Commentary on Daniel, Chapter 11 · Questions · Question 24
Quest. 24. Of the third battell betweene the king of the South, and the king of the North, v. 10. 11. 12.
This battell is described in three parts. 1. the preparation made by the king of the North, and their diuerse attempts, v. 10. 2. the resistance made by the king of the South, with his good successe, v. 11. 3. the euents, that followed vponupon this victorie, v. 12.
1. The attempts made, are either ioyntly by the two sonnes of Seleucus Callinicus, namely Seleucus Ceraunus, and Antiochus surnamed Megas the great: in these words, his sonnes shall be stirred vp, and shall assemble a mightie great armie; or seuerally, by Antiochus Megas onelyonly in the latter part of the verse.
First, Ceraunus and Megas ioyning together, partly to reuenge their father Callinicus, and their grandmother Laodices death, partly in hope to recouer Syria, out of Ptolome Philopators hand, who succeeded Euergetes, whom some thinke he killed, and therefore was called Philopator, that is, a louer of his father, by the contrarie: they first set vponupon Ptolomies captaines, which held Syria for Philopator: But Cerannus passing ouer the mount Taurus, to goe against Attalus, who possessed the countrey beyond Taurus, was slaine by the treason of Apaturius and Nicanor, in the 2. or 3. yeare of his raigne: of whom Acheus that went with Seleucus beeing his kinsman was presently reuenged, and put them to the sword, Polybius lib. 4. all this agreeth well with this prophecie, sauing that Polybius writeth that Acheus went in this battell with Seleucus, and that Antiochus the great liued as yet a priuate life, not medling at all, lib. 5. But it is euident by this prophesie, that both the sonnes of Callinicus ioyned together.
Now then Seleucus beeing dead, Antiochus Megas taketh vponupon him the kingdome, being then, as Polybius writeth, not aboue 15. yeare old: two of his expeditions are here described: the one in passing thor…gh in recouering Syria, and other parts of his owne countrey: the other in assaulting Ptolome at home, euen at his owne fortresse and munition cities in the borders of Egypt.
In the first expedition, Antiochus had two great lettes in his way, which he ouercame, first two brethren Molan and Alexander, contemning Antiochus youth, would hauehave vsurped all the countrey beyond Taurus: them first he ouercame: then he had to deale with Ptolomes captaines, which held Syria for him: but here Theodotus helped him, who reuolted from Philopator, both taking aduantage of his voluptuous and slouthfull life, and for that he had sustained some disgrace beeing called to Alexandria, where he was in daunger of his life: This Theodotus vponupon these occasions betraied Syria into Antiochus hands: And vponupon this aduantage he still proceeded, and recouered many cities and countreys, as Polybius sheweth at large, lib. 5.
Then sent Ptolome an embassage vntounto Antiochus, somewhat to stay him, vntill he might make himselfe strong: and Antiochus admitted some parle and treatise of peace: But there could be no agreement, for Ptolome challenged those countreys as belonging vntounto him by right of inheritance: Antiochus layd claime vntounto them by a former composition, made by Cassander, Seleucus, Ptolome, when they ouercame Antigonus, that Syria and Palestina should belong vntounto Seleucus: Thus they breaking off without any conclusion of peace, Antiochus goeth forward, and had diuerse conflicts with Nicolaus Philopators captaine both by Sea and land, and still preuailing he commeth euen vntounto the munition townes in the borders of Egypt, and pitcheth at Raphia, which was 4. dayes iourney from Pelusium, Hierom. Bulling Oecolamp Perer Iun Polan.
2. Now followeth the second part of the description, how Philopator beeing thus prouoked euen at his owne doores did come against Antiochus with a great armie, and encountred with him at Raphia and preuailed, as is shewed here, v. 11. more particularly thus is this storie reported by Polybius and Iustine. 1. Ptolome, while the treatise of peace was in hand, hired souldiers out of Grecia, and gathered together a great armie of 70. thousand footemen, and 5000. horsemen, and 73. elephants: Antiochus also came against him with an other great armie, of 62. thousand footemen, 6000. horsemen, elephants 102. 2. These armies meeting at Raphia, after certaine dayes ioyned battell: the fight was at the first doubtfull: for the right wing of Antiochus had the better, but the left wing the worse: But at last the victorie fell out vntounto Ptolome, but not without great slaughter of his mercenary men. 3. In the 3. booke of the Macchabes in the beginning an other circumstance is added, which furthered the fight on Ptolomes side: how Arsinoe Ptolomes sister, went vp and downe the campe as they were in fight, calling vponupon the souldiers, and encouraging them, promising to each man two pound of gold, if they got the victorie: But whether this were so or not, Ptolome obtained the victorie: and of Antiochus side there were 10. thousand footemen slaine, and 300. horsemen, 4000. taken prisoners, and 3. elephants were killed in the fight, and two afterward died of the wounds which they had in the battell: thus according to the text, the multitude was giuen into his hands.
3. The euents which followed this victorie are rehearsed to be three. 1. the insolenci… both of Ptolomes armie, called here the multitude: for he had as great an armie as Antiochus: and of Ptolome himselfe: who thinking it sufficient that he had gotten the victorie, was content, giuing himselfe to case and pleasure, to accept of conditions of peace, which Antiochus entreated of him: whereas, as Iustine writeth, spoliavisset regno Antiochum, si fortunam virtute iuvisset, he had spoiled Antiochus of his kingdome, if by his owne valour he had helped his good fortunes.
2. An other euent was, he shall cast downe: housands: which Hierome vnderstandeth of his former victorie: but it may better be referred to his cruell outrage practised vponupon the Iewes: for comming to Ierusalem he pressed to goe into the most holy place, but was gainesayed by the high Priest: yet he forcing to enter, was striken of God, and carried away halfe dead: whereupon he afterward returning to Alexandria, gaue forth verie cruell edicts against the Iewes, commanding many to be killed, others to be fettred and imprisoned, and some to be trampled vponupon vnderunder the camels feete, 3. Macchab. c. 7. Bulling. Melancth. Polan. And hereof Iosephus maketh mention, that betweene Antiochus Megas and Philopator, Iudea was as ship tossed to and fro of the waues, and went to wracke on both sides, lib. 12. c. 3.
3. The last euent is, he shal not preuaile, which was diuers waies effected: 1. for he neither preuailed against Antiochus, who escaped his hands, and held his kingdome still, Hierome, 2. And notwithstanding his rage against the people of God, the Lord defended them. 3. After this he gaue himselfe to all beastly pleasure: for he killed his wife and sister Euridice: he kept both a male concubine Agathocles, and Agathoclea his sister, Iustin. lib. 30. 4. And within fewe yeares he himselfe died, Melancthon.