at Lydda, in order to please
Antony. So the Romans laid their weapons aside, and lived in plenty of
all things.

4. But Herod was not pleased with lying still, but sent out his brother
Joseph against Idumea with two thousand armed footmen, and four hundred
horsemen, while he himself came to Samaria, and left his mother and his
other relations there, for they were already gone out of Masada,
and went into Galilee, to take certain places which were held by the
garrisons of Antigonus; and he passed on to Sepphoris, as God sent a
snow, while Antigonus's garrisons withdrew themselves, and had great
plenty of provisions. He also went thence, and resolved to destroy those
robbers that dwelt in the caves, and did much mischief in the country;
so he sent a troop of horsemen, and three companies of armed footmen,
against them. They were very near to a village called Arbela; and on
the fortieth day after, he came himself with his whole army: and as the
enemy sallied out boldly upon him, the left wing of his army gave
way; but he appearing with a body of men, put those to flight who were
already conquerors, and recalled his men that ran away. He also pressed
upon his enemies, and pursued them as far as the river Jordan, though
they ran away by different roads. So he brought over to him all Galilee,
excepting those that dwelt in the caves, and distributed money to every
one of his soldiers, giving them a hundred and fifty drachmae apiece,
and much more to their captains, and sent them into winter quarters;
at which time Silo came to him, and his commanders with him, because
Antigonus would not give them provisions any longer, for he supplied
them for no more than one month; nay, he had sent to all the country
about, and ordered them to carry off the provisions that were there,
and retire to the mountains, that the Romans might have no provisions to
live upon, and so might perish by famine. But Herod committed the care
of that matter to Pheroras, his youngest brother, and ordered him to
repair Alexandrium also. Accordingly, he quickly made the soldiers
abound with great plenty of provisions, and rebuilt Alexandrium, which
had been before desolate.

5. About this time it was that Antony continued some time at Athens, and
that Ventidius, who was now in Syria, sent for Silo, and commanded him
to assist Herod, in the first place, to finish the present war, and then
to send for their confederates for the war they were themselves engaged