Babylonian satrapy. The experiment appeared at first to have
completely succeeded. Asinai governed the province with prudence
and zeal, and for fifteen years no complaint was made against his
administration. But at the end of this time the lawless temper, held in
restraint for so long, reasserted itself, not, indeed, in Asinai, but
in his brother. Anilai fell in love with the wife of a Parthian magnate,
commander (apparently) of the Parthian troops stationed in Babylonia,
and, seeing no other way of obtaining his wishes, made war upon the
chieftain and killed him. He then married the object of his affections,
and might perhaps have been content; but the Jews under Asinai's
government remonstrated against the idolatries which the Parthian woman
had introduced into a Jewish household, and prevailed on Asinai to
require that she should be divorced. His compliance with their wishes
proved fatal to him, for the woman, fearing the consequences, contrived
to poison Asinai; and the authority which he had wielded passed into the
hands of Anilai, without (so far as we hear) any fresh appointment from
the Parthian monarch. Anilai had, it appears, no instincts but those
of a freebooter, and he was no sooner settled in the government than he
proceeded to indulge them by attacking the territory of a neighboring
satrap, Mithridates, who was not only a Parthian of high rank, but had
married one of the daughters of Artabanus. Mithridates flew to arms to
defend his province; but Anilai fell upon his encampment in the night,
completely routed his troops, and took Mithridates himself prisoner.
Having subjected him to a gross indignity, he was nevertheless afraid to
put him to death, lest the Parthian king should avenge the slaughter
of his relative on the Jews of Babylon, Mithridates was consequently
released, and returned to his wife, who was so indignant at the insult
whereto he had been subjected that she left him no peace till he
collected a second army and resumed the war. Analai was no ways daunted.
Quitting his stronghold in the marshes, he led his troops a distance
of ten miles through a hot and dry plain to meet the enemy, thus
unnecessarily exhausting them, and exposing them to the attack of their
enemies under the most unfavorable circumstances. He was of course
defeated with loss; but he himself escaped and revenged himself by
carrying fire and sword over the lands of the Babylonians, who had
hitherto lived peaceably under his p