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[135]
Now the people of Antioch hated Demetrius, both on account of what
mischief he had himself done them, and because they were his enemies also
on account of his father Demetrius, who had greatly abused them; so they
watched some opportunity which they might lay hold on to fall upon him.
And when they were informed of the assistance that was coming to Demetrius
from Jonathan, and considered at the same time that he would raise a numerous
army, unless they prevented him, and seized upon him, they took their weapons
immediately, and encompassed his palace in the way of a siege, and seizing
upon all the ways of getting out, they sought to subdue their king. And
when he saw that the people of Antioch were become his bitter enemies and
that they were thus in arms, he took the mercenary soldiers which he had
with them, and those Jews who were sent by Jonathan, and assaulted the
Antiochians; but he was overpowered by them, for they were many ten thousands,
and was beaten. But when the Jews saw that the Antiochians were superior,
they went up to the top of the palace, and shot at them from thence; and
because they were so remote from them by their height, that they suffered
nothing on their side, but did great execution on the others, as fighting
from such an elevation, they drove them out of the adjoining houses, and
immediately set them on fire, whereupon the flame spread itself over the
whole city, and burnt it all down. This happened by reason of the closeness
of the houses, and because they were generally built of wood. So the Antioehians,
when they were not able to help themselves, nor to stop the fire, were
put to flight. And as the Jews leaped from the top of one house to the
top of another, and pursued them after that manner, it thence happened
that the pursuit was so very surprising. But when the king saw that the
Antiochians were were busy in saving their children and their wives, and
so did not fight any longer, he fell upon them in the narrow passages,
and fought them, and slew a great many of them, till at last they were
forced to throw down their arms, and to deliver themselves up to Demetrius.
So he forgave them this their insolent behavior, and put an end to the
sedition; and when he had given rewards to the Jews out of the rich spoils
he had gotten, and had returned them thanks, as the cause of his victory,
he sent them away to Jerusalem to Jonathan, with an ample testimony of
the assistance they had afforded him. Yet did he prove an ill man to Jonathan
afterward, and broke the promises he had made; and he threatened that he
would make war upon him, unless he would pay all that tribute which the
Jewish nation owed to the first kings [of Syria]. And this he had done,
if Trypho had not hindered him, and diverted his preparations against Jonathan
to a concern for his own preservation; for he now returned out of Arabia
into Syria, with the child Antiochus, for he was yet in age but a youth,
and put the diadem on his head; and as the whole forces that had left Demetrius,
because they had no pay, came to his assistance, he made war upon Demetrius,
and joining battle with him, overcame him in the fight, and took from him
both his elephants and the city Antioch.
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