iHe sent Aristonicus to Rome in the fleet which he loaded with Attalus's treasures. Manius Aquilius, who had lately been elected consul, was hastening to take his place, in order to put an end to this war, and deprive him of the honour of a triumph. He found Aristonicus set out; and some time after Perpenna, who had begun his journey, died of a disease at Pergamus. Aquilius soon terminated this war, which had continued almost four years. Lydia, Caria, the Hellespont, Phrygia, in a word, all that composed the kingdom of Attalus, was reduced into a province of the Roman empire, under the common name of Asia.

The senate had decreed, that the city of Phocea, which had declared against the Romans, as well in the last war, as in that against Antiochus, should be destroyed. The inhabitants of Marseilles, which was a colony of Phocea, moved as much with the danger of their founders, as if the fate of their own city had been in question, sent deputies to Rome to implore the clemency of the senate and people in their favour. As just as their indignation was against Phocea, they could not refuse that favour to the ardent solicitations of a people, whom they had always held in the highest consideration, and who rendered themselves still more worthy of it, by the tender concern and gratitude they expressed for their forefathers and founders.

Phrygia Major was granted to Mithridates Evergetes, king of Pontus, in reward for the aid he had given the Romans in that war; but after his death they dispossessed his son, the great Mithridates of it, and

declared it free.

¡A. M. 3875. Ant. J. C. 129.

Ariarathes, king of Cappadocia, who died during this war, had left six children. Rome, to reward in the sons the services of the father, added Lycaonia and Cilicia to their dominions. They found in queen Laodice not the tenderness of a parent, but the cruelty of a stepmother. To secure all authority to herself, she poisoned five of her children, and the sixth would have had the same fate, if his relations had not taken him out of the murderous hands of that Megara, whose crimes the people soon revenged by a violent death.

* Manius Aquilius, at his return to Rome, received the honour of a triumph. Aristonicus, after having been shown there as a sight to the people, was carried to prison, where he was strangled. Such were the consequences of king Attalus's will.

Mithridates, in the letter which he wrote afterwards to Arsaces, king of Parthia, accuses the Romans of having forged a false will of Attalus's,' in order to deprive Aristonicus, the son of Eumenes, of his father's kingdom, which appertained to him of right; but it is a declared enemy who charges them with this. It is more surprising that Horace in one of his odes, seems to make the Roman people the same reproach, and to insinuate that they had attained the succession by fraud. Neque Attali

Ignotus hæres regiam occupavi.

Nor have I seiz'd, an heir unknown,
The Phrygian's kingdom for my own.

kA. M. 3878. Ant. J. C. 126.

HOR. Od. xviii. l. 51.

1 Simulato impio testamento filium ejus (Eumenes) Aristonicum, quia patrium regnum petiverat, hostium more per triumphum duxere. Apud. Sallust. in Fragm.

However, there remains no trace in history of any secret intrigue or solicitation to that effect on the side of the Romans.

I thought it proper to relate all the consequences of this will, without interruption. I shall now resume the thread of my history.

SECTION V.

SIDETES TAKES JERUSALEM, AND THEN MAKES WAR AGAINST THE PARTHIANS. PHYSCON'S CRUELTY AND DEATH.

SIMON having been slain by treason, with two of his sons, John, another of them, sirnamed Hyrcanus, was proclaimed high priest and prince of the Jews, in his father's stead. Here ends the history of the Maccabees.

Antiochus Sidetes, king of Syria, made all possible haste to take the advantage which the death of Simon gave him, and advanced at the head of a powerful army to reduce Judea, and unite it to the empire of Syria. Hyrcanus was obliged to shut himself up in Jerusalem, where he sustained a long siege with incredible valor. Reduced at length to the last extremity, for want of provisions, he caused proposals of peace to be made to the king. His condition was not known in the camp. Those who were about the king's person, pressed him to take the advantage of the present occasion for extirminating the Jewish nation. They represented to him, recurring to past ages, that they had been driven

A. M. 3869. Ant. J. C. 135. 1 Maccab. xvi. Joseph, Antiq. 1. xiii. c. 16. Diod. Eclog. i. p. 99-101.

out of Egypt as impious wretches, hated by the gods, and abhorred by men; that they were enemies to all the rest of mankind, as they had no communication with any but those of their own sect, and would neither eat, drink, nor have any familiarity with other people; that they did not adore the same gods; that they had laws, customs, and a religion entirely different from that of all other nations; that therefore they well deserve to be treated by other nations with equal contempt, and to be rendered hatred for hatred; and that all people ought to unite in extirpating them. Diodorus Siculus, as well as Josephus, says, that it was from the pure effect of the generosity and clemency of Antiochus, the Jewish nation was not entirely destroyed on this occasion.

He was well pleased to enter into a treaty with Hyrcanus. It was agreed, that the besieged should surrender their arms; that the fortifications of Jerusalem should be demolished; and that a tribute should be paid to the king for Joppa, and for the other cities which the Jews had out of Judea; the peace was concluded upon these conditions. Antiochus also demanded, that the citadel of Jerusalem should be rebuilt, and would have put a garrison into it; but Hyrcanus would not consent to that, upon account of the miseries the nation had suffered from the garrison of the former citadel, and chose rather to pay the king the sum of five hun. dred talents," which he demanded as an equivalent. The capitulation was executed, and because it could not be immediately ratified, hostages were given, amongst whom was a brother of Hyrcanus.

Five hundred thousand crowns.

Scipio Africanus the younger, going to command in Spain, during the war with Numantia, Antiochus Sidetes sent him rich and magnificent presents. Some generals would have appropriated them to their own use. Scipio received them in public, sitting upon his tribunal, in the view of the whole army, and gave orders that they should be delivered to the questor, to be applied in rewarding the officers and soldiers who should distinguish themselves in the service. By such conduct a generous and noble soul is known.

↑ Demetrius Nicator had been kept many years in captivity by the Parthians in Hyrcania, where he wanted nothing except liberty, without which all else is misery. He had made several attempts to obtain it, and to return into his own kingdom, but always without success. He was twice retaken in the midst of his flight, and punished only with being carried back to the place of his confinement, where he was guarded with more care, but always treated with the same magnificence. This was not the effect of mere goodness and clemency in the Parthians; interest had some share in it. They had views of making themselves masters of the kingdom of Syria, however remote they were, and waited a favourable opportunity, when, under colour of going to reestablish Demetrius upon the throne, they might take possession of it for themselves.

• A. M. 3870. Ant. J. C. 134. Epit. Liv. 1. Ivii.

P The questor was the treasurer of the army.

A. M. 3873. Ant. J. C. 131. Justin. 1. xxxviii. c. 9, and 10. 1. xxxix.

c. 1. Oros. l. v. c. 1. Val. Max. 1. ix. c 1. Athen. l. v. p. 210, and 1. x.

p. 439. and L. xii. p. 540. Joseph. Antiq. 1. xix. c. 16.

Syr. p. 132.

Appian. in