210

who had been instructed in the Jewish customs, to convert. So Izates, coming and finding his kinsmen in bonds, was displeased, and he freed them, but sent them away, so that their presence might not be suspect, some to Rome as hostages, and others to the Parthians. But when he learned that his mother had embraced the Jewish ways, he too was eager to convert to them, and was ready to be circumcised. But his mother prevented him, saying that for this reason his subjects would become hostile, and would not endure to be ruled by one who Judaized. He reported these words to Ananias, who was present. And when he gave the same advice, the king was then persuaded; but another Jew from Galilee, Eleazar, arrived, and finding 2.38 him reading the law of Moses, said, 'It is not enough for you to read the words, O king, but also to do what is commanded by them. How long will you remain uncircumcised?' And he did not postpone the deed, but was circumcised; and he revealed to his mother and to Ananias that the deed was done. They fell into a fear that both the king and they themselves would be in danger. But God did not permit their fear to come to pass. Helene conceived a desire to go to Jerusalem and worship at the temple of God. And when her son gave permission and provided a great deal of money, she departed for Jerusalem. And finding many there perishing from famine, she brought grain from Alexandria and, buying a cargo of dried figs from Cyprus for a great sum of money, distributed them to the needy. And her son also sent a great deal of money to the leading men of Jerusalem, so that those who were starving might be helped by these means as much as possible. And so much for these things; Artabanus, the king of the Parthians, learning of a plot that his satraps had contrived against him, came to Izates, bringing with him about a thousand of his relatives and servants. And on the way he met Izates, and said, 'Do not disregard me, O king, who have become humble from a change of fortune and a commoner from a king, but help me.' He said these things with tears. And Izates, hearing his name, leaped down from his horse and said, 'Take courage, O king; for I will either restore you to the kingdom of the Parthians or I will give up my own to you.' He said these things and mounted him upon the horse, while he himself followed on foot. And Artabanus swore that if he did not also mount 2.39 his horse and ride ahead, he himself would dismount. Being persuaded, Izates sprang upon his horse, and paid every honor to the Parthian, leading him into the palace. He also wrote to the Parthians to receive Artabanus. And when the Parthians agreed to receive him, but were unable to also bestow the rule which had already been entrusted to another, Cinnamus, for that was the name of the one who had taken the kingdom, wrote to Artabanus, for he had been raised by him and was a good man, urging him to come with confidence and take back the rule. And Artabanus, trusting him, went away. Cinnamus therefore met him; and after prostrating himself and hailing him as king, he placed the diadem on his head, having taken it from his own. Thus, after a period of six years, Artabanus, having been restored to his rule, did not forget the good deeds of Izates, but rewarded him. After some time, when Artabanus died, his son Vardanes girded himself with the kingship. And coming to Izates, he demanded that he ally with him against the Romans; but he was not persuaded, but also advised him to cease from the campaign against them and not to attempt impossible things. He declared war on Izates for not obeying. But the Parthians, learning that he wished to march against the Romans, killed him, and gave the kingdom to his brother Gotarzes. When he died by a plot, he was succeeded by his brother Vologeses. But the brother of Izates, Monobazus, and his kinsmen also desired to Judaize, and they put their desire into action. But their action became conspicuous to their subjects. And they wrote to Abias, 2.40 king of the Arabs, that if he would march against their king, they would provide him with a great deal of money, promising that at the first encounter they themselves would also abandon him. He is persuaded

210

κατηχηθεῖσαν εἰς τὰ ̓Ιουδαϊκὰ εθη μετατεθῆναι. ἐλθὼν ουν ὁ ̓Ιζάτης καὶ δεδεμένους τοὺς συγγενεῖς εὑρηκὼς ἐδυσχέρανε, καὶ ελυσε μέν, επεμψε δέ, ινα μὴ υποπτοι παρόντες ειεν, τοὺς μὲν εἰς ̔Ρώμην ὁμηρεύσοντας, τοὺς δὲ πρὸς Πάρθους. γνοὺς δὲ τὴν μητέρα τὰ ̓Ιουδαίων ἀσπασαμένην, εσπευσε καὶ αὐτὸς εἰς ἐκεῖνα μετατεθῆναι, καὶ περιτμηθῆναι ετοιμος ην. ἡ δὲ μήτηρ ἐκώλυε, λέγουσα εἰς δυσμένειαν τοὺς ὑπηκόους διὰ τοῦτο ἐλθεῖν, οὐκ ἀνέξεσθαί τε ὑπὸ ἰουδαΐζοντος βασιλεύεσθαι. ὁ δὲ εἰς τὸν ̓Ανανίαν παρόντα τοὺς λόγους ἀνέφερε. τοῦ δὲ τὰ αὐτὰ συμβουλεύσαντος ἐπείσθη μὲν τότε ὁ βασιλεύς· ετερος δ' αυθις ̓Ιουδαῖος ἐκ Γαλιλαίας ̓Ελεάζαρ ἀφικόμενος, καὶ κατα2.38 λαβὼν αὐτὸν τὸν Μωυσέως νόμον ἀναγινώσκοντα, Οὐ λόγους μόνον ἀναγινώσκειν σε δεῖ, βασιλεῦ, εφη, ἀλλὰ καὶ τὰ ὑπ' αὐτῶν διατεταγμένα ποιεῖν. μέχρι τίνος ἀπερίτμητος μένεις; ὁ δὲ οὐχ ὑπερεβάλετο τὴν πρᾶξιν, ἀλλὰ περιετμήθη· καὶ τῇ μητρὶ καὶ τῷ ̓Ανανίᾳ πεπρᾶχθαι τὸ εργον ἐδήλου. οἱ δ' εἰς φόβον ἐνέπεσον μὴ καὶ ὁ βασιλεὺς καὶ αὐτοὶ κινδυνεύσωσιν. ὁ δὲ θεὸς τὸν φόβον ἐλθεῖν εἰς τέλος οὐ συνεχώρησεν. ̔Ελένη δὲ ἐπιθυμίαν εσχεν εἰς ̔Ιεροσόλυμα ἀφικέσθαι καὶ προσκυνῆσαι τὸ τοῦ θεοῦ ἱερόν. καὶ τοῦ υἱοῦ ἐπιτρέψαντος καὶ χρήματα πλεῖστα δόντος απεισιν εἰς ̔Ιεροσόλυμα. καὶ λιμῷ φθειρομένους πολλοὺς εὑροῦσα ἐκεῖ, σῖτόν τε ἐξ ̓Αλεξανδρείας ἐκόμισε καὶ ἰσχάδων φόρτον ἐκ Κύπρου πολλῶν χρημάτων πριαμένη τοῖς ἀπορουμένοις διένειμε. καὶ ὁ παῖς δὲ αὐτῆς πολλὰ χρήματα τοῖς πρώτοις τῶν ̔Ιεροσολυμιτῶν επεμψεν, ιν' οἱ λιμώττοντες διὰ τούτων ὡς ἐνὸν ἐπικουρηθῶσι. Καὶ ταῦτα μὲν ουτως· ̓Αρταβάνης δὲ ὁ τῶν Πάρθων βασιλεύς, ἐπιβουλὴν γνοὺς τοὺς σατράπας κατ' αὐτοῦ μελετήσαντας, ἀφικνεῖται πρὸς ̓Ιζάτην, συγγενῶν τε καὶ οἰκετῶν περὶ χιλίους ἐπαγόμενος. καὶ καθ' ὁδὸν τῷ ̓Ιζάτῃ ἐνέτυχε, καί φησι Μή με παρίδῃς, ω βασιλεῦ, ταπεινὸν ἐκ μεταβολῆς γεγονότα καὶ ἰδιώτην ἐκ βασιλέως, ἀλλ' ἐπικούρησον. ταῦτα σὺν δάκρυσιν ελεγεν. ὁ δὲ ̓Ιζάτης ἀκούσας τὸ ονομα, κατεπήδησε τοῦ ιππου καὶ Θάρσει, εφη, ω βασιλεῦ· η γὰρ εἰς τὴν Πάρθων βασιλείαν σε καταστήσω η τῆς ἐμῆς σοι ἐκστήσομαι. ταῦτα ειπε καὶ ἐπὶ τὸν ιππον αὐτὸν ἀνεβίβασεν, αὐτὸς δὲ πεζὸς παρείπετο. καὶ ὁ ̓Αρταβάνης ωμοσεν, εἰ μὴ κἀκεῖνος ἀναβαίη 2.39 τὸν ιππον καὶ προηγοῖτο, ἀποβήσεσθαι καὶ αὐτός. πεισθεὶς δ' ὁ ̓Ιζάτης ἐπὶ τὸν ιππον ηλατο, καὶ πᾶσαν τιμὴν ἀπένειμε τῷ Πάρθῳ, εἰς τὰ βασίλεια ἀγαγών. γράφει τε πρὸς τοὺς Πάρθους τὸν ̓Αρταβάνην δέξασθαι. τῶν δὲ Πάρθων δέξασθαι μὲν συντιθεμένων, μὴ δύνασθαι δὲ καὶ τὴν ἀρχὴν ἀπονεῖμαι ηδη ἑτέρῳ πεπιστευμένην, ὁ Κινάμωνος, τοῦτο γὰρ ὠνόμαστο ὁ τὴν βασιλείαν παρειληφώς, γράφει τῷ ̓Αρταβάνῳ, ὑπ' αὐτοῦ γὰρ ἐτέθραπτο καὶ ην ἀγαθός, παρακαλῶν αὐτὸν ἀφικέσθαι πιστεύσαντα καὶ τὴν ἀρχὴν παραλήψεσθαι. καὶ ὁ ̓Αρτάβανος πιστεύσας ἀπῄει. ὑπήντα ουν αὐτῷ ὁ Κινάμωμος· ος δὴ προσκυνήσας καὶ βασιλέα προσαγορεύσας περιτίθησιν αὐτοῦ τῇ κεφαλῇ τὸ διάδημα, τῆς ἑαυτοῦ ἀφελόμενος. ουτω δὲ χρόνῳ ἑξαετεῖ εἰς τὴν ἀρχὴν ἀποκαταστὰς ὁ ̓Αρτάβανος οὐκ ἠμνημόνησε τῶν ̓Ιζάτου καλῶν, ἀλλ' ἀμείβεται τοῦτον. Μετὰ δέ τινα χρόνον ̓Αρταβάνου θανόντος Οὐαρδάνης ὁ παῖς ἐκείνου τὴν βασιλείαν περιεζώσατο. καὶ πρὸς ̓Ιζάτην ἐλθὼν συμμαχῆσαι αὐτῷ ἠξίου κατὰ ̔Ρωμαίων· ὁ δὲ οὐκ ἐπείθετο, ἀλλὰ καὶ συνεβούλευε παύσασθαι τῆς ἐπ' ἐκείνους στρατείας καὶ μὴ ἀδυνάτοις ἐπιχειρεῖν. ὁ δὲ πόλεμον τῷ ̓Ιζάτῃ μὴ πειθομένῳ κατήγγειλεν. ἀλλ' οἱ Πάρθοι μαθόντες ὡς ἐπὶ ̔Ρωμαίους στρατεύσειν βούλεται, αὐτὸν μὲν ἀναιροῦσι, τὴν δὲ βασιλείαν τῷ ἀδελφῷ ̓Ικοτάρδῃ διδόασιν· ον ἐξ ἐπιβουλῆς τελευτήσαντα διαδέχεται Οὐολογέσης ὁ ἀδελφός. ̔Ο δὲ τοῦ ̓Ιζάτου ἀδελφὸς Μονόβαζος καὶ οἱ συγγενεῖς ἰουδαΐσαι καὶ αὐτοὶ ἐπεθύμησαν, καὶ τὴν εφεσιν εἰς εργον ἐξήνεγκαν. γίνεται δ' ἡ πρᾶξις αὐτῶν τοῖς ὑπηκόοις κατάφωρος. καὶ γράφουσι πρὸς ̓Αβίαν 2.40 τὸν ̓Αράβων βασιλέα, εἰ στρατεύσοιτο κατὰ τοῦ σφετέρου βασιλέως, χρήματα πολλὰ παρασχεῖν αὐτῷ, ἐπαγγελλόμενοι περὶ τὴν πρώτην συμβολὴν καὶ αὐτοὶ καταλείψειν αὐτόν. πείθεται