SECT. VI. Ptolemy Lathyrus fucceeds Phyfcon. War between Grypus and his brother Antiochus of Cyzicum for the king- dom of Syria. Hyrcanus fortifies himself in Judæa. His death. Ariftobulus fucceeds him, and affumes the title of king. He is fucceeded by Alexander Jannæus. Cleopatra drives Lathyrus out of Egypt, and places Alexander his youngest brother on the throne in his ftead. War between that princefs and her fons. Death of Grypus. Ptolemy Apion leaves the kingdom of Cyrenaica to the Romans. Continuation of the wars in Syria and Egypt. The Syrians chufe Tigranes king. Lathyrus is re-established upon the throne of Egypt. He dies. Alexander his nephew fucceeds him. Nicomedes, king of Bithynia, makes the Roman people his heirs. VII. Selena, fifter of Lathyrus, conceives hopes of the crown of Egypt, fhe fends two of her fons to Rome for that purpose. The eldest, called Antiochus, on his return goes to Sicily. Verres, prætor of that ifland, takes from him a golden fconce, defigned for the Capitol. Antiochus, furnamed Afiaticus, after having reigned four years over part of Syria, is difpoffeffed of his dominions by Pompey, who reduces Syria into a province of the Roman empire. Troubles in Judea and Egypt. The Alexan- drians expel Alexander their king, and fet Ptolemy Auletes on the throne in his ftead. Alexander at his death makes the Roman people his heirs. In confequence, fome years after, they order Ptolemy king of Cyprus, brother of Auletes, to SECT. II. Reign of Alexander Jannæus, which continued III. Reign of Alexandra, the wife of Alexander Jannæus, IV. Reign of Ariftobulus II. which continued fix years Abridgment of the hiftory of the Parthians, from the efta- BOOK XVIII. continued. THE HISTORY O F Alexander's Succeffors CONTINUED. CHAP. I. SECT. IX. SELEUCUS PHILOPATOR fucceeds to the throne of ANTIOCHUS his father. The beginning of the reign of PTOLEMY EPIPHANES in Egypt. Various embalfies fent to the Achæans and Romans. Complaints made against PHILIP. Commiffioners are fent from Rome to enquire into thofe complaints; and at the fame time to examine concerning the ill treatment of Sparta by the Achæans. Sequel of that affair. (a) A NTIOCHUS the Great dying, Seleucus Philopator, his eldest fon, whom he had left in Antioch when he fet out for the eastern provinces, fucceeded him. But his reign was obfcure and contemptible, occafioned by the mifery to which the Romans had reduced that crown; and the exorbitant* fum (a thoufand talents annually) he was obliged to pay, during all his reign, by virtue of the treaty of peace concluded between the king his father and that people. (b) Ptolemy Epiphanes at that time reigned in Egypt. Immediately upon his acceffion to the throne, he had feat an ambaffador into Achaia, to renew the alliance which the king his father had formerly concluded with the Achæans. VOL. VII. B The (a) A. M. 3817, Ant, J. C. 187. Appian. in Syr. p. 116. (b) Polyb. in Leg. c. xxxvii, * About 190,000 1, The latter accepted of this offer with joy; and accordingly fent deputies to the king, Lycortas, father of Polybius the hiftorian, and two other ambaffadors. The alliance being renewed, Philopomen, who was at that time in office, inviting Ptolemy's ambaffador to a banquet, they entered into difcourfe concerning that prince. In the praife the ambassador beftowed upon him, he expatiated very much on his dexterity in the chace, his addrefs in riding, and his vigour and activity in the exercise of his arms; and, to give an example of what he afferted, he declared, that this prince, being on horse-back, in a party of hunting, had killed a wild bull with the discharge of a fingle javelin. The fame year Antiochus died, Cleopatra his daughter, queen of Egypt, had a fon, who reigned after Epiphanes his father, and was called Ptolemy Philometor. (c) The whole realm expreffed great joy upon the birth of this prince. Calofyria and Palestine diftinguished themselves above all the provinces, and the most confiderable perfons of thofe countries went to Alexandria upon that occafion with the most fplendid equipages. Jofephus, of whom I have spoken elsewhere, who was receiver-general of thofe provinces, being too old to take fuch a journey, fent his youngest fon, Hyrcanus, in his ftead, who was a young man of abundance of wit, and very engaging manners. The king and queen gave him a very favourable reception, and did him the honour of a place at their table. A buffoon, who ufed to divert the king with his jefts, faid to him; "Do but behold, fir, the quanti"ty of bones before Hyrcanus, and your majefty may judge "in what manner his father gnaws your provinces." Those words made the king laugh; and he asked Hyrcanus how he came to have fo great a number of bones before him. "majefty need not wonder at that, (replied he;) for dogs "eat both flesh and bones, as you fee the rest of the per "Your * fons at your table have done, (pointing to them;) but men "are contented to eat the flesh, and leave the bones like me." The mockers were mocked by that retort, and continued mute and confused. When the day for making the presents arrived, as Hyrcanus had given out, that he had only five talents to prefent, it was expected that he would be very ill received by the king, and people diverted themselves with the thoughts of it beforehand. The greatest prefents made by the reft did not exceed twenty talents. But Hyrcanus prefented to the king an hundred boys, well fhaped and finely |