[366]
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.
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