A Dictionary of Greek and Roman biography and mythology. By various writers. Ed. by William Smith. Illustrated by numerous engravings on wood.

544 ItYRCAN US. IIYRIEUS.
duoas siege, that Pompey was able to make him- Mhis rather (ana brother, that he was'induced to doself master of the city, B. C. 63. sist from the enterprise. The feeble and spiritless
After his victory, the conqueror reinstated Hyr- character of Hyrcanus was still more strongly discanus in the high-priesthood, with the authority, played shortly after, when he acquiesced first in the
though not the name, of royalty. (Joseph. Ant. assassination of Antipater, who was poisoned by
xiii. 16, xiv. 1-4, B. J. i. 5-7; Dion Cass. Malichus, and again in the vengeance exacted for
xxxvii. 15, 16; Diod. xl. Exo. Vat. p. 128.; Oros. his death by Herod, who caused Malichus to be
vi. 6.; Euseb. Arm. p. 94.) assassinated almost before the eyes of Hyrcanus.
Hyrcanus, though supported by the powerful aid (Joseph. Ant. xiv. 5-9, 11, B. J. i. 8-11.)
of Rome, and the abilities of Antipater, did not From this time forth Hyrcanus bestowed upon
long enjoy his newly recovered sovereignty in the youthful Herod the same favour, and conceded
quiet: Alexander, one of the sons of Aristobulus, to him the same unlimited influence that had been
who had been carried prisoner to Rome by Pom- enjoyed by his father, Antipater: he also bepey, made his escape from captivity, and quickly trothed to the young prince his grand-daughter,
excited a revolt in Judaea, which Hyrcanus was the beautiful Mariamne.
unable to suppress, until he called in the assistance When the battle of Philippi (B. c. 42) had
of Gabinius, the proconsul of Syria. By his aid, rendered M. Antony supreme arbiter of the affairs
Alexander was defeated, and compelled to submit of the East, both Hyrcanus and Herod hastened
(B. c. 56): but the next year a fresh insurrection to pay their court to him, and obtained from
was excited by Aristobulus himself, who had also him the confirmation of their power. It was not
made his escape from Rome: and though this long, however, before this was suddenly overthrown
was again put down by Gabinius and his lieu- from an unexpected quarter. Pacorus, the son of
tenant, M. Antony, and Aristobulus a second time the Parthian king Orodes I., had invaded Syria
made prisoner, yet as soon as the arms of the with a mighty army (B.C. 40), and overrun a
proconsul were occupied in an expedition to great part of that province, when Antigonus, the
Egypt, Alexander once more assembled a large surviving son of Aristobulus, applied to him for
army, and invaded Judaea. Nor were the Jewish aid in recovering his father's throne. Neither
governors able to oppose his progress: but on the Hyrcanus nor the sons of Antipater were able to
return of Gabinius from Egypt, he was quickly de- oppose the force sent by the Parthian prince against
feated and put to flight. Previous to this, the Ro- Jerusalem, and they took refuge in the fortress of
man general had changed the form of the govern- Baris, from whence Hyrcanus and PhasaKl were
ment of Judaea, and deprived the high-priest of soon after decoyed under pretence of negotiation,
the supreme authority, which he transferred to and made prisoners by the faithless barbarians.
five provincial councils or sanhedrims. Antipater, Hyrcanus had his ears cut off, by order of Arishowever, appears to have maintained his former tobulus, in order for ever to incapacitate him from
power and influence; but neither he nor Hyrcanus resuming the high-priesthood, and was then sent a
were able to prevent the plunder of the temple and prisoner to Seleuceia, on the Tigris. Here, howits sacred treasures by Crassus, who succeeded ever, he was treated with much liberality by the
Gabinius in the command of Syria. On the break- Parthian king, and allowed to live in perfect freeing out of the civil war between Pompey and dom at Babylon, where the oriental Jews received
Caesar (B. C. 49), the latter at first sought to him with the utmost distinction, and where he led
effect a diversion against his rival in the East, by a life of dignified repose for some years. But
inducing Aristobulus to set up anew his claim to when he at length received an invitation from
the throne of Judaea: but Hyrcanus was saved Herod, who had meanwhile established himself
from this threatened danger, for Aristobulus was firmly on the throne of Judaea, and married his
poisoned by the partizans of Pompey, and his son, betrothed Mariamne, the old man could not resist
Alexander, put to death by Scipio at Antioch. his desire to return to Jerusalem, and having obAfter the battle of Pharsalia, Hyrcanus, or rather tained the consent of the Parthian king, he reAntipater in his name, rendered such important paired to the court of Herod. He was received
*services to Caesar during the Alexandrian war with every demonstration of respect by that mon(B. c. 47), that the dictator, on his return from arch, to whom he could no longer be an object of
Egypt, settled the affairs of Judaea entirely in ac- apprehension, nor does it appear that any change
cordance with their wishes, re-established the mon- took place in the conduct of Herod towards him,
archical form of government, and restored Hyr- until after the battle of Actium, when the king
canus to the sovereign power, though with the who was naturally suspicious of the disposition of
-title only of high-priest, while Antipater, under Augustus towards himself, deemed it prudent to
the name of procurator of Judaea, possessed all remove the only person whose claim to the throne
the real authority. A striking proof of this oc- might appear preferable to his own. It is not un-'curred sooq after: Herod,. the younger son of An- likely that the feeble old man, who was now above
tipater, whom he had made governor of Gali- eighty years of age, might really have been inlee, being accused of having committed needless duced to tamper in the intrigues of his daughter
severities in the administration of his province, Alexandra; but whether true or false, a charge was
Hyrcanus was induced to bring him to trial before brought against him of a treasonable correspondthe sanhedrim: but as soon as he saw that the ence with Malchus, king of Arabia, and on this
adverse party were disposed to condemn him, he pretext he was put to death, B. C. 30. (Joseph.
gave private warning to him to withdraw from Ant. xiv. 12, 13, xv. 2, 6, B. J. i. 12, 13, 22 -
Jerusalem. The young prince complied, but hav- Dion Cass. xlviii. 26.) [E. H. B.]
ing soon after obtained by the favour of Sextus HYRIEUS ('TpLev's), a son of Poseidon and
Caesar the government of Coele-Syria, he ad- Alcyone, was king of Hyria in Boeotia, and marvanced against Jerusalem at the head of an army; ried to the nymph Clonia, by whom he became the
-and it was only by the prayers and entreaties of father of Nycteus, Lycus, and Orion. (Apollod.