t was held by
Antigonus's sister. However, he was cunningly hindered from partaking of
the hazards that Antony went through by Cleopatra; for since, as we
have already noted, she had laid a plot against the kings [of Judea
and Arabia], she prevailed with Antony to commit the war against the
Arabians to Herod; that so, if he got the better, she might become
mistress of Arabia, or, if he were worsted, of Judea; and that she might
destroy one of those kings by the other.

2. However, this contrivance tended to the advantage of Herod; for at
the very first he took hostages from the enemy, and got together a great
body of horse, and ordered them to march against them about Diespous;
and he conquered that army, although it fought resolutely against him.
After which defeat, the Arabians were in great motion, and assembled
themselves together at Kanatha, a city of Celesyria, in vast multitudes,
and waited for the Jews. And when Herod was come thither, he tried to
manage this war with particular prudence, and gave orders that they
should build a wall about their camp; yet did not the multitude comply
with those orders, but were so emboldened by their foregoing victory,
that they presently attacked the Arabians, and beat them at the first
onset, and then pursued them; yet were there snares laid for Herod in
that pursuit; while Athenio, who was one of Cleopatra's generals, and
always an antagonist to Herod, sent out of Kanatha the men of that
country against him; for, upon this fresh onset, the Arabians took
courage, and returned back, and both joined their numerous forces about
stony places, that were hard to be gone over, and there put Herod's men
to the rout, and made a great slaughter of them; but those that escaped
out of the battle fled to Ormiza, where the Arabians surrounded their
camp, and took it, with all the men in it. 3. In a little time after
this calamity, Herod came to bring them succors; but he came too late.
Now the occasion of that blow was this, that the officers would not obey
orders; for had not the fight begun so suddenly, Athenio had not found
a proper season for the snares he laid for Herod: however, he was even
with the Arabians afterward, and overran their country, and did them
more harm than their single victory could compensate. But as he
was avenging himself on his enemies, there fell upon him another
providential calamity; for in the seventh [29] year of his reign, when
the war about Actium was at th