as going forward of the beautiful
temple at the city, afterwards named by the Romans Contra-Latopolis, on
the other side of the Nile from Latopolis or Esne. Little now remains
of it but its massive portico, upheld by two rows of four columns each,
having the globe with outstretched wings carved on the overhanging
eaves. The earliest names found among the hieroglyphics with which its
walls are covered are those of Cleopatra Cocce and her son, Ptolemy
Soter, while the latest name is that of the Emperor Commodus. Even under
Cleopatra Cocce, who was nearly the worst of the family, the building of
these great temples did not cease.

The two sons were so far puppets in the hands of their clever mother,
that on the recall of Alexander no change was seen in the government
beyond that of the names which were placed at the head of the public
acts. The former year was called the tenth of Cleopatra and Ptolemy
Soter, and this year was called the eleventh of Cleopatra and eighth of
Ptolemy Alexander; as Alexander counted his years from the time when he
was sent with the title of king to Cyprus. As he was, like his brother,
under the guidance of his mother, he was like him in the hieroglyphical
inscriptions called _mother-loving_.

While the kingdoms of Egypt and Syria were alike weakened by civil wars
and by the vices of their kings, Judaea, as we have seen, had risen
under the wise government of the Maccabees to the rank of an independent
state; and latterly Aristobulus, the eldest son of Hyr-canus, and
afterwards Alexander Jannseus, his second son, had made themselves
kings. But Gaza, Ptolemais, and some other cities, bravely refused to
part with their liberty, and sent to Lathyrus, then King of Cyprus, for
help. This was not, however, done without many misgivings; for some were
wise enough to see that, if Lathyrus helped them, Cleopatra would, on
the other hand, help their king, Jannasus; and when Lathyrus landed at
Sicaminos with thirty thousand men, the citizens of Ptolemais refused
even to listen to a message from him.

The city of Gaza then eagerly sent for the help which the city of
Ptolemais refused. Lathyrus drove back Jannasus, and marched upon
Asochis, a city of Galilee, where he scaled the walls on the Sabbath
Day, and took ten thousand prisoners and a large booty. He then sat down
before the city of Saphoris, but left it on hearing that Jannasus was
marching against him on the other side of the Jordan, at the head of