72 George Dahl, 



himself, he made an expedition against Ptolemais ; and having con- 

 quered in a battle he shut up the men in the city, and sat round 

 about them and began a siege. For, of the cities on the coast, 

 there alone remained to be conquered by him Ptolemais and Gaza, 

 besides the tyrant Zoilus who held Strato's Tower and Dor. Now 

 inasmuch as Antiochus Philometer and his brother Antiochus, who 

 was called Cyzicenus, were waging war against one another and 

 destroying one another's armies, the people of Ptolemais could get 

 no aid from them. But when they were in distress on account of 

 the siege Zoilus, who possessed Strato's Tower and Dor and main- 

 tained a body of soldiers, and acted as tyrant because of the contest 

 between the kings, came and brought a little help to the people of 

 Ptolemais. Nor indeed were the kings so friendly disposed toward 

 them that they could hope for any succour from them. For both 

 were in the same predicament as wrestlers who, though they have 

 become deficient in strength, are yet ashamed to yield, and so con- 

 tinue lazily and prolong the contest by resting. Their sole remain- 

 ing hope was in the kings of Egypt, and from Ptolemy Lathyrus 

 who was holding Cyprus, and who came to Cyprus after being cast 

 out from his rule by his mother Cleopatra. The people of Ptole- 

 mais therefore sent to this man and besought him to deliver them, 

 endangered as they were, out of the hands of Alexander. And 

 since the ambassadors held forth hopes to him that when once 

 he had crossed over into Syria he would have the people of Gaza 

 joining with those of Ptolemais; and as they also said that Zoilus 

 and the Sidonians besides and many others would assist him; he 

 was elated and hurried the preparations for sailing." 



(The people of Ptolemais decide not to receive Ptolemy. He is 

 greatly concerned.) 



12:4. "But when both Zoilus and the people of Gaza came to 

 him and desired that he would be their ally because their country 

 was laid waste by the Jews and by Alexander — Alexander, being 

 afraid of Ptolemy, raised the siege. And having led away his 

 army into his own country, he used strategy afterward, by secretly 

 summoning Cleopatra to come against Ptolemy, but publicly pre- 

 tending friendship and a real alliance with him. And he agreed to 

 give four hundred talents of silver, desiring in return that he 

 should put Zoilus the tyrant out of the way and allot his country 

 to the Jews. And then indeed Ptolemy gladly made this league of 



