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bringing up siege engines, they battered the wall. And those inside, being led, resisted with desperation rather than foresight. First, twenty chosen men go up on the wall, then the centurions of Sossius. For the first wall was taken in forty days, and the second in fifteen. When the outer temple and the lower city were taken, the Jews fled together into the inner temple and the upper city. And these were also taken, 1.362 and everything was full of slaughter. But Antigonus, mindful neither of his present fortune nor of his past one, comes down from the tower and falls at the feet of Sossius. And he, having pitied him not at all for the change of fortune, both mocked him and called him Antigone, and having bound him, kept him under guard. And when the allies rushed to see the temple and the holy things in the sanctuary, King Herod, entreating some, threatening others, and holding back some even with weapons, also prevented the plundering throughout the city, promising himself to distribute wages to each from his own house. And so, having saved the remainder of the city, he fulfilled his promises. And to Sossius himself he gave most royal gifts. who departed from Jerusalem to Antony, taking Antigonus as a prisoner. But Herod, fearing that Antigonus, having been brought to Rome, might plead his case before the senate, proving himself to be from a line of kings and Herod a commoner, and that, even if he himself had sinned against the Romans, the kingship belonged to his children, persuades Antony with much money to execute Antigonus. And he was executed, and the rule was taken away from the family of the Hasmonaeans, having lasted for one hundred and twenty years, and it passed to Herod the son of Antipater, who was of a common family and a plebeian house. And so Herod, having taken up the rule of all Judea, won over those who sided with him, and punished those who opposed him. And he especially honored Pollion the Pharisee and Samaias his disciple; for when the siege was under way 1.363 these men advised them to receive Herod. This Samaias, as has already been said before, also foretold to Hyrcanus and the judges that Herod, if he were saved, would pursue them all. And he killed forty of the chief men of Antigonus' party and took away their property, and there was no end to the evils. Hyrcanus, however, being a captive among the Parthians, met with the clemency of the Parthian king, Phraates, and having been freed from his bonds was permitted to live in Babylon, where there was also a multitude of Jews, who honored Hyrcanus as high priest and king. But learning that Herod had received the kingship, he intended to go over to him, both on account of their kinship by marriage and thinking he would remember that he had rescued him from danger when he was being tried for murders. But the Jews in Babylon urged him to remain, as one honored by them as high priest and king, and because, even if he went away, he was unable to obtain the high priesthood, his body having been maimed by Antigonus. So they tried to prevent him, but he was not persuaded, both desiring to return himself and being invited by Herod. And Herod also sent an embassy to Phraates and sent gifts, asking him not to prevent the favors toward his benefactor. But his earnestness was not for Hyrcanus, but because he was not ruling by merit, he feared changes from reasonable causes, and he was eager either to put Hyrcanus out of the way, or at least to have him in his hands. And when the Parthian had granted his departure, Hyrcanus, having gone away, was treated with all honor by Herod, being called father and reclining before him at feasts and being deceived in every way, so that he would not perceive he was being plotted against. 1.364 But Herod, being cautious about appointing any of the distinguished men as high priest, sent for a priest of the more obscure sort from Babylon, named Ananel, and to this man he assigned the high priesthood. But Alexandra, Herod's mother-in-law, who had a son by Alexander, the son of Aristobulus, most beautiful in appearance, called Aristobulus, bore it ill that her son was overlooked; and she writes to Cleopatra to ask for the

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πολιορκητικὰς μηχανὰς προσάγοντες τὸ τεῖχος κατέσειον. καὶ οἱ ἐντὸς δὲ ἀπονοίᾳ μᾶλλον η προνοίᾳ ἀντικαθίσταντο στρατηγούμενοι. ἀναβαίνουσι δὲ ἐπὶ τὸ τεῖχος πρῶτον μὲν λογάδες εικοσιν, ειτα ἑκατοντάρχαι Σοσσίου. ᾑρέθη γὰρ τὸ μὲν πρῶτον τεῖχος ἡμέραις τεσσαράκοντα, τὸ δὲ δεύτερον πεντεκαίδεκα. ἁλόντος δὲ τοῦ εξωθεν ἱεροῦ καὶ τῆς κάτω πόλεως, εἰς τὸ ἐντὸς ἱερὸν καὶ τὴν ανω πόλιν ̓Ιουδαῖοι συνέφυγον. ἑάλω 1.362 δὲ καὶ ταῦτα, καὶ ην απαντα φόνων μεστά. ὁ δ' ̓Αντίγονος, μήτε τῆς τότε τύχης μήτε τῆς πάλαι μεμνημένος, κάτεισιν ἐκ τῆς βάρεως καὶ προσπίπτει τοῖς Σοσσίου ποσί. κἀκεῖνος μηδὲν αὐτὸν οἰκτείρας πρὸς τὴν μεταβολὴν καὶ ἐπεκρότησε καὶ ̓Αντιγόνην ἐκάλεσε καὶ δήσας ἐφύλαττεν. ὡρμηκότων δὲ τῶν συμμάχων ἐπὶ θέαν τοῦ ἱεροῦ καὶ τῶν κατὰ τὸν ναὸν ἁγίων, ὁ βασιλεὺς ̔Ηρώδης τοὺς μὲν παρακαλῶν, τοῖς δὲ ἀπειλῶν, ἐνίους δὲ καὶ τοῖς οπλοις ἀνέστελλεν, ἐκώλυέ τε καὶ τὰς κατὰ τὴν πόλιν ἁρπαγάς, αὐτὸς τοὺς μισθοὺς διανεμεῖν ἑκάστοις οικοθεν ὑπισχνούμενος. καὶ ουτω τὸ λοιπὸν περισώσας τῆς πόλεως τὰς ὑποσχέσεις ἐπλήρωσεν. αὐτῷ δὲ Σοσσίῳ βασιλικώτατα ἐδωρήσατο. ος ἀνέζευξεν ἐξ ̔Ιεροσολύμων τῷ ̓Αντωνίῳ δεσμώτην αγων ̓Αντίγονον. δείσας δ' ̔Ηρώδης μὴ κομισθεὶς εἰς ̔Ρώμην ̓Αντίγονος δικαιολογήσηται πρὸς τὴν σύγκλητον, ἑαυτὸν μὲν ἐκ βασιλέων ἀποδεικνύων, ̔Ηρώδην δὲ ἰδιώτην, καὶ ὡς, καν αὐτὸς εἰς ̔Ρωμαίους ἐξήμαρτε, προσῆκεν ἡ βασιλεία τοῖς αὐτοῦ παισί, πείθει χρήμασι πολλοῖς τὸν ̓Αντώνιον ἀνελεῖν τὸν ̓Αντίγονον. καὶ ὁ μὲν ἀνῄρητο, ἡ δὲ ἀρχὴ ἐκ τοῦ τῶν ̓Ασαμωναίων γένους ἀφῄρητο, ἐπ' ετεσιν ἑκατὸν καὶ εικοσι διαρκέσασα, μετέβη δὲ εἰς ̔Ηρώδην τὸν ̓Αντιπάτρου, ἰδιωτικοῦ τυγχάνοντα γένους καὶ οἰκίας δημότιδος. Ουτω δὲ τῆς ολης ̓Ιουδαίας ̔Ηρώδης ἀναθέμενος τὴν ἀρχήν, τοὺς μὲν τὰ αὐτοῦ φρονοῦντας προσήγετο, τοὺς δ' ἐναντιουμένους ἐκόλαζεν. ἐτίμα δὲ μάλιστα Πολλίωνα τὸν Φαρισαῖον καὶ Σαμαίαν τὸν τούτου μαθητήν· τῆς γὰρ πολιορκίας συνισταμένης 1.363 συνεβούλευον ουτοι δέξασθαι τὸν ̔Ηρώδην. ὁ δὲ Σαμαίας ουτος, ὡς ηδη εμπροσθεν ειρηται, καὶ προεῖπεν ̔Υρκανῷ τε καὶ τοῖς δικάζουσιν ὡς περισωθεὶς ̔Ηρώδης απαντας αὐτοὺς μετελεύσεται. ἀπέκτεινε δὲ τῶν περὶ τὸν ̓Αντίγονον τεσσαράκοντα τοὺς πρώτους καὶ τὰς αὐτῶν οὐσίας ἀφείλετο, πέρας τε κακῶν ην οὐδέν. ̔Υρκανὸς μέντοι παρὰ Πάρθοις αἰχμάλωτος ων ἐπιεικοῦς ετυχε τοῦ Πάρθων βασιλέως Φραάτου, καὶ λυθεὶς τῶν δεσμῶν ἐν Βαβυλῶνι διάγειν παρεχωρήθη, ενθα καὶ πλῆθος ην ̓Ιουδαίων, οι τὸν ̔Υρκανὸν ὡς ἀρχιερέα καὶ βασιλέα ἐτίμων. μαθὼν δὲ τὸν ̔Ηρώδην παρειληφέναι τὴν βασιλείαν, διενοεῖτο μεταχωρῆσαι πρὸς αὐτόν, διά τε τὸ κῆδος καὶ μνησθήσεσθαι οἰηθεὶς αὐτὸν οτι κρινόμενον ἐπὶ φόνοις τοῦ κινδύνου ἐρρύσατο. οἱ δ' ἐν Βαβυλῶνι ̓Ιουδαῖοι μένειν ἠξίουν αὐτόν, ὡς ἀρχιερέα καὶ βασιλέα τιμώμενον παρ' αὐτῶν, καὶ οτι καὶ ἀπελθὼν τυχεῖν τῆς ἀρχιερωσύνης ἀδυνατεῖ, λελωβημένος τὸ σῶμα ὑπ' ̓Αντιγόνου. οἱ μὲν ουν ἐκώλυον, ὁ δ' οὐκ ἐπείθετο, αὐτός τε ποθῶν ἐπανελθεῖν καὶ παρὰ ̔Ηρώδου παρακαλούμενος. ̔Ηρώδης δὲ καὶ πρὸς Φραάτην πρεσβείαν ἐποιήσατο καὶ δῶρα επεμψεν, ἀξιῶν μὴ κωλῦσαι τὰς εἰς τὸν εὐεργέτην αὐτοῦ χάριτας. ην δὲ οὐχ ὑπὲρ ̔Υρκανοῦ ἡ σπουδή, ἀλλ' οτι μὴ κατ' ἀξίαν ηρχεν, ἐδεδοίκει τὰς ἐξ εὐλόγων μεταβολάς, καὶ εσπευδεν η ἐκποδὼν θέσθαι τὸν ̔Υρκανόν, η τέως ἐν χερσὶν εχειν. ἐνδεδωκότος δὲ τοῦ Πάρθου τὴν ἀναχώρησιν, ἀπελθὼν ̔Υρκανὸς διὰ πάσης ηγετο τιμῆς πρὸς ̔Ηρώδου, πατήρ τε καλούμενος καὶ παρὰ τὰς ἑστιάσεις προκατακλινόμενος καὶ παντοίως ἐξαπατώμενος, ινα μὴ ἐπιβουλευόμενος αισθηται. 1.364 Εὐλαβούμενος δ' ὁ ̔Ηρώδης τῶν ἐπισήμων τινὰ ἀποδεῖξαι ἀρχιερέα, ἐκ Βαβυλῶνος μεταπεμψάμενος ἱερέα τῶν ἀσημοτέρων ̓Αναὴλ ονομα, τούτῳ τὴν ἀρχιερωσύνην ἀπένειμεν. ̓Αλεξάνδρα δὲ ἡ πενθερὰ ̔Ηρώδου, παῖδα εχουσα ἐξ ̓Αλεξάνδρου τοῦ ̓Αριστοβούλου ωρᾳ κάλλιστον, καλούμενον ̓Αριστόβουλον, χαλεπῶς εφερε τὴν παρόρασιν τοῦ υἱοῦ· καὶ γράφει τῇ Κλεοπάτρᾳ αἰτήσασθαι τῷ