latter end of his life and reign was as mean, as the former part had been glorious. Then shall he turn his face towards the fort of his own land: but he shall stumble and fall and not be found. (ver. 19.) Antiochus after the battle (5) fled away that night to Sardes, and from thence to Apaméa, and the next day he came into Syria, to Antioch the fort of his own land. It was from thence that he sent embaffadors to fue for peace; and (6) within a few days after peace was granted, he fent part of the money demanded, and the hoftages to the Roman conful at Ephefus. He is (7) reported indeed to have borne his loffes with great equanimity and temper, and faid that he was much obliged to the Romans for eafing him from a great deal of care and trouble, and for confining him within the bounds of a moderate empire. But whatever he might pretend, he lived in diftress and poverty for a great king, being under the greatest ditfi culties how to raise the money which he had ftipulated to pay to the Romans; and his neceffity or his avarice prompted him at laft to commit facrilege, He (8) marched into the eastern provinces, to collect there the arrears of tribute, and amafs what treasure he could: and attempting to plunder the rich temple of Jupiter Belus in Elymais, he was affaulted by the inhabitants of the country, was defeated, and himself and all his attendants were flain, So Diodorus Siculus, Strabo, Juftin, and Jerome relate the manner and circumftances of his death. Aurelius Victor reports it otherwife, and affirms (9) that he was flain by fome of his companions, (5) Liv. Lib. 37. Cap. 44. Appian. de Bell. Syr. p. 110. Edit. Steph. P. 177. Edit. Töllii. (6) Polyb. Legat. 24. p. 817. Liv. Lib. 37. Cap. 45.. (7) Cicero pro Deiotaro. Cap. 13. Valerius Maximus, Lib. 4. Cap. 1. (8) Diodor. Sic. in Excerpt. Valefii. p. 292 et 298. Strabo, Lib. 16. P 744. Edit. Paris. 1620. p. 1080. Edit. Amftel. 1707. Interea in Syria rex Antiochus, cum gravi tributo pacis, a Romanis victus, oneratus effet, feu inopia pecuniæ compulfus, feu avaritia follicitatus, qua fperabat fe, fub fpecie tributari ne ceffitatis, excufatius facrilegia commiffurum, adhibito exercitu, nocte templum Elymæi Jovis aggreditur. Qua re prodita, concurfu infularium, cum omni militia interficitur. Juftin, Lib. 32. Cap. 2, Victus ergo An. tiochus, intra Taupum regnare juffus eft; et inde fugit ad Apamiam, ac Sufam, et ultimas regni fui penetravit urbes. Quumque adverfum Elymæos pugnaret, cum omni eft deletus exercitu. Hieron. ibid. (9) A fodalibus, quos temulentus in convivio pulfaverat, occifus eft. Aurel. Victor de Viris Illuftr. Cap. 54. A a 4 whom whom in his liquor he had beaten at a banquet; but his account deferves not fo much credit as the concurrent teftimony of earlier hiftorians. However it was, his death was inglorious, he ftumbled and fell, and was no more found. - His fucceffor was far from retrieving the fplendor and glory of the nation. Then fhall ftand up in his eftate a raifer of taxes in the glory of the kingdom; or rather according to the original, and as we read in the margin, one that caufeth an exactor to pass over the glory of the kingdom: but within few days he jhall be deftroyed, neither in anger, nor in battle. (ver. 20.) Seleucus Philopator fucceeded his father Antiochus the great in the throne of Syria but as (1) Jerome affirms, he performed nothing worthy of the empire of Syria and of his father, and perished inglorioufly without fighting any battles. As Appian alfo teftifies, he reigned (2) both idly and weakly, by reafon of his father's calamity. He had an inclination to break the peace, and fhake off the Roman yoke; but had not the courage to do it. He (3) raifed an army with intent to march over mount Taurus to the affiftance of Pharnaces king of Pontus: but his dread of the Romans confined him at home, within the bounds prefcribed to him; and almost as foon as he had raised, he difbanded his army. The tribute of a thousand talents, which he was obliged to pay annually to the Romans, was indeed a grievous burden to him and his kingdom: and he was little more than a raiser of taxes all his days. He was tempted even to commit facrilege; for (4) being informed of the money that was depofited in the temple of Jerufalem, he fent his treafurer Heliodorus to feife it. This was litterally caufing an exactor to pass over the glory of the kingdom, when he (1) Seleucum dicit cognomente. Philopatorem filium magni Antiochi, qui nihil dignum Syriæ, et patris geffit imperio; et abfque ullis præliis inglorius periit. Hieron. ibid. -- (2) απράκτως άμα και ασθενως, δια in thy to wate ouμCogar. otiofus ner admodum potens, propter cladem quam pater acceperat. Appian. de Bell. Syr. p. 131. Edit. Steph. p.212. (3) Diod. Sic. in Excerpt. Valefii. p. 302. Ufher's Annals. A. M. 3823. A. C. 181. p. 403. (4) 2 Macc. III. 7. Jofephus de Maccabæis. Sect. 4. p. 1395. Edit. Hudfon. fent fent his treasurer to plunder that temple, which (5) even kings did honor, and magnify with their beft gifts, and where Seleucus himself, of his own revenues, bare all the cofts belonging to the fervice of the facrifices. But within few days, or rather years according to the prophetic ftile, he was to be deftroyed; and his reign was of thort duration in comparison of his father's; for he (6) reigned only twelve years, and his father thirty feven. Or perhaps the paffage may be better expounded thus, that within few days or years, after his attempting to plunder the temple of Jerufalem, he should be deftroyed: and not long after that, as all chronologers agree, he was deftroyed, neither in anger nor in battle, neither in rebellion at home, nor in war abroad, but (7) by the treachery of his own treafurer Heliodorus. The fame wicked hand, that was the inftrument of his facrilege, was alfo the inftrument of his death. Seleucus having (8) fent his only fon Demetrius to be an hostage at Rome inftead of his brother Antiochus, and Antiochus being not yet returned to the Syrian court, Heliodorus thought this a fit opportunity to dispatch his mafter, and in the abfence of the next heirs to the crown, to ufurp it to himself. But he was difappointed in his ambitious projects, and only made way for another's ufurped greatnefs, instead of his own. Few circumftances are mentioned relating to Seleucus Philopator; many more particulars are predicted of his brother and fucceffor Antiochus Epiphanes, as he was indeed a more extraordinary perfon, and likewise a greater enemy and oppreffor of the Jews. And in his eftate fhail ftand up a vile perfon, to whom they fhall not give the honor of the kingdom: but he shall come in peaceably, and obtain the kingdom by flatteries. (ver. 21.) Antiochus returning from Rome, (9) was at Athens in his way to Syria, when his father Seleucus died by the treachery of Heliodorus: and the honor of the kingdom was not given to him; for Heliodorus attempted to get poffeffion (5) 2 Macc. III. 2, 3. (7) εξ επίβελης Ηλιόδωρε τινος των περί αυτον αποθνησκει. infidiis Heliodori cujufdam purpurati op preffus eft. App. de Bell. Syr. p. (8) Vide Appian. ibid. of of it himself; another (1) party declared in favor of Ptolemy Philometor king of Egypt, whofe mother Cleopatra was the daughter of Antiochus the great, and fifter of the late king Seleucus; and neither was Antiochus Epiphanes the right heir to the crown, but his nephew Demetrius the fon of Seleucus, who was then an hoftage at Rome. However he obtained the kingdom by flatteries. He flattered (2) Eumenes king of Pergamus and Attalus his brother, and by fair promifes engaged their affiftance, and they the more readily affifted him, as they were at that juncture jealous of the Romans, and were willing therefore to fecure a friend in the king of Syria. He flattered too (3) the Syrians, and with great flow of clemency obtained their concurrence, He flattered alfo (4) the Romans, and fent embaffadors to court their favor, to pay them the arrears of tribute, to prefent them befides with golden veffels of five hundred pound weight, and to defire that the friendship and alliance, which they had had with his father, might be renewed with him, and that they would lay their com mands upon him as upon a good and faithful confederate king; he would never be wanting in any duty. Thus he came in peaceably; and as he flattered the Syrians, the Syrians flattered him again, (5) and beftowed upon him the title of Epiphanes or the illuftrious: but the epithet of vile or rather defpicable, given him by the prophet, agrees better with his true character. For, as (6) Polybius and other heathen hiftorians defcribe him, he would fteal out of the palace, and ramble about the streets in difguife; would mix with the lowest company, and drink and revel with them to the greateft excefs; would put on the Roman gown, and go about canvaffing for votes, in imitation of the candidates for offices at Rome; would (1) Hieron. in locum. Col. 1127. (2) Appian. ibid. (3) Simulatione clementiæ obtinuit regnum Syriæ. Hieron. ibid. (4) Liv. Lib. 42. Cap. 6. Petere regem, ut quæ cum patre fuo focietas atque amicitia fuiffet, ea fecum renovaretur imperaretque fibi populus Romanus, quæ bono fidelique focio regi effent imperanda; fe nullo ufquam ceffaturum officio. (5) Appian. de Bell. Syr. p. 117, Edit. Steph. p. 187. Edit. Tollii. (6) Polyb. apud Athenæum. Lib. 5. p. 193. Lib. 10. p. 438. Edit. Cafaubon. Diod. Sic. in Excerptis Valefii. p. 305, 306, Liv. Lib. 41. Cap. 24, 25. fome fometimes scatter money in the streets among his followers, and fometimes pelt them with ftones; would wash in the public baths, and expofe himself by all manner of ridiculous and indecent gestures; with a thousand fuch freaks and extravagancies, as induced (7) Polybius who was a contemporary writer, and others after him, inftead of Epiphanes or the illuftrious, more rightly to call him Epimanes or the madman. But frantic and extravagant as he was, he was however fuccessful and victorious. And with the arms of a flood fhall they be overflown from before him; or rather more agreeably to the (8) original, And the arms of the overflower shall be overflown from before him, and shall be broken; yea, alfo the prince of the covenant: And after the league made with him he shall work deceitfully. (ver. 22, 23.) The arms which were overflown from before him, were thofe of his competitors for the crown, Heliodorus (9) the murderer of Seleucus and his partizans, as well as thofe of the king of Egypt, who had formed fome defigns upon Syria, were vanquished by the forces of Eumenes and Attalus, and were diffipated by the arrival of Antiochus, whofe prefence difconcerted all their meafures. The prince alfo of the covenant was broken, that is the high-prieft of the Jews; and fo (1) Theodoret underftands and explains it. The prince of the covenant: He fpeaketh of the pious high-prieft, the brother of Jafon, and foretelleth, that even he thould be turned quelques deffeins fur la Syrie, furent vaincus par les forces d' Attalus, et d'Eumenes; et diflipez par l'arivee d'Antiochus, dont la préfence deconcerta tous leurs deffeins. Calmet. Vide, fi placet, Appian. Syriac. p. 116, 117. Grot, hic. (1) Και γε ήγεμενα διαθήκης, λεγει γας τον αρχιερέα τον ευσεβή, του το Ιωσωνος αδελφον, και προ διδασκει, ὅτι κακείνον το αρχιερα TEVELY wavσe. Et dux foederis."Principem facredotum intelligi vult pium Jalonis fratrem, præmonetque fore ut illum etiam abdicet pontificatu maximo. Theod. in locum. p. 683. Tom. . Edit. Sirmondi. out у |