His country by that means became a province of the Roman empire, as Cyrenaica alío did the fame year. The Romans, instead of appropriating the latter to themselves, had granted it liberty. Twenty years. had paffed fince; during which term, fedition and tyranny had occafioned infinite calamities. It is faid, that the Jews, who had been long fettled there, and compofed a great part of the nation, contributed very much to thofe diforders. The Romans, to put a stop to them, were obliged to accept Cyrenaica, which had been bequeathed to them by the laft king's will, and to reduce it into a Roman province.

SECT. VII. Selena, fifter of Lathyrus, conceives hopes of the crown of Egypt. She fends two of her fons to Rome for that purpose. The eldest, called Antiochus, on his return, goes to Sicily. Verres, prætor of that island, takes from him a golden fconce, defigned for the capitol. Antiochus, firnamed Afisticus, 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 Judaa and Egypt. The Alexandrians 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 be depofed, confifcate his fortunes, and seize that island. The celebrated Cato is charged with this commif fion.

S

OME (0) troubles which happened in Egypt, occafioned by the disgust taken against Alexander, made

(0) A. 3931. Ant. J. C. 73. Cic. 6. in Ver. Orat. n. 61, 67. Reges Syriæ, regis Antiochi filios pueros, fcitis Romæ nuper fuiffe: qui venerant non propter Syriæ regnum, nam id fine con

troverfia

made Selena the fifter of Lathyrus conceive thoughts of pretending to the crown. She sent her two fons, Antiochus Afiaticus and Seleucus, whom she had by Antiochus Eufebes, to Rome, to folicit the fenate in her behalf. The important affairs which employed Rome, at that time engaged in a war with Mithridates, and perhaps the motives of policy, from which fhe had always oppofed the kings who were for joining the forces of Egypt with thofe of Syria, prevented the princes from obtaining what they demanded. After a refidence of two years in Rome, and ineffectual folicitations, they fet out upon their return into their own kingdom.

The eldeft, called Antiochus *, refolved to pass by the way of Sicily. He experienced an infult there, which is hardly credible; and fhews, how much Rome was corrupted in the times we speak of, to what excefs the avarice of the magiftrates fent into the provinces rofe, and what horrid rapine they committed with impunity, in the fight and with the knowledge of the whole world.

Verres was at that time prætor in Sicily t. As foon as he heard that Antiochus was arrived at Syracufe, as he had reafon to believe, and had been told, that that prince had abundance of rare and precious things

with

verfia obtinebant, ut a patre et a majoribus acceperant; fed reg num Ægypti ad fe et Selenam matrem fuam pertinere arbitrabantur. Hi, poftquam temporibus populi Romani exclusi, per fenatum agere quæ voluerant non potuerunt, in Syriam in regnum pas trium profecti funt.

* Eorum alter, qui Antiochus vocatur, iter per Siciliam facere voluit.

Itaque ifto (Verre) prætore venit Syracufas. Hic Verres hereditatem fibi veniffe arbitratus eft, quod in ejus regnum ac ma nus venerat is, quem ifte et audierat multa fecum præclara habere, et fufpicabatur. Mittit homini munera fatis larga: hæc ad ufum domefticum, vini, olei quod vifum erat, etiam tritici quod fatis effet. Deinde ipfum regem ad cœnam invitat. Exornat ample magnificeque triclinium. Exponit ea, quibus abundabat, plurima ac pulcherrima vafa argentea.- Omnibus curat rebus infructum et paratum ut fit convivium. Quid multa? Rex ita difceffit, ut et iftum copiofe ornatum, et fe honorifice acceptum arbitraretur.

with him, he judged his arrival a kind of rich inheritance fallen to him. He began by fending Antiochus prefents confiderable enough, confifting in provisions of wine, oil, and corn. He then invited him to fupper. The hall was magnificently adorned. The tables fet off with all his veffels of the most excellent workmanship, of which he had a great number. The feaft was fumptuous and delicate: for he had taken care that nothing fhould be wanting to make it fo. In a word, the King withdrew, well convinced of the prætor's magnificence, and ftill better fatisfied with the honourable reception he had made him.

He invites Verres to fupper in his turn *; exposes all his riches, multitudes of filver veffels, and not a few cups of gold fet with jewels, after the custom of kings, and especially thofe of Syria. There was among the reft a very large veffel for wine made out of one precious stone. Verres takes each of thefe veffels into his hand, one after the other, praises and admires them; the King rejoices that the prætor of the Roman people is fo well pleafed with his entertainment.

From thenceforth the latter had no other thoughts than how to rifle Antiochus, and fend him away fleeced and plundered of all his rich effects t. He fent to defire that he would let him have the fineft of the veffels he had feen at his houfe, under pretence of fhewing them to his workmen. The prince, who

did

* Vocat ad cœnam deinde ipfe prætorem. Exponit fuas copias omnes : multum argentum, nou pauca etiam pocula ex auro, quæ, ut mos eft regius, et maxime in Syria, gemmis erant diftincta clariffimis. Erat etiam vas vinarium ex una gemma pergrandi.-ste unumquodque vas in manus fumere, laudare, mirari. Rex gaudere prætori populi Romani fatis jucundum et gratum illud effe convivium.

+ Poftea quam inde difceffum eft, cogitare ifte nihil aliud, quod ipsa res declaravit, nifi quemadmodum regem ex provincia fpoliatum expilatumque dimitteret. Mittit rogatum vafa ea, quæ pulcherrima apud illum viderat : ait fe fuis calatoribus velle oftendere. Rex, qui iftum non noffet, fine ulla fufpicione libentiffime dedit. Mittit etiam trullam gemmeam rogatum: velle fe eam diligentius confiderare. Ea quoque mittitur.

did not know Verres, complied without difficulty or fufpicion. The prætor fent again, to defire that he would lend him the great veffel made of a fingle precious stone, that he might confider them more exactly, as he said. The king fent him that also.

But to crown all *: The kings of Syria, of whom we fpeak, had carried a branch-fconce with them to Rome, of fingular beauty, as well from the precious ftones with which it was adorned, as its exquisite workmanship. With this they intended to adorn the capitol, which had been burnt during the wars between Marius and Sylla, and was then rebuilding *. But that edifice not being finished, they would not leave it behind them, nor fuffer any body to have a fight of it, in order, that, when it should appear at a proper time in the temple of Jupiter, the furprise might add to the admiration of it, and the charm of novelty give new fplendor to the prefent. They therefore chose to carry it back into Syria, refolving to fend ambaffidors to offer this rare and magni. ficent gift, amongst many others, to the god, when they should know that his ftatue was fet up in the temple.

+

Verres was informed of all this by fome means or other †; for the prince had taken care to keep the sconce

Nunc reliquum, judices, attendite-Candelabrum e gemmis clariffimis opere mirabili perfectum, reges hi, quos dico, Romam cuni attuliffent, ut in Capitolio ponerent: quod nondum etiam perfectum templum offenderant, neque ponere, neque vulgo oftendere ac proferre voluerunt; ut, et magnificentius videretur, cum fuo tempore in fella Jovis Opt. Max. poneretur, et clarius, cum pulchritudo ejus recens ad oculos hominum atque integra perveniret. Statuerunt id fecum in Syriam reportaré, ut, cum audiffent fimulacrum Jovis Opt. Max. dedicatum, legatos mitterent, qui cum cæteris rebus illud quoque eximium atque pulcherrimum donum in Capitolium affer

rent.

Pervenit res ad iftius aures nefcio quomodo. Nam rex id celatum voluerat: non quo quidquam metueret aut fufpicaretur, fed ut ne multi illud ante perciperent oculis, quam populus Romanus. Ile petit a rege, et cum plurimis verbis rogat, uti ad fe mittat: cupere fe dicit infpicere, neque fe aliis videndi poteftatem effe facturum. Antiochus, qui animo et puerili eflet et regio, nihil de if

fconce concealed; not that he feared or suspected any thing, but that few people might fee it, before expofed to the public view of the Romans. The prætor demanded it of the King, and earneftly begged him to fend it him, expreffing a great defire to examine it, and promifing to let nobody elfe fee it. The young prince, with the candour and fimplicity of whofe youth the noble fentiments of his birth were united, was far from fufpecting any bad defign. He ordered his officers to carry the fconce fecretly to Verres, well covered from fight; which was done accordingly. As foon as the wrappers were taken off, and the prætor beheld it, he cried out, This is a prefent worthy of a prince; worthy of a king of Syria; worthy of the capitol. For it was amazingly fplendid, from the quantity of fine jewels with which it was adorned, and the variety of the workmanship, in which art feemed to vie with the materials; and at the fame. time of fo large a fize, that it was eafy to diftinguish, it was not intended to be used in the palaces of men, but to adorn a vast and superb temple. The officers of Antiochus, having given the prætor full time to confider it, prepared to carry it back; but were told by him, that he would examine it more at his leifure, and that his curiofity was not yet fufficiently gratified. He then bad them go home, and leave the fconce with him. They accordingly returned without it.

VOL. IX.

A a t

The

tius improbitate fufpicatus eft. Imperat tuis, ut id in prætorium involutum quam occultiffime deferrent. Quo pofteaquam attulerunt, involucrifque rejectis conftituerunt, ifte clamare cœpit, dignam rem effe regno Syriæ, dignam regio munere, dignam capitolio. Etenim erat eo fplendore, qui ex clariffimis et plurimis gemmis effe debebat; ea varietate operum, ut ars certare videretur cum copia; ea magnitudine, ut intelligi poffet, non ad hominum apparatum, fed ad ampliffimi templi ornamentum, effe factum. Quod cum fatis jam perfpexiffe videretur, tollere incipiunt ut referrent. Ifte ait fe velle illud etiam atque etiam confiderare: nequaquam fe effe fatiatum. Jubet illos difcedere, et candelabrum relinquere. Sic illi tum inanes ad' Antiochum revertuntur.