(1) Pompey being arrived in Syri, went dire ly, to Jamafcus, with defign to fet out from thence to begin at length the war with Arabia. When Aretas, the king of that country, faw him upon the point of entering his dominions, Le fent an embafiy to make his fubmissions.

The troubles of Judæa employed Pompey fome time. He returned afterwards into Syria, from whence he fet out for Pontus. Upon bis arrival at Amifus, he found the body of Mithridates there, which Pharnaces his fon had fent to him; no doubt, to convince Pompey by his own eyes of the death of an enemy, who had occafionel fo many difficulties and Fatigues. He had added great prefents, in order to incline him in his favour. Pompey accepted the prefents; but for the body of Mithridates, looking upon their enmity to be extinguished in death, he did it all the honours due to the remains of a king, fent it to the city of Sinope to be interred there with the kings of Pontus his ancestors, who had long been buried in that place, and ordered the fums that were neceffary for the folemnity of a royal funeral.

In this daft journey he took poffeffion of all the places in the hands of thofe to whom Mithridates had confided them. He found immenfe riches in fome of them, especially at Telaurus, where part of Mithridates's most valuable effects and precious jewels were kept: His principal arfenal was alfo in the fame place. Amongst thofe rich things were 2000 cups of c Fonyx, fet and adorned with gold; with fo prodigious a quantity of all kinds of plate, fine moveables, and furniture of war for man and horfe, that it coft the quæftor, or treasurer of the army, thirty days entire in taking the inventory of

them.

Pompey granted Pharnaces the kingdom of Bofphorus in reward of his parricide, declared him friend and ally of the Roman people, and marched into the province of Afia, in order to winter at Ephefus. He gave each of his foldiers 4500 drachmas, (about 371. fterling) and to the officers according to their feveral pofts. The total fum, to which his liberalities amounted, all raifed out of the fpoils of the enemy, was fixteen thoufand talents; that is to fay, about two million four hundred thousand pounds; befides which, he had twenty thousand more (three millions) to put into the treafury at Rome, upon the day of his entry.

(g) His triumph continued two days, and was celebrated. with

(f) Jofeph. Antiq. 1. xiv. c. 4, 8. & de Bell. Jud. 7, 5. Plut, in Pomp. p. 641. Appian. p. 250. Dion, Caff, I. xxxvi, p. 35 & 36. Ant J. C, 61,

(g) A. M. 3913.

with extraordinary magnificence. Pompey caufed three hundred and twenty-four captives of the highest distinction to march before his chariot: Amongst whom were Aristobulus, king of Judæa, with his fon Antigonus; Olthaces, king of Colchos; Tigranes, the fon of Tigranes king of Armenia; the fifter, five fons, and two daughters of Mithridates. For want of that king's perfon, his throne, fceptre, and gold bufto of eight cubits, or twelve feet, in height, were carried in triumph.

or feigned to believe, that he had perished. They declared. Berenice, the eldest of his three daughters, queen, though he had two fons, because they were both much younger than

her.

(1) Ptolemy, however, having landed at the isle of Rhodes, which was in his way to Rome, was informed that Cato, who after his death was called Cato of Utica, was also arrived there fome time before. That prince, being glad of the opportunity to confer with him upon his own affairs, fent immediately to let him know his arrival; expecting that he would come directly to vifit him. We may here fee an inftance of Roman grandeur, or rather haughtiness. Cato ordered him to be told, that if he had any thing to fay to him, he might come to him if he thought fit. Cato did not vouchfafe fo much as to rife, when Ptolemy entered his chamber, and faluting him only as a common man, bade him fit down. The king, though in fome confufion upon this reception, could not but admire, how fo much haughtiness and ftate could unite in the fame perfon with the fimplicity and modefty that appeared in his habit and all his equipage. But he was very much furprized, when, upon explaining himself, Cato blamed him in direct terms, for quitting the fineft kingdom in the world, to expofe himself to the pride and infatiable avarice of the Roman grandees, and to fuffer a thousand indignities. He did not fcruple to tell him, that though he he fhould fell all Egypt, he would not have fufficient to fatisfy their avidity. He advised him therefore to return to Egypt, and reconcile himself with his fubjects; adding, that he was ready to accompany him thither, and offering him his mediation and good offices.

Ptolemy, upon this difcourfe, recovered as out of a dream, and having maturely confidered what the wife Roman had told him, perceived the error he had committed, in quitting his kingdom, and entertained thoughts of returning to it. But the friends he had with him, being gained by Pompey to make him go to Rome, (one may easily guefs with what views) diffuaded him from following Cato's good counfel. He had time enough to repent it, when he found himself in that proud city reduced to folicit his business from gate to gate, like a private perfon.

(m) Cæfar, upon whom his principal hopes were founded, was not at Rome: He was at that time making war in Gaul.

(1) Plut. in Cato Utic. p. 776. Plin. 1. xxxiii. c. 10, Cic. ad. Famil. Cæl. n. 23, 24.

But

(m) Dion. Caff. I. xxxix. p. 97, 98. Id. in Pifo. n. 48-50,

ld.

pro

But Pompey, who was there, gave him an apartment in his houfe, and omitted nothing to ferve him. Belides the money he had received from that prince, in conjunction with Cæfar, Ptolemy had afterwards cultivated his friendship by various fervices, which he had rendered him during the war with Mithridates, and had maintained 8000 horfe for him in that of Judæa. Having therefore made his complaint to the fenate of the rebellion of his fubjects, he demanded that they should oblige them to return to their obedience, as the Itomans were engaged to do by the alliance granted him. Pompey's faction obtained him their compliance. The conful Lentulus, to whom Cilicia, feparated from Egypt only by the coat of Syria, had fallen by lot, was charged with the re-establishment of Ptolemy upon the throne.

(a) But before his confulfhip expired, the Egyptians having been informed that their king was not dead as they believed, and that he was gone to Rome, fent thither a folemiy embaffy, to justify the revolt before the fenate. That embaly confifted of more than 100 perfons, of whom the chief was a celebrated philofopher, named Dion, who had confiderable friends at Rome. Ptolemy having received advice of this, found means to deftroy most of thofe ambaffadors, either by poifon or the fword, and intimidated those fo much, whom he could neither corrupt nor kill, that they were afraid either to acquit themselves of their commiffion, or to demand juftice for fo many murders. But as all the world knew this cruelty, it made him as highly odious as he was before contemptible and his immenfe profufions, in gaining the poorest and most felf-interested fenators, became fo publick, that nothing elfe was talked of throughout the city.

So notorious a contempt of the laws, and fuch an excefs of audacity, excited the indignation of all the perfons of integrity in the fenate. M. Favonius the Stoick philofopher was the firft in it, who declared himfelf against Ptolemy. Upon his request it was refolved, that Dion thould be ordered to attend, in order to their knowing the truth from his own mouth. But the king's party, compofed of that of Pompey and Lentalus, of fuch as he had corrupted with money, and of thofe who had lent him fums to corrupt others, acted fo openly in his favour, that Dion did not dare to appear; and Ptolemy, having caufed him alfo to be killed fome fm ill time after, though he who did the murder was accufed juridically, the king was difcharged of it, upon maintaining that he had juft caufe for the action.

G 4

(n) A. M. 3947. Ant. J. C. 57.

Whethe

Whether that prince thought, that nothing further at Rome demanded his prefence, or apprehended receiving fome affront, hated as he was, if he continued there any longer, he fet out from thence fome few days after, and retired to Ephefus, into the temple of the goddefs, to wait there the decifion of his deftiny.

His affair, in effect, made more noife than ever at Rome. One of the tribunes of the people, named C. Cato, an active, enterprizing young man, who did not want eloquence, declared himself, in frequent harangues, against Ptolemy and Lentulus, and was hearkened to by the people with fingular pleafure, and extraordinary applause.

(0) In order to put a new icheme in motion, he waited till the new confuls were elected, and as foon as Lentulus had quitted that office, he propofed to the people an oracle of the Sibyl's, which imported: If a king of Egypt, having occafion fer aid, applies to you, you shall not refufe him your amity: But, however, you shall not give him any troops; for if you do, you will juffer and hazard much.

The ufual form was to communicate this kind of oracles firft to the fenate, in order that it might be examined, whether they were proper to be divulged. But Cato, apprehending that the king's faction might occafion the paffing a refolution there to fupprefs this, which was fo oppofite to that prince, immediately prefented the priests, with whom the facred books were depofited, to the people, and obliged them, by the authority which his office of tribune gave him, to expofe what they had found in them to the publick, without demanding the fenate's opinion.

This was a new ftroke of thunder to Ptolemy and Lentulus. The words of the Sibyl were too exprefs not to make all the impreffion upon the vulgar which their enemies defired. So that Lentulus, whofe confulfhip was expired, not being willing to receive the affront to his face, of having the fenate's decree revoked, by which he was appointed to reinstate Ptolemy, fet out immediately for his province in quality of proconful.

He was not deceived. Some days after, one of the new confuls, named Marcellinus, the declared enemy of Pompey, having propofed the oracle to the fenate, it was decreed, that regard thould be had to it, and that it appeared dangerous for the commonwealth to re-establish the king of Egypt by force. We must not believe there was any perfon in the fenate fo fimple, or rather fo ftupid, to have any faith in fuch an oracle. Nobody doubted, but that it had been contrived for

(0) A. M. 1948. Ant. J. C. 55,

the