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having received a head sent to him by the ruler of the Arabs, and having been pleased at his destruction, he himself also died after a short time. And Demetrius Nicanor, having taken over the kingdom of Asia after Alexander who had reigned for five years, began to corrupt Ptolemy's army, being unmindful of both the kinship and the alliance. The soldiers therefore, having thwarted his attempt, withdrew to Alexandria, but he took possession of the elephants. But Jonathan the high priest was besieging the acropolis of Jerusalem, which had inside Macedonian guards and some of the impious Jews; some of whom, going out by night, reported the siege to Demetrius. And he came with a force against Jonathan, and having arrived in Ptolemais he wrote to him to come to him. But he did not stop the siege, but taking the priests and the elders of the people and carrying much money, he came to Demetrius. And having won him over with these things, he was honored by him and had his high priesthood confirmed. And since no war was imminent, Demetrius reduced the soldiers' pay, and for this reason was hated by them. Learning of their hatred towards him, a certain general of Alexander named Tryphon goes to Malchus the Arab, and sought Alexander's son Antiochus who was being brought up by him, saying that he would restore to him his paternal rule; and he gave him up. But Demetrius, sending to Jonathan, 1.330 sought an alliance, promising him many favors. He therefore sends him three thousand men, by means of whom he routed the Antiochians who had risen up against him because of the hatred they nourished since they were suffering badly at his hands, and he burned the city and killed many of them, until they were forced to lay down their arms and surrender themselves to him. The revolt was thus stopped, and he sent the Jews back to Jonathan, having given gifts to them, and acknowledging his gratitude to him. But later he also went back on his promises, and threatened him with war. And he would have carried out his threats, if Tryphon had not returned from Arabia to Syria and placed a diadem on Antiochus, who was then a youth, and organized a war against Demetrius, with those soldiers joining him who had deserted Demetrius on account of the reduction of their pay. Tryphon therefore, having become stronger in the battle, takes both Antioch and the elephants. But Demetrius departed to Cilicia, and the boy Antiochus summoned Jonathan for an alliance. And he agreed to be a friend and ally, and undertook to wage war against Demetrius, and set to work immediately. And first he caused many cities that had revolted from Demetrius to go over to Antiochus, then leaving his brother Simon in Judaea, he marched against Demetrius's generals. And Simon was besieging Beth-zur, a place in Judaea occupied by Demetrius's men, who, being hard pressed by the siege, having received pledges, left the place; and Simon established his own garrison in it. But Jonathan, having engaged Demetrius's generals, 1.331 put them to flight and, having killed about two thousand, returned to Jerusalem. And he sent an embassy to Rome, to renew the former friendship which they had with the nation. And the members of the senate ratified again what had previously been decreed. And as the ambassadors were returning, they also arrived in Sparta, having this as a charge from Jonathan. And the Spartans received the ambassadors kindly, and made a decree concerning friendship and alliance with the Jews. However, the generals of Demetrius, eager to fight again after their defeat, came against Jonathan with a larger force. And he met them quickly. But shrinking from standing against him in open battle, they fled by night. And during the day Jonathan, learning of their flight, pursued them, but did not overtake them; but having come into Arabia and having attacked the Nabataeans
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δεξάμενος κεφαλὴν παρὰ τοῦ τῶν ̓Αράβων δυνάστου πεμφθεῖσαν αὐτῷ, καὶ ἡδυνθεὶς ἐπὶ τῇ ἐκείνου φθορᾷ, καὶ αὐτὸς μετὰ μικρὸν ἐτελεύτησε. Παραλαβὼν δὲ τὴν τῆς ̓Ασίας βασιλείαν ∆ημήτριος ὁ Νικάνωρ μετὰ ̓Αλέξανδρον ετη βασιλεύσαντα πέντε, ηρξατο διαφθείρειν τὸ τοῦ Πτολεμαίου στρατιωτικόν, τῆς τε συγγενείας καὶ τῆς συμμαχίας ἀμνημονήσας. οἱ μὲν ουν στρατιῶται τὴν πεῖραν ἐκείνου διακρουσάμενοι εἰς ̓Αλεξάνδρειαν ἀνεχώρησαν, τῶν δ' ἐλεφάντων ἐκράτησεν. ̓Ιωνάθης δὲ ὁ ἀρχιερεὺς ἐπολιόρκει τὴν τῶν ̔Ιεροσολύμων ἀκρόπολιν, εχουσαν ενδον Μακεδόνας φρουροὺς καὶ τῶν ἀσεβησάντων ̓Ιουδαίων τινάς· ων τινες νυκτὸς ἐξελθόντες τῷ ∆ημητρίῳ τὴν πολιορκίαν ἀπήγγειλαν. καὶ ος ηκε σὺν δυνάμει πρὸς ̓Ιωνάθην, καὶ ἐν Πτολεμαΐδι γενόμενος γράφει αὐτῷ πρὸς αὐτὸν ἀφικέσθαι. ὁ δὲ τὴν πολιορκίαν οὐκ επαυσε, τοὺς ἱερεῖς δὲ καὶ τοὺς τοῦ λαοῦ πρεσβυτέρους παραλαβὼν καὶ χρήματα πολλὰ κομίζων ηκε πρὸς τὸν ∆ημήτριον. καὶ τούτοις αὐτὸν θεραπεύσας ἐτιμήθη παρ' αὐτοῦ καὶ τὴν ἀρχιερωσύνην ἐβεβαιώσατο. ̔Ως δὲ μή τινος ἐπικειμένου πολέμου τὸν μισθὸν τῶν στρατιωτῶν ἠλάττωσεν ὁ ∆ημήτριος, κἀντεῦθεν ην αὐτοῖς μισητός, γνοὺς τὸ πρὸς αὐτὸν μῖσος ̓Αλεξάνδρου τις στρατηγὸς Τρύφων ἐπικληθείς, πρὸς Μάλχον τὸν Αραβα παραγίνεται, καὶ τὸν παῖδα τοῦ ̓Αλεξάνδρου ̓Αντίοχον τρεφόμενον παρ' αὐτῷ ἐζήτει, λέγων ἀποκαταστήσειν αὐτῷ τὴν πατρῴαν ἀρχήν· καὶ ος δίδωσι. ∆ημήτριος δὲ πρὸς ̓Ιωνάθην στείλας 1.330 συμμαχίαν ἐζήτει, πολλὰς αὐτῷ ἐπαγγελλόμενος χάριτας. πέμπει τοίνυν αὐτῷ τρισχιλίους, δι' ων ἐπαναστάντας αὐτῷ τοὺς ̓Αντιοχεῖς δι' ἀπέχθειαν, ην ετρεφον οτι κακῶς επασχον ὑπ' αὐτοῦ, ἐτρέψατο, καὶ τὴν πόλιν ἐνέπρησε καὶ πολλοὺς αὐτῶν εκτεινε, μέχρις ἐβιάσθησαν ἀποθέσθαι τὰ οπλα καὶ ἑαυτοὺς αὐτῷ παραδοῦναι. ἡ μὲν ουν στάσις ουτως ἐπαύθη, ὁ δὲ τοὺς ̓Ιουδαίους ἀνέπεμψε πρὸς ̓Ιωνάθην, αὐτοῖς μὲν δωρησάμενος, ἐκείνῳ δὲ χάριτας ὁμολογῶν. υστερον δὲ καὶ τὰς ὑποσχέσεις ἐψεύσατο, καὶ πόλεμον ἠπείλησεν αὐτῷ. καὶ ηγαγεν αν εἰς εργον τὰς ἀπειλάς, εἰ μὴ Τρύφων ἐκ τῆς ̓Αραβίας εἰς τὴν Συρίαν ἐπανελθὼν τῷ ̓Αντιόχῳ μειρακίῳ τότε τυγχάνοντι διάδημα περιέθετο, καὶ πόλεμον πρὸς τὸν ∆ημήτριον συνεκρότησε, προσχωρησάντων αὐτῷ τῶν στρατιωτῶν οσοι διὰ τὴν μείωσιν τοῦ μισθώματος καταλελοίπασι τὸν ∆ημήτριον. ἐπικρατέστερος ουν ὁ Τρύφων ἐν τῇ μάχῃ γενόμενος καὶ τὴν ̓Αντιόχειαν λαμβάνει καὶ τοὺς ἐλέφαντας. ὁ δὲ ∆ημήτριος εἰς Κιλικίαν ἀπῆλθε, καὶ ὁ παῖς ̓Αντίοχος εἰς συμμαχίαν τὸν ̓Ιωνάθην μετεκαλέσατο. ὁ δὲ φίλος ειναι καὶ σύμμαχος ὡμολόγει, καὶ πολεμήσειν τῷ ∆ημητρίῳ κατέθετο, καὶ ωρμησε πρὸς εργον εὐθύς. καὶ πρῶτον πόλεις πολλὰς προσχωρῆσαι τῷ ̓Αντιόχῳ πεποίηκεν ἀποστάσας τοῦ ∆ημητρίου, ειτα τὸν ἀδελφὸν Σίμωνα ἐν τῇ ̓Ιουδαίᾳ καταλιπὼν κατὰ τῶν τοῦ ∆ημητρίου ἐχώρησε στρατηγῶν. καὶ ὁ Σίμων Βέσουρα ἐπολιόρκει, τῆς ̓Ιουδαίας χωρίον ὑπὸ τῶν τοῦ ∆ημητρίου κατεχόμενον, οι τῇ πολιορκίᾳ στενοχωρηθέντες, πίστεις λαβόντες ἐξέλιπον τὸ χωρίον· καὶ φρουρὰν ἰδίαν ὁ Σίμων κατέστησεν ἐν αὐτῷ. ̓Ιωνάθης δὲ τοῖς στρατηγοῖς συμμίξας τοῦ ∆ημητρίου εἰς φυγήν τε αὐτοὺς 1.331 τρέπεται καὶ περὶ δισχιλίους ἀνελὼν ὑπέστρεψεν εἰς ̔Ιεροσόλυμα. καὶ εἰς ̔Ρώμην πρεσβείαν ἐποιήσατο, τὴν προτέραν φιλίαν ην πρὸς τὸ εθνος ειχον ἀνανεώσασθαι. οἱ δὲ τῆς βουλῆς τὰ πρότερον ἐψηφισμένα καὶ αυθις ἐκύρωσαν. ἐπανερχόμενοι δὲ οἱ πρέσβεις καὶ εἰς τὴν Σπάρτην ἀφίκοντο, καὶ τοῦτο ἐντεταλμένον εχοντες παρὰ τοῦ ̓Ιωνάθου. καὶ οἱ Σπαρτιᾶται δὲ τοὺς πρεσβευτὰς φιλοφρόνως προσήκαντο, καὶ ψήφισμα περὶ φιλίας καὶ συμμαχίας πρὸς ̓Ιουδαίους εθεντο. τοῦ ∆ημητρίου μέντοι οἱ στρατηγοὶ τὴν ητταν ἀναμαχέσασθαι σπεύδοντες μετὰ δυνάμεως πλείονος ηλθον κατὰ τοῦ ̓Ιωνάθου. ὁ δὲ αὐτοῖς ὀξέως ἀπήντησεν. ἀποδειλιάσαντες δὲ πρὸς φανερὰν μάχην ἀντικαταστῆναι αὐτῷ, νυκτὸς εφυγον. μεθ' ἡμέραν δὲ γνοὺς τὴν φυγὴν ̓Ιωνάθης, ἐπεδίωξε μέν, οὐ κατέλαβε δέ· ἀλλ' εἰς ̓Αραβίαν ἐλθὼν καὶ τοῖς Ναβατηνοῖς ἐπελθὼν