interposed himself, and raised the siege. This Scaurus was sent
into Syria from Armenia by Pompey the Great, when he fought
against Tigranes; so Scaurus came to Damascus, which had been
lately taken by Metellus and Lollius, and caused them to leave
the place; and, upon his hearing how the affairs of Judea stood,
he made haste thither as to a certain booty.

3. As soon, therefore, as he was come into the country, there
came ambassadors from both the brothers, each of them desiring
his assistance; but Aristobulus's three hundred talents had more
weight with him than the justice of the cause; which sum, when
Scaurus had received, he sent a herald to Hyrcanus and the
Arabians, and threatened them with the resentment of the Romans
and of Pompey, unless they would raise the siege. So Aretas was
terrified, and retired out of Judea to Philadelphia, as did
Scaurus return to Damascus again; nor was Aristobulus satisfied
with escaping [out of his brother's hands,] but gathered all his
forces together, and pursued his enemies, and fought them at a
place called Papyron, and slew about six thousand of them, and,
together with them Antipater's brother Phalion.

4. When Hyrcanus and Antipater were thus deprived of their hopes
from the Arabians, they transferred the same to their
adversaries; and because Pompey had passed through Syria, and was
come to Damascus, they fled to him for assistance; and, without
any bribes, they made the same equitable pleas that they had
used to Aretas, and besought him to hate the violent behavior of
Aristobulus, and to bestow the kingdom on him to whom it justly
belonged, both on account of his good character and on account of
his superiority in age. However, neither was Aristobulus wanting