, he was very much
displeased to find that Anileus had first begun to injure him, and to
affront him in his present dignity, when he had not offered any injury
to him beforehand; and he got together the greatest body of horsemen he
was able, and those out of that number which were of an age fit for war,
and came to fight Anileus; and when he was arrived at a certain village
of his own, he lay still there, as intending to fight him on the day
following, because it was the sabbath, the day on which the Jews rest.
And when Anileus was informed of this by a Syrian stranger of another
village, who not only gave him an exact account of other circumstances,
but told him where Mithridates would have a feast, he took his supper at
a proper time, and marched by night, with an intent of falling upon the
Parthians while they were unapprised what they should do; so he fell
upon them about the fourth watch of the night, and some of them he
slew while they were asleep, and others he put to flight, and took
Mithridates alive, and set him naked upon an ass [37] which, among the
Parthians, is esteemed the greatest reproach possible. And when he had
brought him into a wood with such a resolution, and his friends desired
him to kill Mithridates, he soon told them his own mind to the contrary,
and said that it was not right to kill a man who was of one of the
principal families among the Parthians, and greatly honored with
matching into the royal family; that so far as they had hitherto gone
was tolerable; for although they had injured Mithridates, yet if they
preserved his life, this benefit would be remembered by him to the
advantage of those that gave it him; but that if he were once put to
death, the king would not be at rest till he had made a great slaughter
of the Jews that dwelt at Babylon; "to whose safety we ought to have
a regard, both on account of our relation to them, and because if any
misfortune befall us, we have no other place to retire to, since he hath
gotten the flower of their youth under him." By this thought, and this
speech of his made in council, he persuaded them to act accordingly; so
Mithridates was let go. But when he was got away, his wife reproached
him, that although he was son-in-law to the king, he neglected to avenge
himself on those that had injured him, while he took no care about it,
but was contented to have been made a captive by the Jews, and to have
escaped them; and she bid him either to go back lik