CASSIUS, firnamed Longinus, was Quæstor to Crassus in Syria, while this General was upon the famous Expedition against the Parthians. Crassus having been defeated, and put to death, Cassius gathered up the broken remains of the Roman Army, and drove the Parthians out of Syria, into which Province they had marched as far as Antioch. From thence he went to Tyre; and after he had put affairs on this side in order, he proceeded towards Judæa1, and laid siege to Tarichæa upon the Lake of Genesareth, in which place Philolaus had shut himself up with the remains of Aristobulus’s Faction, whose Party he had of late embraced. Cassius carried the Town, and made Slaves of all the Persons whom he found in it, excepting Philolaus, whom he ordared to be executed, by the advice of Antipater, as the most certain means of destroying Aristobulus’s Faction. He afterwards obliged Alexander the Son of this last named person to sue for Peace, which he granted him, and marched towards the Banks of the Euphrates against the Parthians, who threatned an Invasion.
After the murder of Julius Cæsar committed by Brutus and Cassius, these two Heads of the Conspirators resolved to restore the Liberty of the Commonwealth. Cassius went into Syria, where he was in great esteem, and soon saw himself at the head of eight Legions. He afterwards marched into Phœnicia and Judæa, and secured both without much trouble2. While he was there, four Legions passed through Palestine, sent by Cleopatra Queen of Egypt, to the assistance of Dolabella, who was of the Party opposite to Cassius. The latter hem’d them in with his Troops, engaged them to come over to his party, and by this means encreased his Army to twelve Legions.
To support these Troops, he was obliged to levy large Sums upon the Province. Judæa for its share was taxed In the year of the World 3961.at seven hundred Talents. Antipater had the care of seeing this Sum levied speedily by his two Sons Phasael and Herod, together with one Malichus and others, to whom he assigned particular divisions. Herod was the first who brought his part, which procured him the favour of Cassius.
The Cities of Gophna, Emmaus, Lydda, Thamna, and some others not having furnished their Contingents in proper time, Cassius ordered all the Inhabitants to be sold by Auction, to raise the Sums which were to be supplied by them; and Malichus thought he should be made to answer with his Head for the neglect with which he had acquitted himself of his Commission. Hircanus rescued him from this danger, by sending an hundred Talents to Cassius out of his own Purse. The rest of Cassius’s History has no relation to the Scripture, nor the affairs of the Jews. He was defeated with Brutus at Philippi in Macedonia, and constrained to kill himself in the year of the World 3963, before Jesus Christ 37, before the vulgar Æra 40.
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