Antigonus, who had been declared an enemy at Rome, that he might himself be king, according to the decree of the senate. Josephus fully and frequently assures us, that above three years passed between Herod's first obtaining the kingdom at Rome, and a second time on the taking of Jerusalem and the death of Antigonus. The history of the interval twice mentions the army as going into winter quarters. This may be supposed to belong to two several winters, though he says nothing of the time they lay in those quarters. But he describes the long and studied delays of Ventidius, Silo, and Macheras, who were sent to see Herod settled in his new kingdom, but seem not to have had sufficient forces for the purpose: besides which, it is clear that they were all corrupted by Antigonus. He also gives us such particular accounts of Herod's many exploits during the same interval, as fairly imply that interval, before Herod went to Samosata, to have been very considerable. We know from other sources, that Tigranes, then king of Armenia, and the principal manager of this Parthian war, reigned two years after Herod was made king at Rome. Antony did not hear of his death, in that very neighbourhood, at Samosata, till he was come thither to besiege it. After this Herod marched an army three hundred and forty miles, through a difficult country, full of enemies, and joined with him in the siege of Samosata till its capture. Herod and Sosius then marched back with their large armies the same number of miles. When, a little time afterwards, they sat down before Jerusalem, they could not take it by a siege of less than five months. All this put together, satisfactorily supplies what is wanting in Josephus,

and establishes the chronology of those times beyond the reach of contradiction.

With respect to Herod's marriage with the celebrated Mariamne, the daughter of Alexandra, the first engagement took place, after he had been fighting against Antigonus and his party in the avenues of Judea. He was conqueror in a pitched battle, and drove Antigonus away. He then returned to Jerusalem, beloved by every body, for this glorious action. Those who before had not been favourable to him, united themselves with him now, on account of his marriage into the family of Hyrcanus. He had formerly married a woman of his own country, by name Doris, of no ignoble blood, by whom he had Antipater. He now married Mariamne, the daughter of Alexander, the son of Aristobulus, and the grand-daughter of Hyrcanus. By this marriage he became related to the king. But the marriage was not finally solemnised till a short time after the death of his brother Joseph, who was slain by Pappus, the general for Antigonus. This Pappus was killed in battle. Herod had his head cut off, and sent it in savage triumph to his brother Pheroras. This was in the third year after he had been made king at Rome. At the close of the winter he marched to Jerusalem, and brought his army under its walls. He pitched his camp before the Temple, as the only practicable side for besieging it. It was there that Pompey took the city.

When the war about Actium was begun, Herod prepared to come to Antony's assistance. He was already delivered from his troubles in Judea, and had gained Hyrcania, held by the sister of Antigonus. But the cunning of Cleopatra hindered

him from sharing in Antony's hazards. She had laid a plot against the kings of Judea and Arabia. She therefore prevailed with Antony to commit the war against the Arabians to Herod. If he were victorious, she might become mistress of Arabia: if he were defeated, Judea might be hers. Thus she hoped to play these kings off against each other, and to destroy one of them. But this contrivance tended to Herod's advantage. At the very first he took hostages from the enemy, and got together a great body of horse. He ordered them to march against the forces in the neighbourhood of Diospolis, and conquered that army, although it fought resolutely against him. When Herod came to Kanatha, he endeavoured to manage this war with particular prudence. He gave orders for a wall to be built about their camp. The multitude did not comply with his directions. They were so emboldened by their recent victory, that they immediately attacked the Arabians, and defeated them at the first onset. They then pursued them; but snares were laid for Herod in that pursuit. Athenio, one of Cleopatra's generals, and always Herod's opponent, sent the men of that country out of Kanatha against him. On this fresh onset, the Arabians regained their courage, and returned. The two parties joined their numerous forces about stony places, that rendered the passage difficult, and there put Herod's men to the rout. The slaughter was great; but those who escaped out of the battle fled to Ormiza, where the Arabians surrounded their camp, and took it with all the men it contained. This great defeat of his army, and his own consequent distress, with a great earth

quake in Judea, seem to have produced the same effect on Herod, as times of affliction bring about with most men: that of making them at least temporarily religious. There is no other instance mentioned in Josephus, but this under peculiar discouragement, largely as he speaks of Herod and in minute detail, of his ever thinking to supplicate the Deity with sacrifices. But before he went out to his next battle with the Arabians, he offered the sacrifices appointed by the law. He then without delay led the Jews against the Arabians, passing over Jordan, and pitching his camp near that of the enemy. Nor was he disappointed in his hopes on this occasion. The Jews felt highly encouraged. Herod then observing that the hostile army was utterly disinclined to an engagement, ventured boldly to attempt their bulwark, and to pull it to pieces, that he might get nearer to their camp and fight them. Being thus forced from their trenches, they went out in disorder, without alacrity or the hope of victory. Yet being more in number than the Jews, they fought hand-tohand. Indeed their military position was such, that they were obliged to put a good face on the necessity of fighting. The battle was terrible, and not a few fell on both sides. It ended in a signal victory over the Arabians, who had so lately been the conquerors. The earthquake in Judea, also, had so raised their insolence, that they presumed to put the Jewish ambassadors to death. Now all was consternation, and they with difficulty screwed up their courage to the sticking-place.

Herod's mind was soon after this disturbed by the state of affairs at Rome, and jealousy of Hyr

canus.

An occasion of venting his malignity soon

occurred. Hyrcanus was at all times mild in his temper. He had no desire to meddle with public affairs, nor to concern himself with innovations. He was contented with whatever fortune afforded him. But his daughter Alexandra was a lover of strife, and very desirous of a change in the government. She therefore urged her father not to bear for ever Herod's injurious treatment of their family, but to anticipate their future hopes, as he safely might. She desired him to write to Malchus, then governor of Arabia, to receive and secure them from Herod. If they were to go away, and Herod's interests to fail in consequence of Cæsar's enmity, they would then be the only persons capable of assuming the government, on account of their royal birth and popularity with the multitude. Hyrcanus resisted her suit: but she was a woman, and a contentious woman too. She pursued her object day and night; and by dwelling on Herod's treacherous designs, prevailed with him to intrust his friend Dositheus with a letter, declaring his resolution. He desired the Arabian governor to send some horsemen, for the purpose of conducting him to the lake Asphaltites, 300 furlongs distant from the boundaries of Jerusalem. He consigned this letter to Dositheus, as an assiduous attendant on himself and Alexandra, and because he had many motives for hostility to Herod, for having slain his kinsman Joseph. He was also brother to some persons formerly slain at Tyre by Antony. But his resentment on these accounts was not strong enough to secure his fidelity to Hyrcanus. He preferred an interest with the present king to remote prospects with a presumptive one, and gave Herod the letter, who immediately sent for