War with the Arabians

So Herod made ready to march against the king of Arabia, because of his ingratitude toward him, and because, after all, the Arabian would no longer do anything that was right by him; though Herod made the Roman war an excuse for delaying his own. For the battle of Actium was now expected, which fell in the one hundred eighty-seventh Olympiad, where Caesar and Antony were to fight for supreme power over the world. Herod had for a long time enjoyed a very fruitful country, had received great taxes, and had raised great armies with them; so he gathered a body of men, carefully furnished them with everything they needed, and intended them as auxiliaries for Antony. But Antony said he had no need of his help, and ordered him to punish the king of Arabia; for he had heard, both from Herod and from Cleopatra, how treacherous that king was. This was what Cleopatra wanted, since she thought it to her own advantage that these two kings should do each other as much harm as possible. On this message from Antony, Herod turned back but kept his army with him, intending to invade Arabia at once. So when his army of horsemen and foot soldiers was ready, he marched to Diospolis, where the Arabians also came to meet them, for they were well aware of the war that was coming on them; and after a great battle the Jews won the victory. Afterward another large army of Arabians gathered at Canatha, a place in Coele-Syria. Herod was informed of this in advance, so he marched against them with the greater part of the forces he had. When he came near, he decided to make camp in a good position, and he threw up a rampart so that he could choose a suitable moment to attack the enemy. But as he was giving these orders, the mass of the Jews shouted that he should make no delay but lead them against the Arabians. They went with great spirit, believing they were in very good order, and especially those who had been in the former battle and had won it, and had not let their enemies so much as come to close quarters with them. Since they were so clamorous and showed such eagerness, the king decided to make use of the zeal the troops were showing. He assured them he would not fall behind them in courage, and led them on, standing before them all in his armor, with all the regiments following him in their ranks. At this a panic fell on the Arabians at once: after standing their ground for a little while, when they saw that the Jews could not be beaten and were full of spirit, most of them broke and ran. And they would have been utterly destroyed if Athenion had not fallen on the Jews and pressed them hard. This man was Cleopatra’s general over the soldiers she had there; he was at odds with Herod, and was watching how the battle would turn out, fully prepared for it. He had resolved that if the Arabians did anything brave and successful he would stay quiet, but if they were beaten, as in fact happened, he would attack the Jews with the forces he had of his own and with those the people of the country had gathered for him. So he fell on the Jews unexpectedly, when they were exhausted and thought they had already beaten the enemy, and made a great slaughter of them. For since the Jews had spent their courage on their known enemies and were about to enjoy themselves quietly after their victory, they were easily beaten by these fresh attackers; and they suffered especially heavy losses in places where the horses could be of no use, which were very stony, and where their attackers knew the ground better than they did. When the Jews had suffered this loss, the Arabians took heart after their defeat, turned back, and killed those who had already been put to flight. Every kind of slaughter was now common, and of those who escaped only a few got back to the camp. When King Herod despaired of the battle, he rode up to bring them help; but though he worked hard at it, he did not come in time to do them any good, and the Jewish camp was taken. So the Arabians unexpectedly had a most glorious success, winning a victory they were in no way likely to have won by themselves and killing a large part of the enemy’s army. After this Herod could only act like a common robber, making forays into many parts of Arabia and harassing them with sudden raids, while he camped on the frontier and avoided a pitched battle by every means. Yet he did the enemy great harm by his persistence and the hard work he put into it. He also took great care of his own forces and used every means he could to restore his affairs to their former state. [a]

It was at this time that the battle of Actium was fought between Octavius Caesar and Antony, in the seventh year of Herod’s reign. And it was then too that there was an earthquake in Judea such as had never happened at any other time, and it brought great destruction on the livestock in that country. About thirty thousand people also died in the collapse of houses; but the army, which was quartered in the open field, suffered no harm from this sad event. When the Arabians learned of this, and those who hated the Jews and liked to exaggerate the reports told them of it, their spirits rose, as if their enemy’s country were completely overthrown and its men utterly destroyed, and they thought nothing was now left that could oppose them. So when Jewish envoys came to them about what had happened, they seized them and killed them, and came on against the army with great eagerness. But the Jews did not dare to stand against them; they were so cast down by the calamities they were under that they took no care for their affairs but gave themselves up to despair. They had no hope of being a match for the enemy again in battle, nor of getting help from anywhere else, while their affairs at home were also in such great distress. When matters stood like this, the king persuaded the commanders by his words and tried to lift their spirits, which had sunk completely. First he tried to encourage and embolden some of the better sort beforehand; then he ventured to make a speech to the whole body of troops, which he had avoided doing before, for fear he would find them resentful because of the misfortunes that had happened. So he made an encouraging speech to the troops, as follows: [g]

“I am well aware, men, that not long ago we met with many mishaps that have halted what we were about, and it is likely that even those most distinguished for their courage can hardly keep up their spirits in such circumstances. But since we cannot avoid fighting, and nothing that has happened is such that we cannot restore it to a good state ourselves, and that by a single brave action well carried out, I have set myself both to give you some encouragement and at the same time some information. Both parts of my purpose aim at one thing: that you may still keep the courage that is your own. First, then, I will show you that this war is a just one on our side, and for that reason a war of necessity, caused by the injustice of our adversaries; for once you are convinced of this, it will be a real source of eagerness to you. After that I will show further that the misfortunes we are under are of no great consequence, and that we have the best of reasons to hope for victory. I will begin with the first, and call on you yourselves as witnesses to what I say. You certainly know the lawlessness of the Arabians, who are just as faithless toward all other people, as you would expect of men who are barbarous and have no notion of God. But the chief wrongs they have done us have come from greed and envy, and from lying in wait to strike suddenly at our troubles. And what need is there for me to list many instances of their conduct? When they were in danger of losing their self-government and becoming slaves to Cleopatra, who else was it that freed them from that fear? It was my friendship with Antony, and his kind disposition toward us, that kept even these Arabians from being utterly ruined, since Antony was unwilling to undertake anything we might suspect of unkindness. And when he had a mind to give some parts of both our dominions to Cleopatra, I managed that matter too in such a way that, by giving him presents of my own, I might obtain security for both nations. I undertook to answer for the money myself: I gave him two hundred talents, and became surety for the other two hundred that were imposed on the land subject to this tribute. And this they have cheated us of. Yet it was not reasonable that Jews should pay tribute to anyone alive, or allow part of their land to be taxed; but even granting that, we ought not to pay tribute for these Arabians, whom we ourselves have preserved. Nor is it right that they, who have acknowledged that it is through our intercession and kindness that they keep their principality, should wrong us and deprive us of what is our due, and this while we have never been their enemies but always their friends. Keeping agreements has a place even among the bitterest enemies, and among friends it is absolutely necessary; yet it is not kept among these men, who think gain the best of all things, by whatever means it comes, and that injustice does no harm if only they can make money by it. Is it still a question for you, then, whether the unjust should be punished or not, when God himself wills it and has commanded that we should always hate insolence and injustice, and when you are going out to a war that is not only just but necessary? For these Arabians have done what both Greeks and barbarians acknowledge to be the grossest wickedness, in the matter of our envoys, whose throats they have cut; while the Greeks declare that heralds are sacred and inviolable. And as for us, we have learned the most excellent of our teachings and the holiest part of our law from God through angels, that is, envoys; for this name brings God to the knowledge of mankind and is able to reconcile enemies to one another. What wickedness, then, can be greater than the slaughter of envoys who come to discuss doing what is right? And when such have been their actions, how is it possible for them either to live securely in common life or to succeed in war? In my opinion it is impossible. But perhaps someone will say that holiness and righteousness are indeed on our side, but that the Arabians are either braver or more numerous than we are. Now as to this, in the first place it is not fitting for us to say so; for with whom righteousness is, with them is God himself, and where God is, there are both numbers and courage. But to look a little at our own circumstances: we were the victors in the first battle; and when we fought again, they could not stand against us but ran away, unable to endure our attacks or our courage. But when we had beaten them, then Athenion came and made war on us without declaring it. And I ask you, is this a proof of their manhood, or is it not a second proof of their wickedness and treachery? Why then should we be less courageous on account of what ought to inspire us with stronger hopes? And why are we terrified of these men, who are continually beaten when they fight on equal terms, and who, when they seem to be victors, win by wickedness? And if we suppose that someone thinks them men of real courage, will he not be stirred by that very thought to do his utmost against them? For true valor is not shown by fighting against the weak, but by being able to overcome the hardiest. But if the distresses we ourselves are under, and the miseries brought by the earthquake, have frightened anyone, let him consider first that this very thing will deceive the Arabians, since they suppose that what has befallen us is greater than it really is. Moreover, it is not right that the same thing that emboldens them should discourage us. For these men, you see, do not draw their eagerness from any real excellence of their own, but from their hope that we are quite cast down by our misfortunes. But when we march boldly against them, we will soon pull down their insolent conceit of themselves, and we will gain this by attacking them, that they will not be so insolent when we come to battle. For our distresses are not so great, nor is what has happened a sign of God’s anger against us, as some imagine. Such things are accidents, misfortunes that come in the ordinary course of things. And if we allow that this was done by the will of God, we must allow that it is now over by his will also, and that he is satisfied with what has already happened; for had he wished to afflict us still more by it, he would not have changed his mind so soon. As for the war we are engaged in, he himself has shown that he wishes it to go on, and that he knows it to be a just war. For while some of the people in the country have perished, all of you who were under arms have suffered nothing, but are all kept alive. By this God makes it plain to us that if you had all been in the army, with your children and wives, none of you would have suffered anything that would have done you much harm. Consider these things, and, more than all the rest, that you have God at all times as your Protector; and pursue these men with a just bravery, men who are unjust in friendship, treacherous in battle, impious toward envoys, and always inferior to you in valor.” [j]

When the Jews heard this speech, their spirits rose greatly and they were more eager to fight than before. So Herod, when he had offered the sacrifices required by the law, made haste, took them, and led them against the Arabians. To do this he crossed the Jordan and pitched his camp near the enemy’s. He also thought fit to seize a certain fort that lay between the two camps, hoping it would be to his advantage and would bring on a battle sooner, and that if there were need for delay, he would have his camp protected by it. Since the Arabians had the same intentions about that place, a contest arose over it. At first there were only skirmishes; then more soldiers came up and it became a kind of battle, and some fell on both sides, until those on the Arabian side were beaten and retreated. This at once gave no small encouragement to the Jews. When Herod saw that the enemy’s army was inclined to anything rather than coming to an engagement, he boldly attacked their rampart itself, to tear it down and so get nearer their camp in order to fight them. When they were forced out of their entrenchments, they came out in disorder, without the least eagerness or hope of victory. Yet they fought hand to hand, because they outnumbered the Jews, and because they were in such a state that they had no choice but to come on boldly. So they came to a terrible battle, and not a few fell on each side. At last, however, the Arabians fled; and so great a slaughter was made when they were routed that they were not only killed by their enemies but also became the causes of their own deaths, trampled down by their own numbers and the great rush of people in disorder, and destroyed by their own weapons. So five thousand men lay dead on the spot, while the rest of the crowd soon ran inside the rampart for safety, though they had no firm hope of it because they lacked necessities, and especially water. The Jews pursued them but could not get in with them; instead they sat down around the rampart, watching to stop any help that might get in to them and preventing any there who wanted to from running away. [q]

In this situation the Arabians sent envoys to Herod, first to propose terms of settlement, and afterward, so pressing was their thirst, to offer to submit to whatever he pleased, if he would free them from their present distress. But he would accept no envoys, no ransom, nor any other moderate terms at all, being very eager to avenge the wrongs they had done his nation. So they were forced by other motives, and especially by their thirst, to come out and give themselves up to him to be led away and bound; and in five days four thousand were taken prisoner. On the sixth day all the rest resolved to make a sally against their enemies and fight it out with them, preferring, if it must be so, to die in the attempt rather than perish gradually and ingloriously. Having made this resolution, they came out of their entrenchments; but they could not hold out in the fight at all, being too disabled in both mind and body and having no room to exert themselves, and they thought it an advantage to be killed and a misery to survive. So at the first onset about seven thousand of them fell. After this blow they let all the courage they had put on fall away, and stood amazed at Herod’s generalship in the midst of their own calamities. So from then on they yielded and declared him protector of their nation. He was greatly elated at so timely a success, and returned home having won added prestige by so bold and glorious an expedition. [r]