the public. But
she retained the younger, Aristobulus, with her as a private person, by
reason of the warmth of his temper.

2. And now the Pharisees joined themselves to her, to assist her in
the government. These are a certain sect of the Jews that appear more
religious than others, and seem to interpret the laws more accurately.
low Alexandra hearkened to them to an extraordinary degree, as being
herself a woman of great piety towards God. But these Pharisees artfully
insinuated themselves into her favor by little and little, and became
themselves the real administrators of the public affairs: they banished
and reduced whom they pleased; they bound and loosed [men] at their
pleasure; [4] and, to say all at once, they had the enjoyment of the
royal authority, whilst the expenses and the difficulties of it belonged
to Alexandra. She was a sagacious woman in the management of great
affairs, and intent always upon gathering soldiers together; so that she
increased the army the one half, and procured a great body of foreign
troops, till her own nation became not only very powerful at home, but
terrible also to foreign potentates, while she governed other people,
and the Pharisees governed her.

3. Accordingly, they themselves slew Diogenes, a person of figure,
and one that had been a friend to Alexander; and accused him as having
assisted the king with his advice, for crucifying the eight hundred men
[before mentioned.] They also prevailed with Alexandra to put to death
the rest of those who had irritated him against them. Now she was so
superstitious as to comply with their desires, and accordingly they slew
whom they pleased themselves. But the principal of those that were in
danger fled to Aristobulus, who persuaded his mother to spare the men on
account of their dignity, but to expel them out of the city, unless she
took them to be innocent; so they were suffered to go unpunished, and
were dispersed all over the country. But when Alexandra sent out her
army to Damascus, under pretense that Ptolemy was always oppressing
that city, she got possession of it; nor did it make any considerable
resistance. She also prevailed with Tigranes, king of Armenia, who
lay with his troops about Ptolemais, and besieged Cleopatra, [5] by
agreements and presents, to go away. Accordingly, Tigranes soon arose
from the siege, by reason of those domestic tumults which happened upon
Lucullus's expedition into Armenia.

4. In the mean time