Commentary on Daniel, Chapter 11 · Questions · Question 28 – Question 29
28. Quest. Of Antiochus expedition against forren countries, v. 18.
Here is described first his attempt, with his successe; then the euent which followed.
1. Antiochus beeing disappointed of his hope for Egypt, both because his daughter had deceiued him, and Epiphanes was in league with the Romanes, then he set his minde to inuade other countries, which are here called the Isles, because they were diuided from him by Sea: as Hellespontus, Chersonesus, Euboea: then he stroke ouer into Europe, and tooke diuers Islands, Rhodes, Cyprus, Samos, Colophon: and so did bidde as it were open battell vntounto the Romanes: which he before intending, thought to make himselfe strong, by a new alliance with forren Princes: for as he had married his daughter Cleopatra to Epiphanes king of Egypt, so he gaue in marriage his daughter Antiochis to Ariaratus king of Cappadocia: and a third daughter he offered vntounto Eumenes king of Pergamus, but he refused, because of the warres which he had with the Romanes. Appian.
2. The euent followeth: that in the ende Antiochus was foiled by the Romanes, and the shame returned vponupon his owne head: but first the words of the text must be opened, and then the sense considered.
1. The words are diuersly read: 1. the vulgar Latin readeth thus, he shall cause the Prince of his shame to cease: which Lyranus expoundeth of himselfe, namely, Antiochus: but he misliketh this sense, because Antiochus rather still encreased his owne s…ame, he caused it not to cease. 2. Then he giueth an other interpretation, a Prince or Lord shall bring his shame vponupon him, that is God, whome he had blasphemed, shall bring him to shame. Pererius reiecteth this sense, because it is not found, that this Antiochus blasphemed God: wherein he is deceiued: for the contrarie is euident, that Antiochus, when all things went crosse against him, accused God, as though he were his enemie, Polan. but the word katin signifieth a leader, or gouerner, which is not so fitly referred vntounto God. 3. Theodoret readeth in the (plural) he shall cause the Princes of his shame to cease, that is, shall vanquish diuers Princes, and put them to shame: but the word is put in the singular. 4. Some applie it to Epiphanes king of Egypt, who by his captaine Scopas had put Antiochus to shame, in taking certaine cities from him: gloss. interlin. Hug. Card. and Pererius misliketh not this exposition: But the truth is, that Antiochus put Scopas to shame, causing him to yeeld himselfe. 5. The words then, are thus to be read, a Prince or captaine shal…ause his shame to cease, beside that he shall cause his shame to returne vponupon him, Polan. that is, the shame which he offered to others shall returne vponupon himselfe.
Now for the meaning of the words, two things are declared. 1. the Prince or captaine shall cause his shame to cease. 2. then it shall returne vponupon his owne head. 1. First, his contumelious and opprobrious words, and acts, spoken and done against the Romanes, ceased, when first he was ouercome by Marcus Attilius Glabrio the Romane captaine, afterward by L. Scipio Nasica (accompanied with Publius Scipio Africanus his brother) by Sea: After this foyle Antiochus, beeing not ruled by Hannibals counsell, who was with him, who gaue him aduise to remooue his forces into Italie, and to occupie the Romanes at home at their owne doores, was in such feare of the Romanes, that he fled from Chersonesus, leauing all the furniture and prouision of his owne behind, which the Romanes surprised: then he sent Embassadours vntounto the Scipios, offering to beare halfe the charges of their battell, and to relinquish all the cities which he had taken in Ionia, and Aeolia: but they made answer that they would hauehave all the charges of that expedition, which he had beene cause of, and he must surrender all the countrey on this side the mount Taurus: But Antiochus refusing these hard conditions, encountred with the Romanes againe, who had not aboue 30. thousand men, and he 70. thousand, in which battell he was discomfited, and lost 50. thousand men, and all his Elephants, sauing 15. which were taken aliue: and thus his proud spirit was abated, and his contumelies offered vntounto the Romanes in word and deede, were at an ende.
2. Then last of all his shame was brought vponupon his owne head: for vponupon a second embassage he was forced to accept of most hard conditions. 1. that he should leaue all Asia on this side Taurus. 2. he should pay in present money fifteene hundred talents for the charges of the warre. 3. he should deliuer vp all his Elephants, and shippes so many as they should require: and should be stinted afterward for the number of his shippes. 4. he should pay yearely 12. thousand talents for tribute for 12. yeares. 5. and giuegive 20. hostages, whereof one should be his sonne, for the performance of these conditions: all which he vndertooke: and thus his owne shame returned vponupon him: and further in disdaine, whereas he was called before, Antiochus the great, it grew into a byword among the Romanes, Antiochus sometime the great king. ex Livio decad. 4. l. 8. and App. in Syriac.
29. Quest. Of the death of Antiochus the great, v. 19.
Two things are here declared, his shamefull flight, and his shamefull ende.
1. After that he had receiued the last great ouerthrow, with the losse of so many men, he fled away incontinently, and about midnight came to Sardis: thence to Apamea, from whence he sent Embassadors, which concluded the former peace with the Romanes vponupon those hard conditions. Then he betooke himselfe to the remote parts of his kingdome, to his munitions and holds, beeing in such feare, as that he durst not endure the sight of Cn. Manlius, who succeeded L. Scipio. Thus Antiochus was confined within Taurus: who in this disgrace, was wont to say iestingly, as Tullie reporteth in his oration pro Deiotaro, benigne sibi à Romanis factum, &c. he was beholding to the Romanes, who had eased him of the trouble of so great a kingdome, that he now contented himselfe with a lesse.
2. Now touching his ende, there are diuers opinions. 1. after that he had such an imposition of tribute laid vponupon him, partly through necessitie, and partly of a couetous minde, he went about … robbe a Temple of their treasure: Lyranus thinketh it was the Temple of Naneas among the Persians, where he entring into the Temple with his companie, were hewen in pieces: as the storie is set downe 2. Macchab. c. 1. and therefore it is said here, he was no more found, &c. because his bodie beeing thus mangled could not be knowne: But that storie rather sheweth the ende of Antiochus Epiphanes, this Antiochus sonne, as may appeare by comparing that place with 2. Macchab. c. 9. see more before c. 8. qu. 33. 2. Some following Iustine lib. 32. thinke, that he would hauehave inuaded the Temple of Iuppiter Dyndinaeus, or Dodonaeus: but he was farre off from that place, Bulling. 3. Hierome following Strabo, lib. 16. saith, that he with all his armie was slaine of the Elymeans, when he went about to robbe the Temple of Iuppiter Belus: so also Polan. and so it is said, he was no more found, because he was tumultuously killed of the rude people comming together to defend their Temple: Calvin. H. Br. in Daniel. and because he died in Persia, and returned not into his owne countrey. Osiand.