I. History. — The foundations of Rome lie in an ob- scuritj' from which the criticism of Niebuhr has done little more than remove the legendary charm. Three tribes, however, according to the oldest account, formed the earliest population — namely, the Ramnenses (prob- ably Romanenses, still further abbreviated into Ram- iies"). the Titienses (shortened into Titles, from Titus Tatius, their head), and the Luceres (probably an Etrus- can horde, who migrated to Rome from Solonium, under Lucumo). In order to increase his population, and with a view to that conquest which he afterwards achieved, and which was only a small prelude to the immense do- minion subsequently acquired, Romulus opened in Rome an asylum, inviting thereto those who, for whatever cause, fled from the neighboring cities. To Rome ac- cordingl}' there flocked the discontented, the guilty, the banished, and the aspiring, freemen and slaves. Thus were laid the foundations of the future mistress of the world, according to the ordinary reckoning, B.C. 753, the number of inhabitants at the first not exceeding, it is supposed, four thousand souls. What it arose to in the period of its greatest extent we have not the means of ascertaining. (See below.)
Though the date of the foundation of Rome coin- cides nearly with the beginning of the reign of Pekah in Israel, it was not till the beginning of the 2d century B.C. that the Romans had leisure to interfere in the af- fairs of the East. When, however, the power of Car- thage had been eifectually broken at Zama, B.C. 20"2, Roman arms and intrigues soon made themselves felt throughout Macedonia, Greece, and Asia Minor. The first historic mention of Rome in the Bible is 1 Mace, i, 10, where it is stated that there arose "a wicked-root, Antiochus, surnamed Epiphanes, son of Antiochus the king, who had been an hostage at Rome." About the year B.C. 161, when Judas Maccabjeus heard of the de- feat of Philip, Perseus, and Antiochus, and of the great fame of the Romans, he sent an embassy to them to solicit an alliance, and to obtain protection against the Syrian government (1 Mace, viii, 1 sq. ; comp. 2 Mace. xi, 34 ; Josephus, A nt. xii, 10, 6 ; Justin, xxxvi, 3). The ambassadors were graciously received, and Demetrius was ordered to desist from harassing the Jews; but be- fore the answer arrived Judas was slain, having valiant- ly engaged the whole armv of Bacchides sent by Deme- trius into JudjBa (1 Mace, xi, 1-18; Josephus, A7}(. xii, 11, 1). In B.C. 143, Jonathan renewed the alliance with the Romans (1 Mace, xii, 1-4, 16; Josephus, Ant. xiii, 5, 8), the embassy being admitted before the senate (to jiovXtvriiptor}, and on his death, the same year, his brother Simon, who succeeded him, sent also to Rome to again seek a renewal of friendship. The Romans readily acceded to his request, and the valiant deeds of Simon and his predecessors were engraved on tables of brass. Shortly afterwards, Simon sent Numenius to Rome with a great shield of gold, of a thousand pounds' weight, to contirm the league with them. The senate at once consented to its re-establishment, and recog- nised him as high-priest and prince of Jud.-ea. The tables of brass on which the league was written were set up in the Temple (1 Mace, xiv, 17 sq.; Josephus, A nt. xiii, 7, 3). Lucius, the consul of the Romans, wrote to several kings and nations requesting them to assist the Jews (1 Mace, xv, 16-23). Sec Lucirs. Hyrcanus, the successor of Maccaboeus, again sent (in B.C. 129) an em- bassy to Rome, which was favorably received, confirm- ing the alliance already concluded (Josephus, ,!?i^ xiii, 9, 2). In the year B.d 66, Pompey arrived in the East to take command of the Roman armies, and sent his general, Scaurus, to Syria, While at Damascus, the
latter received an offer of 400 talents from Aristo- bulus and Hyrcanus, who were both fighting for the kingdom, each one wishing to be aided. Scaurus ac- cepted the offer of Aristobulus, and ordered Aretas, who was assisting Hyrcanus, to withdraw his forces, or he would be declared an enemy to the Romans {ibid. xiv, 2, 3). The following year Pompey came into Syria, and deprived Antiochus XIII (Asiaticus) of his kingdom, reducing it to a Roman province. Ambassa- dors were sent to Pompey from the rival princes, and in B.C. 64, when Pompey returned to Damascus from Asia Minor, their respective causes were heard by him. Notwithstanding the prejudices of the people in favot of Aristobulus, Pompey, perceiving the weakness of character and imbecility of Hyrcanus, seemed to in- cline towards the latter, knowing that it was better to have a weak man under the Roman control. He, how- ever, left the matter undecided, and Aristobulus, seeing that Ills case was lost, withdrew to make preparations for defence {ibid, xiv, 2, 3). Pompey then occupied himself in reducing the forces of Aretas, and after- wards marched against Aristobulus, who fled to Jeru- salem. Aristobulus, on his approach, met him, and of- fered him a large sum of money, and Pompey sent Ga- binius to receive it; but on his arrival at Jerusalem he found the gates closed. Aristobulus was then thrown into prison, and Pompey marched to Jerusalem. Hyr- canus opened the gates to him, while the party of Aris- tobulus, including the priests, shut themselves up in the Temple and withstood a siege of three mouths. Pom- pey, observing that the Jews did not work on the sev- enth day, gained material advantage, and at last took the place by assault, killing, according to Josephus, as many as 12,000 persons, even desecrating the Temple by entering the holy of holies (comp. Tacitus, Hist, v, 9), though he did not touch any of the treasures. Hyrca- nus was then appointed high-priest and governor of the country, but was forbidden to wear a diadem (comp. Josephus, Ant. xx, 10). Tribute was also exacted of him, and Pompey took Aristobulus and his two sons, Alexander and Antigonus, prisoners to Rome, whence they subsequently escaped {ibid, xiv, 3, 2; 4,2; 3,4; Wa?; i, 7, 6 ; Strabo, xvi, p. 763).