From the Taking of Jerusalem by Antiochus Epiphanes to the Death of Herod the Great - Flavius Josephus
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ody <strong>of</strong> foreign troops, till her own nation became not only very powerful at<br />
home, but terrible also <strong>to</strong> foreign potentates, while she governed o<strong>the</strong>r<br />
people, and <strong>the</strong> Pharisees governed her.<br />
3. Accordingly, <strong>the</strong>y <strong>the</strong>mselves slew Diogenes, a person <strong>of</strong> figure, and<br />
one that had been a friend <strong>to</strong> Alexander; and accused him as having assisted<br />
<strong>the</strong> king with his advice, for crucifying <strong>the</strong> eight hundred men [before<br />
mentioned.] They also prevailed with Alexandra <strong>to</strong> put <strong>to</strong> death <strong>the</strong> rest <strong>of</strong><br />
those who had irritated him against <strong>the</strong>m. Now she was so superstitious as <strong>to</strong><br />
comply with <strong>the</strong>ir desires, and accordingly <strong>the</strong>y slew whom <strong>the</strong>y pleased<br />
<strong>the</strong>mselves. But <strong>the</strong> principal <strong>of</strong> those that were in danger fled <strong>to</strong><br />
Aris<strong>to</strong>bulus, who persuaded his mo<strong>the</strong>r <strong>to</strong> spare <strong>the</strong> men on account <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong>ir<br />
dignity, but <strong>to</strong> expel <strong>the</strong>m out <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> city, unless she <strong>to</strong>ok <strong>the</strong>m <strong>to</strong> be<br />
innocent; so <strong>the</strong>y were suffered <strong>to</strong> go unpunished, and were dispersed all<br />
over <strong>the</strong> country. But when Alexandra sent out her army <strong>to</strong> Damascus, under<br />
pretense that P<strong>to</strong>lemy was always oppressing that city, she got possession <strong>of</strong><br />
it; nor did it make any considerable resistance. She also prevailed with<br />
Tigranes, king <strong>of</strong> Armenia, who lay with his troops about P<strong>to</strong>lemais, and<br />
besieged Cleopatra, (2) <strong>by</strong> agreements and presents, <strong>to</strong> go away.<br />
Accordingly, Tigranes soon arose from <strong>the</strong> siege, <strong>by</strong> reason <strong>of</strong> those<br />
domestic tumults which happened upon Lucullus's expedition in<strong>to</strong> Armenia.<br />
4. In <strong>the</strong> mean time, Alexandra fell sick, and Aris<strong>to</strong>bulus, her younger<br />
son, <strong>to</strong>ok hold <strong>of</strong> this opportunity, with his domestics, <strong>of</strong> which he had a<br />
great many, who were all <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong>m his friends, on account <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> warmth <strong>of</strong><br />
<strong>the</strong>ir youth, and got possession <strong>of</strong> all <strong>the</strong> fortresses. He also used <strong>the</strong> sums <strong>of</strong><br />
money he found in <strong>the</strong>m <strong>to</strong> get <strong>to</strong>ge<strong>the</strong>r a number <strong>of</strong> mercenary soldiers, and<br />
made himself king; and besides this, upon Hyrcanus's complaint <strong>to</strong> his<br />
mo<strong>the</strong>r, she compassionated his case, and put Aris<strong>to</strong>bulus's wife and sons<br />
under restraint in An<strong>to</strong>nia, which was a fortress that joined <strong>to</strong> <strong>the</strong> north part<br />
<strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> temple. It was, as I have already said, <strong>of</strong> old called <strong>the</strong> Citadel; but<br />
afterwards got <strong>the</strong> name <strong>of</strong> An<strong>to</strong>nia, when An<strong>to</strong>ny was [lord <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> East], just<br />
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