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yard of the theatre at Oxford, with the inscription still distinctly legible, in Greek capital letters. It was brought from Asia, by Thomas, earl of Arundel, in the reign of Charles the First, and was given, with other marbles, to the University of Oxford, by Henry, duke of Norfolk, his grandson, in the reign of Charles the Second. These are commonly spoken of under the name of the Arundelian marbles.

The union of the two brothers against Ptolemy was attended with no great issue; for the latter made a peace with Seleucus, while Antiochus went on with his preparations for war. These, his brother soon suspected, were intended against himself. He, therefore, marched an army over mount Taurus, to surprise him. A battle was fought between them near Ancyra in Asia Minor, in which Seleucus was overthrown, and scarcely escaped with his life. It fared little better with Antiochus, for the Galatians, or Gauls of Asia, whom he had taken into his service, upon a rumour that Seleucus was slain, immediately plotted the death of the other brother, thinking, that if he were out of the way, the whole empire would fall into their hands. Antiochus having no other method of saving his life, gave all his treasure as a ransom for it.

Eumenes, king of Pergamus, taking advantage of the distracted state of the Syrian empire, made an attack on the Gauls and on Antiochus, and gained a victory over them. About the same time, Theodotus and Arsaces, revolting against Seleucus in the East, seized Parthia and Hyrcania. But notwithstanding all these disasters, the war continued. Fraternal discord is the most difficult to be reconciled.

The seat of war was now transferred to Mesopotamia; and about this time probably occurred the battle mentioned (2 Maccab. viii. 20) by Judas Maccabæus, in which he says that eight thousand Jews, with four thousand Macedonians, vanquished the Galatians, and slew one hundred and seventy thou sand men. About this time, it was customary for the Jews to hire themselves as soldiers, to all parties, in the wars which were then carried on by the kings of the East; and their services in these wars were held in the highest estimation.

SECTION XI.

PTOLEMY EUERGETES AN ENCOURAGER OF LEARNING-SELEUCUS DEFEATED AND TAKEN PRISONER-ORIGIN OF THE KINGDOM OF THE PARTHIANS-REMARKABLE HISTORY OF JOSEPH-GREAT EARTHQUAKE IN THE EAST.

PTOLEMY EUERGETES being now relieved from war, devoted his attention to the arts of peace; especially to the promotion of learning, and the increase of the vast library which his father had founded in Alexandria. Of this he made Erastosthenes, a

learned Athenian, the keeper, after the death of Zenodotus, who was appointed librarian by Ptolemy Philadelphus. The person now advanced to this office was one of the most learned men of his age, as appears from the manner in which he is frequently referred to by Pliny, Strabo, and others. He was the author of many works, none of which are now extan. The only writing of his, which still remains, is an important document, preserved by Syncellus, containing a catalogue of all the kings who reigned at Thebes in Egypt, from Menes or Misraim, down to the time of the Trojan war. It contains a series. of thirty-eight kings, and has been of great service in writing the Egyptian chronology. It is one of the most authentic and important documents of remote antiquity extant in profane history. It was extracted from the most ancient records of the country, by order of Ptolemy Euergetes, and was probably intended to supply the defects of Manetho's catalogue, which commences exactly where that of Erastosthenes' ends.

In the year 230 B. C., Seleucus marched against Arsaces, who had seized Parthia and other districts in the East; but the event of this expedition was most disastrous to him, for he was not only defeated, but taken prisoner. This was the origin of the kingdom of the Parthians, which became so terrible in after times, even to the Romans, who were a terror to all others. The day on which Arsaces obtained this victory was long celebrated as an anniversary in Parthia. From this time, the conqueror styled himself king, and all his successors assumed his name, just as the kings of Egypt, for a long period, took the name of Ptolemy.

Onias, the high-priest of the Jews, who was a weak and rash. man, having neglected to pay the customary tribute to Ptolemy Euergetes, and the arrears continually increasing, the king sent Athenion, one of his courtiers, to demand full payment. The arrival of this minister created a great sensation at Jerusalem; for it did not appear what course could be taken to appease the king's displeasure, as the sum requisite to satisfy the demand could by no means be raised. In this emergency, a young man by the name of Joseph, a near relation of Onias, who was in great reputation among the Jews, for prudence, justice, and sanctity, came to Jerusalem from his residence in the country, and going immediately to his uncle, the high-priest, expostulated with him freely on the course which he had pursued in relation to the tribute; and exhorted him to go immediately to Egypt and endeavour to satisfy the king. But this was a business for which Onias was by no means qualified; besides, he was now old and feeble. Upon his declining the journey, Joseph offered his own services on the occasion, which were joyfully accepted by his uncle and the people. Joseph went

immediately to find Athenion, whom he took to his own house, and entertained sumptuously while he remained; and so gained the esteem of the Egyptian minister, that he returned to the king with kind feelings toward the Jewish people, and the most favourable impressions of the character of Joseph. He also conveyed to the king the intelligence that this excellent young man would shortly attend upon him, to explain every thing which related to the tribute, so long due.

Joseph, as soon as the ambassador was gone, began to prepare for his journey, and having prepared himself with proper equipage, set off for the court of Ptolemy. On the way he happened to fall in company with some noblemen of Phenicia and Colo-Syria, who were going to Egypt for the purpose of farming the revenues of their respective provinces. During the journey, he learned much from these persons of the value of the revenues, which knowledge he afterwards turned to good account. Finding, when he arrived at Alexandria, that the king was at Memphis, he hastened thither, and fortunately met him returning in a chariot with his queen and Athenion. The latter no sooner espied Joseph, than he pointed him out to the king as his young Jewish friend, concerning whom he had before so often spoken to him. Upon which the king invited him into his chariot, and conversed freely with him. He complained of the ill conduct of Onias in withholding the tribute for so many years. Joseph excused his uncle on the ground of his age and weakness, in so handsome a manner, that he not only pacified the king, but gained for himself his particular favour. When they arrived in Alexandria, the king ordered that he should be lodged in the palace and maintained at his own table.

On the arrival of the day for farming the revenues of the provinces, which were set up to the highest bidder, Joseph observed that the highest sum bid for Judea, Samaria, ColoSyria, and Phenicia, by his companions in travel, was no more than eight thousand talents, and being assured, from their conversation on the way, that they were worth, at least, double that sum, he bade sixteen thousand talents, exclusive of the forfeitures.

Ptolemy was pleased with the prospect of such an augmentation of his revenues, but was doubtful of the young man's ability to give adequate security. When Joseph was asked what surety he would give, he facetiously answered, that they should be persons beyond all exception, and immediately named the king and queen. The king was so delighted with the pleasantness and confidence manifested by this answer, that he trusted him on his own word, dispensing with all other pledges. Receiving now the appointment of receiver-general of the king's revenues, in the provinces above named, he set off on his way home,

accompanied with a guard of two thousand men, for his support in the execution of his office. On his arrival at Askelon, the people not only refused to pay the tribute to him, but used opprobrious language towards him; whereupon he commanded his soldiers to seize twenty of the ringleaders, on whom he executed exemplary punishment, and sent their forfeited estates to the king's treasury. The same process was repeated at Scythopolis, by which all the other places in the provinces were so intimidated, that he had no further trouble in collecting the king's

revenues.

The conduct of Joseph in this high office was so marked with justice and energy, that he was continued in it, not only while Ptolemy Euergetes lived, but during the reign of his successor, Ptolemy Philopater, and also of Ptolemy Epiphanes, until these provinces were wrested from him by Antiochus the Great. Seleucus, who, it has been seen, was taken prisoner in Parthia, remained there in custody, but royally entertained by Arsaces, until the year 326 B. C., when he was killed by a fall from his horse. He left two sons, Seleucus and Antiochus, and a daughter, who was given in marriage to Mithridates, king of Pontus, with Phrygia for her dower. Seleucus being the oldest of his two sons, succeeded him in the throne, and took the name of Ceraunus. He was a weak prince, and his reign was very

short.

Antiochus, the brother of Seleucus, was sent to Babylonia for his education, and was there at the time of his brother's death; on which event he was sent for to Antioch, and ascended the throne, which he occupied for thirty-six years. On account of his many great actions, he received the surname of Great.

In the year before Christ two hundred and twenty-two, there happened a very violent earthquake in the East, which made great devastations in many places, especially in Caria, and the island of Rhodes. It threw down not only the walls of the city of Rhodes and the houses, but also the great colossus, which bestrided the harbour, and was reckoned one of the seven wonders of the world. It was a prodigious statue of brass, erected to the sun; one hundred and five feet in height, and everything else in proportion. Chares was twelve years employed in its erection, and sixty years afterwards it was thrown down. The Rhodians sent ambassadors to all the neighbouring countries to beg money for the purpose of raising this colossus again; but after collecting vast sums, they pocketed the money, pretending that an oracle had forbidden the erection of the colossus. There it lay for eight hundred and ninety-four years, when Moawiah, the sixth caliph of Damascus, having taken Rhodes, sold the brass to a Jewish merchant, who loaded with it nine hundred camels; so that it would seem that its original weight

could not have fallen greatly short of a million of pounds. Towards the close of the year 222 B. C. died Ptolemy Euergetes, king of Egypt, after having reigned over that country for five and twenty years. He was succeeded by his son Ptolemy Philopater, a very profligate and vicious prince. He was suspected of putting an end to his father's life by poison; and soon after he was seated on his throne, he added the murder of his mother, and of his brother Magas; and also of Cleomenes, king of Sparta, who had taken refuge in the court of Ptolemy Euergetes, and was a person of great wisdom and sagacity.

SECTION XII.

ACCESSION OF PTOLEMY PHILOPATER TO THE THRONE OF EGYPT-HIS CONTEST WITH ANTIOCHUS HIS CRUELTY-VISITS JERUSALEM AND ATTEMPTS TO ENTER THE SANCTUARY-RESOLVES TO EXTERMINATE THE JEWS-THEIR PROVIDENTIAL DELIVERANCE-HE DIES AND LEAVES THE KINGDOM TO HIS SON PTOLEMY EPIPHANES, ONLY FIVE YEARS OF AGE. ANTIOCHUS ENDEAVOURS TO CONQUER EGYPT -ENGAGES IN WAR WITH THE ROMANS-MARCHES AN ARMY TO THE EAST, TO COLLECT TRIBUTE-ROBS THE TEMPLE OF BELUS OF ITS TREASURES BUT IS SLAIN BY THE ENRAGED POPULACE-REMARKABLE STORY OF JOSEPH AND HIS SON HYRCANUS.

AS SOON as Ptolemy Philopater ascended the throne, Antiochus formed the design of recovering Syria, which he prosecuted with various success for several years, until about the year 219 B. C., he took Damascus, and reduced all Phenicia, Galilee, and Gilead beyond Jordan, under his dominion.

In the year 217 B. C., Antiochus marched for Egypt with a large army, and a great battle was fought between Gaza and Rhinocrura, with the two kings at the head of their respective forces; on which occasion, the presence of mind and masculine courage of Arsinoe, queen of Egypt, was strikingly exhibited, in her encouraging the soldiers, and remaining by the side of her husband through the whole battle. The result was, that although the right wing of the Syrian army, commanded by Antiochus in person, drove the Egyptians before them, the contrary occurred on the left wing, where the Syrians gave way and fled, and the Egyptians turning on the flank and rear of the other part of the Syrian forces, gained a complete victory; for Antiochus had, in his ardour, pursued so far, that he did not return in time to give any aid to his routed troops. This battle was fought on the same day that Hannibal defeated Flaminius the Roman general, at the lake Thrasimenus.

On the retreat of Antiochus, the cities of Colo-Syria and Palestine were forward to make their submission to Ptolemy; for they had been long accustomed to the Egyptian yoke, and were better pleased with it than with the government of Antiochus. Many ambassadors presented themselves before Ptolemy, with the submission of their respective cities, and with

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