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1. Now, upon the flight of Pompey and of the senate beyond the
Ionian Sea, Caesar got Rome and the empire under his power, and
released Aristobulus from his bonds. He also committed two
legions to him, and sent him in haste into Syria, as hoping that
by his means he should easily conquer that country, and the parts
adjoining to Judea. But envy prevented any effect of
Aristobulus's alacrity, and the hopes of Caesar; for he was taken
off by poison given him by those of Pompey's party; and, for a
long while, he had not so much as a burial vouchsafed him in his
own country; but his dead body lay [above ground], preserved in
honey, until it was sent to the Jews by Antony, in order to be
buried in the royal sepulchers.
2. His son Alexander also was beheaded by Sci-pio at Antioch, and
that by the command of Pompey, and upon an accusation laid
against him before his tribunal, for the mischiefs he had done to
the Romans. But Ptolemy, the son of Menneus, who was then ruler
of Chalcis, under Libanus, took his brethren to him by sending
his son Philippio for them to Ascalon, who took Antigonus, as
well as his sisters, away from Aristobulus's wife, and brought
them to his father; and falling in love with the younger
daughter, he married her, and was afterwards slain by his father
on her account; for Ptolemy himself, after he had slain his son,
married her, whose name was Alexandra; on the account of which
marriage he took the greater care of her brother and sister.
3. Now, after Pompey was dead, Antipater changed sides, and
cultivated a friendship with Caesar. And since Mithridates of
Pergamus, with the forces he led against Egypt, was excluded from
the avenues about Pelusium, and was forced to stay at Asealon, he
persuaded the Arabians, among whom he had lived, to assist him,
and came himself to him, at the head of three thousand armed men.
He also encouraged the men of power in Syria to come to his
assistance, as also of the inhabitants of Libanus, Ptolemy, and
Jamblicus, and another Ptolemy; by which means the cities of that
country came readily into this war; insomuch that Mithridates
ventured now, in dependence upon the additional strength that he
had gotten by Antipater, to march forward to Pelusium; and when
they refused him a passage through it, he besieged the city; in
the attack of which place Antipater principally signalized
himself, for he brought down that part of the wall which was over
against him, and leaped first of all into the city, with the men
that were about him.
4. Thus was Pelusium taken. But still, as they were marching on,
those Egyptian Jews that inhabited the country called the country
of Onias stopped them. Then did Antipater not only persuade them
not to stop them, but to afford provisions for their army; on
which account even the people about Memphis would not fight
against them, but of their own accord joined Mithridates.
Whereupon he went round about Delta, and fought the rest of the
Egyptians at a place called the Jews' Camp; nay, when he was in
danger in the battle with all his right wing, Antipater wheeled
about, and came along the bank of the river to him; for he had
beaten those that opposed him as he led the left wing. After
which success he fell upon those that pursued Mithridates, and
slew a great many of them, and pursued the remainder so far that
he took their camp, while he lost no more than fourscore of his
own men; as Mithridates lost, during the pursuit that was made
after him, about eight hundred. He was also himself saved
unexpectedly, and became an unreproachable witness to Caesar of
the great actions of Antipater.
5. Whereupon Caesar encouraged Antipater to undertake other
hazardous enterprises for him, and that by giving him great
commendations and hopes of reward. In all which enterprises he
readily exposed himself to many dangers, and became a most
courageous warrior; and had many wounds almost all over his body,
as demonstrations of his valor. And when Caesar had settled the
affairs of Egypt, and was returning into Syria again, he gave him
the privilege of a Roman citizen, and freedom from taxes, and
rendered him an object of admiration by the honors and marks of
friendship he bestowed upon him. On this account it was that he
also confirmed Hyrcanus in the high priesthood.
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