ed no more than
120,000. An attempt which he made to enlist in his service a body of
Scythian mercenaries failed, the Scyths being willing to lend their aid,
but arriving too late to be of any use. At the same time a defection of
the subject princes deprived the Parthian monarch of contingents which
usually swelled his numbers, and threw him upon the support of his own
countrymen, chiefly or solely. Under these circumstances it is more
surprising that he was able to collect 120,000 men than that he did not
bring into the field a larger number.

The Syrian troops, magnificently appointed and supported by a body of
Jews under John Hyrcanus, advanced upon Babylon, receiving on their
way the adhesion of many of the Parthian tributaries, who professed
themselves disgusted by the arrogance and pride of their masters.
Phraates, on his part, advanced to meet his enemies, and in person or
by his generals engaged Antiochus in three battles, but without success.
Antiochus was three times a conqueror. In a battle fought upon the
river Lycus (Zab) in further Assyria he defeated the Parthian general,
Indates, and raised a trophy in honor of his victory. The exact scene
of the other combats is unknown, but they were probably in the same
neighborhood. The result of them was the conquest of Babylonia, and the
general revolt of the remaining Parthian provinces, which followed the
common practice of deserting a falling house, and drew off or declared
for the enemy.

Under these circumstances Phraates, considering that the time was come
when it was necessary for him to submit or to create a diversion by
raising troubles in the enemy's territory, released Demetrius from his
confinement, and sent him, supported by a body of Parthian troops, to
reclaim his kingdom. He thought it probable that Antiochus, when the
intelligence reached him, would retrace his steps, and return from
Babylon to his own capital. At any rate his efforts would be distracted;
he would be able to draw fewer reinforcements from home; and he would be
less inclined to proceed to any great distance from his own country.

Antiochus, however, was either uninformed of the impending danger or did
not regard it as very pressing. The winter was approaching; and, instead
of withdrawing his troops from the occupied provinces and marching
them back into Syria, he resolved to keep them where they were, merely
dividing them, on account of their numbers, among the various cities
whi