After the death of Mithridates all portions of his dominions, except a few, were subjugated.  Garrisons which at that date were still holding a few fortifications outside of Bosporus, did not immediately come to terms,—­not so much because they were minded to resist him as because they were afraid that some persons might confiscate beforehand the money which they were guarding and lay the blame upon them:  hence they waited, wishing to exhibit everything to Pompey himself.[-15-] When, then, the regions in that quarter had been subdued, and Phraates remained quiet, while Syria and Phoenicia were in a state of calm, the conqueror turned against Aretas.  The latter was king of the Arabians, now slaves to the Romans as far as the Red Sea.  Previously he had done the greatest injury to Syria and had on this account become involved in a battle with the Romans who were defending it:  he was defeated by them, but nevertheless continued hostile at that time.  Upon him and his neighbors Pompey made a descent, overcame them without effort, and handed them over to a garrison.  Thence he proceeded against Palestine, in Syria, because its inhabitants were harming Phoenicia.  Their rulers were two brothers, Hyrcanus and Aristobulus, who[18] were themselves quarreling, as it chanced, and stirring up the cities concerning the priesthood (for so they called their kingdom) of their God, whoever he is.

Pompey immediately brought to his side without a battle Hyrcanus, who had no force worthy of note, and by confining Aristobulus in a certain spot compelled him to come to terms.  And when he would surrender neither money nor garrison,[19] Pompey threw him into prison.  After this he more easily overcame the rest, but in the siege of Jerusalem found trouble. [-16-]Most of the city he took without exertion, as he was received by the party of Hyrcanus, but the temple itself, which the others had occupied in advance, he did not capture without labor.  It was on high ground and strengthened by its own defences, and if they had continued defending it on all days alike, he could not have got possession of it.  As it was, they made an exception of what were called the days of Saturn,[20] and by doing no work at all on them offered the Romans an opportunity in this vacant interval to batter down the wall.  The latter on learning this superstition of theirs, made no serious attempt the rest of the time, but on those days, when they came around in succession, assaulted most vigorously.  Thus the holders were captured on the day of Saturn, making no defence, and all the money was plundered.  The kingdom was given to Hyrcanus, and Aristobulus was carried back to Rome.