to thy goodness, but have justly
determined that thou only art the Lord and principal of all beings, come
now to my assistance, and defend me from my enemies, not only on my own
account, but on account of their insolent behavior with regard to thy
power, while they have not feared to lift up their proud and arrogant
tongue against thee." Thus did he lament and bemoan himself, with tears
in his eyes; whereupon God heard his prayer. And immediately that very
night Vologases received letters, the contents of which were these, that
a great band of Dahe and Sacse, despising him, now he was gone so long a
journey from home, had made an expedition, and laid Parthia waste; so
that he [was forced to] retire back, without doing any thing. And thus
it was that Izates escaped the threatenings of the Parthians, by the
providence of God.
3. It was not long ere Izates died, when he had completed fifty-five
years of his life, and had ruled his kingdom twenty-four years. He left
behind him twenty-four sons and twenty-four daughters. However, he gave
order that his brother Monobazus should succeed in the government,
thereby requiting him, because, while he was himself absent after their
father's death, he had faithfully preserved the government for him. But
when Helena, his mother, heard of her son's death, she was in great
heaviness, as was but natural, upon her loss of such a most dutiful son;
yet was it a comfort to her that she heard the succession came to her
eldest son. Accordingly, she went to him in haste; and when she was come
into Adiabene, she did not long outlive her son Izates. But Monobazus
sent her bones, as well as those of Izates, his brother, to Jerusalem,
and gave order that they should be buried at the pyramids 8 which their
mother had erected; they were three in number, and distant no more than
three furlongs from the city Jerusalem. But for the actions of Monobazus
the king, which he did during the rest of his life, we will relate them
hereafter.
how Izates, by his piety to God, was become greatly esteemed by all men,
they also had a desire to leave the religion of their country, and to
embrace the customs of the Jews; but that act of theirs was discovered
by Izates's subjects. Whereupon the grandees were much displeased, and
could not contain their anger at them; but had an intention, when they
should find a proper opportunity, to inflict a punishment upon them.
Accordingly, they wrote to Abia, king of the Arabians, and promised him
great sums of money, if he would make an expedition against their king;
and they further promised him, that, on the first onset, they would
desert their king, because they were desirous to punish him, by reason
of the hatred he had to their religious worship; then they obliged
themselves, by oaths, to be faithful to each other, and desired that he
would make haste in this design. The king of Arabia complied with their
desires, and brought a great army into the field, and marched against
Izates; and, in the beginning of the first onset, and before they came
to a close fight, those grandees, as if they had a panic terror upon
them, all deserted Izates, as they had agreed to do, and, turning their
backs upon their enemies, ran away. Yet was not Izates dismayed at this;
but when he understood that the grandees had betrayed him, he also
retired into his camp, and made inquiry into the matter; and as soon as
he knew who they were that made this conspiracy with the king of Arabia,
he cut off those that were found guilty; and renewing the fight on the
next day, he slew the greatest part of his enemies, and forced all the
rest to betake themselves to flight. He also pursued their king, and
drove him into a fortress called Arsamus, and following on the siege
vigorously, he took that fortress. And when he had plundered it of all
the prey that was in it, which was not small, he returned to Adiabene;
yet did not he take Abia alive, because, when he found himself
encompassed on every side, he slew himself.
2. But although the grandees of Adiabene had failed in their first
attempt, as being delivered up by God into their king's hands, yet would
they not even then be quiet, but wrote again to Vologases, who was then
king of Parthia, and desired that he would kill Izates, and set over
them some other potentate, who should be of a Parthian family; for they
said that they hated their own king for abrogating the laws of their
forefathers, and embracing foreign customs. When the king of Parthia
heard this, he boldly made war upon Izates; and as he had no just
pretense for this war, he sent to him, and demanded back those honorable
privileges which had been bestowed on him by his father, and threatened,
on his refusal, to make war upon him. Upon hearing of this, Izates was
under no small trouble of mind, as thinking it would be a reproach upon
him to appear to resign those privileges that had been bestowed upon him
out of cowardice; yet because he knew, that though the king of Parthia
should receive back those honors, yet would he not be quiet, he resolved
to commit himself to God, his Protector, in the present danger he was in
of his life; and as he esteemed him to be his principal assistant, he
intrusted his children and his wives to a very strong fortress, and laid
up his corn in his citadels, and set the hay and the grass on fire. And
when he had thus put things in order, as well as he could, he awaited
the coming of the enemy. And when the king of Parthia was come, with a
great army of footmen and horsemen, which he did sooner than was
expected, [for he marched in great haste,] and had cast up a bank at the
river that parted Adiabene from Media,—Izates also pitched his camp not
far off, having with him six thousand horsemen. But there came a
messenger to Izates, sent by the king of Parthia, who told him how large
his dominions were, as reaching from the river Euphrates to Bactria, and
enumerated that king's subjects; he also threatened him that he should
be punished, as a person ungrateful to his lords; and said that the God
whom he worshipped could not deliver him out of the king's hands. When
the messenger had delivered this his message, Izates replied that he
knew the king of Parthia's power was much greater than his own; but that
he knew also that God was much more powerful than all men. And when he
had returned him this answer, he betook himself to make supplication to
God, and threw himself upon the ground, and put ashes upon his head, in
testimony of his confusion, and fasted, together with his wives and
children. 7 Then he called upon God, and said, "O Lord and Governor, if
I have not in vain committed myself to thy goodness, but have justly
determined that thou only art the Lord and principal of all beings, come
now to my assistance, and defend me from my enemies, not only on my own
account, but on account of their insolent behavior with regard to thy
power, while they have not feared to lift up their proud and arrogant
tongue against thee." Thus did he lament and bemoan himself, with tears
in his eyes; whereupon God heard his prayer. And immediately that very
night Vologases received letters, the contents of which were these, that
a great band of Dahe and Sacse, despising him, now he was gone so long a
journey from home, had made an expedition, and laid Parthia waste; so
that he [was forced to] retire back, without doing any thing. And thus
it was that Izates escaped the threatenings of the Parthians, by the
providence of God.
3. It was not long ere Izates died, when he had completed fifty-five
years of his life, and had ruled his kingdom twenty-four years. He left
behind him twenty-four sons and twenty-four daughters. However, he gave
order that his brother Monobazus should succeed in the government,
thereby requiting him, because, while he was himself absent after their
father's death, he had faithfully preserved the government for him. But
when Helena, his mother, heard of her son's death, she was in great
heaviness, as was but natural, upon her loss of such a most dutiful son;
yet was it a comfort to her that she heard the succession came to her
eldest son. Accordingly, she went to him in haste; and when she was come
into Adiabene, she did not long outlive her son Izates. But Monobazus
sent her bones, as well as those of Izates, his brother, to Jerusalem,
and gave order that they should be buried at the pyramids 8 which their
mother had erected; they were three in number, and distant no more than
three furlongs from the city Jerusalem. But for the actions of Monobazus
the king, which he did during the rest of his life, we will relate them
hereafter.