the antiquities of the jews-1-第299章

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send　the　woman　back　to　her　relations。　But　nothing　was　gained　by
these　reproofs；　for　as　the　woman　perceived　what　a　tumult　was　made
among　the　people　on　her　account；　and　was　afraid　for　Anileus；　lest
he　should　come　to　any　harm　for　his　love　to　her；　she　infused
poison　into　Asineus's　food；　and　thereby　took　him　off；　and　was　now
secure　of　prevailing；　when　her　lover　was　to　be　judge　of　what
should　be　done　about　her。

6。　So　Anileus　took　the　government　upon　himself　alone；　and　led　his
army　against　the　villages　of　Mithridates；　who　was　a　man　of
principal　authority　in　Parthin；　and　had　married　king　Artabanus's
daughter；　he　also　plundered　them；　and　among　that　prey　was　found
much　money；　and　many　slaves；　as　also　a　great　number　of　sheep；　and
many　other　things；　which；　when　gained；　make　men's　condition
happy。　Now　when　Mithridates；　who　was　there　at　this　time；　heard
that　his　villages　were　taken；　he　was　very　much　displeased　to　find
that　Anileus　had　first　begun　to　injure　him；　and　to　affront　him　in
his　present　dignity；　when　he　had　not　offered　any　injury　to　him
beforehand；　and　he　got　together　the　greatest　body　of　horsemen　he
was　able；　and　those　out　of　that　number　which　were　of　an　age　fit
for　war；　and　came　to　fight　Anileus；　and　when　he　was　arrived　at　a
certain　village　of　his　own；　he　lay　still　there；　as　intending　to
fight　him　on　the　day　following；　because　it　was　the　sabbath；　the
day　on　which　the　Jews　rest。　And　when　Anileus　was　informed　of　this
by　a　Syrian　stranger　of　another　village；　who　not　only　gave　him　an
exact　account　of　other　circumstances；　but　told　him　where
Mithridates　would　have　a　feast；　he　took　his　supper　at　a　proper
time；　and　marched　by　night；　with　an　intent　of　falling　upon　the
Parthians　while　they　were　unaprrized　what　they　should　do；　so　he
fell　upon　them　about　the　fourth　watch　of　the　night；　and　some　of
them　he　slew　while　they　were　asleep；　and　others　he　put　to　flight；
and　took　Mithridates　alive；　and　set　him　naked　upon　an　ass　（37）
which；　among　the　Parthians；　is　esteemed　the　greatest　reproach
possible。　And　when　he　had　brought　him　into　a　wood　with　such　a
resolution；　and　his　friends　desired　him　to　kill　Mithridates；　he
soon　told　them　his　own　mind　to　the　contrary；　and　said　that　it　was
not　right　to　kill　a　man　who　was　of　one　of　the　principal　families
among　the　Parthians；　and　greatly　honored　with　matching　into　the
royal　family；　that　so　far　as　they　had　hitherto　gone　was
tolerable；　for　although　they　had　injured　Mithridates；　yet　if　they
preserved　his　life；　this　benefit　would　be　remembered　by　him　to
the　advantage　of　those　that　gave　it　him；　but　that　if　be　were　once
put　to　death；　the　king　would　not　be　at　rest　till　he　had　made　a
great　slaughter　of　the　Jews　that　dwelt　at　Babylon；　〃to　whose
safety　we　ought　to　have　a　regard；　both　on　account　of　our　relation
to　them；　and　because　if　any　misfortune　befall　us；　we　have　no
other　place　to　retire　to；　since　he　hath　gotten　the　flower　of
their　youth　under　him。〃　By　this　thought；　and　this　speech　of　his
made　in　council；　he　persuaded　them　to　act　accordingly；　so
Mithridates　was　let　go。　But　when　he　was　got　away；　his　wife
reproached　him；　that　although　he　was　son…in…law　to　the　king；　he
neglected　to　avenge　himself　on　those　that　had　injured　him；　while
he　took　no　care　about　it；　but　was　contented　to　have　been　made　a
captive　by　the　Jews；　and　to　have　escaped　them；　and　she　bid　him
either　to　go　back　like　a　man　of　courage；　or　else　she　sware　by　the
gods　of　their　royal　family　that　she　would　certainly　dissolve　her
marriage　with　him。　Upon　which；　partly　because　he　could　not　bear
the　daily　trouble　of　her　taunts；　and　partly　because　he　was　afraid
of　her　insolence；　lest　she　should　in　earnest　dissolve　their
marriage；　he　unwillingly；　and　against　his　inclinations；　got
together　again　as　great　an　army　as　he　could；　and　marched　along
with　them；　as　himself　thinking　it　a　thing　not　to　be　borne　any
longer；　that　he；　a　Parthian；　should　owe　his　preservation　to　the
Jews；　when　they　had　been　too　hard　for　him　in　the　war。

7。　But　as　soon　as　Anileus　understood　that　Mithridates　was
marching　with　a　great　army　against　him；　he　thought　it　too
ignominious　a　thing　to　tarry　about　the　lakes；　and　not　to　take　the
first　opportunity　of　meeting　his　enemies；　and　he　hoped　to　have
the　same　success；　and　to　beat　their　enemies　as　they　did　before；
as　also　he　ventured　boldly　upon　the　like　attempts。　Accordingly；
he　led　out　his　army；　and　a　great　many　more　joined　themselves　to
that　army；　in　order　to　betake　themselves　to　plunder　the　people；
and　in　order　to　terrify　the　enemy　again　by　their　numbers。　But
when　they　had　marched　ninety　furlongs；　while　the　road　had　been
through　dry　＇and　sandy＇　places；　and　about　the　midst　of　the　day；
they　were　become　very　thirsty；　and　Mithridates　appeared；　and　fell
upon　them；　as　they　were　in　distress　for　want　of　water；　on　which
account；　and　on　account　of　the　time　of　the　day；　they　were　not
able　to　bear　their　weapons。　So　Anileus　and　his　men　were　put　to　an
ignominious　rout；　while　men　in　despair　were　to　attack　those　that
were　fresh　and　in　good　plight；　so　a　great　slaughter　was　made；　and
many　ten　thousand　men　fell。　Now　Anileus；　and　all　that　stood　firm
about　him；　ran　away　as　fast　as　they　were　able　into　a　wood；　and
afforded　Mithridates　the　pleasure　of　having　gained　a　great
victory　over　them。　But　there　now　came　in　to　Anileus　a　conflux　of
bad　men；　who　regarded　their　own　lives　very　little；　if　they　might
but　gain　some　present　ease；　insomuch　that　they；　by　thus　coming　to
him；　compensated　the　multitude　of　those　that　perished　in　the
fight。　Yet　were　not　these　men　like　to　those　that　fell；　because
they　were　rash；　and　unexercised　in　war；　however；　with　these　he
came　upon　the　villages　of　the　Babylonians；　and　a　mighty
devastation　of　all　things　was　made　there　by　the　injuries　that
Anileus　did　them。　So　the　Babylonians；　and　those　that　had　already
been　in　the　war；　sent　to　Neerda　to　the　Jews　there；　and　demanded
Anileus。　But　although　they　did　not　agree　to　their　demands；　（for
if　they　had　been　willing　to　deliver　him　up；　it　was　not　in　their
power　so　to　do；）　yet　did　they　desire　to　make　peace　with　them。　To
which　the　other　replied；　that　they　also　wanted　to　settle
conditions　of　peace　with　them；　and　sent　men　together　with　the
Babylonians；　who　discoursed　with　Anileus　about　them。　But　the
Babylonians；　upon　taking　a　view　of　his　situation；　and　having
learned　where　Anileus　and　his　men　lay；　fell　secretly　upon　them　as
they　were　drunk　and　fallen　asleep；　and　slew　all　that　they　caught
of　them；　without　any　fear；　and　killed　Anileus　himself　also。

8。　The　Babylonians　were　now　freed　from　Anileus's　heavy
incursions；　which　had　been　a　great　restraint　to　the　effects　of
that　hatred　they　bore　to　the　Jews；　for　they　were　almost　always　at
variance；　by　reason　of　the　contrariety　of　their　laws；　and　which
party　soever　grew　boldest　before　the　other；　they　assaulted　the
other：　and　at　this　time　in　particular　it　was；　that　upon　the　ruin
of　Anileus's　party；　the　Babylonians　attacked　the　Jews；　which　made
those　Jews　so；　vehemently　to　resent　the　injuries　they　received
from　the　Babylonians；　that　being　neither　able　to　fight　them；　nor
bearing　to　live　with　them；　they　went　to　Seleucia；　the　principal
city　of　those　parts；　which　was　built　by　Seleucus　Nicator。　It　was
inhabited　by　many　of　the　Macedonians；　but　by　more　of　the
Grecians；　not　a　few　of　the　Syrians　also　dwelt　there；　and　thither
did　the　Jews　fly；　and　lived　there　five　years；　without　any
misfortunes。　But　on　the　sixth　year；　a　pestilence　came　upon　these
at　Babylon；　which　occasioned　new　removals　of　men's　habitations
out　of　that　city；　and　because　they　came　to　Seleucia；　it　happened
that　a　still　heavier　calamity　came　upon　them　on　that　account
which　I　am　going　to　relate　immediately。

9。　Now　the　way　of　living　of　the　people　of　Seleucia；　which　were
Greeks　and　Syrians；　was　commonly　quarrelsome；　and　full　of

discords；　though　the　Greeks　were　too　hard　for　the　Syrians。　When；
therefore；　the　Jews　were　come　thither；　and　dwelt　among　them；
there　arose　a　sedition；　and　the　Syrians　were　too　hard　for　the
other；　by　the　assistance　of　the　Jews；　who　are　men　that　despise
dangers；　and　very　ready　to　fight　upon　any　occasion。　Now　when　the
Greeks　had　the　worst　in　this　sedition；　and　saw　that　they　had　but
one　way