Aretas (king of Arabia)
Also known as: Aretas · Family: Arabian · Role: king of Arabia · First appears: Book I, Chapter 6
In Book I, Chapter 6, Aretas received Hyrcanus at Petra after Antipater brought him there by night. Persuaded by Antipater and his gifts, he supplied an army to restore Hyrcanus to his kingdom, then opposed Aristobulus with a force of fifty thousand footmen and horsemen. Scaurus intervened at Jerusalem, causing Aretas to withdraw and allowing Aristobulus to escape capture.
In Book I, Chapter 8, Aretas paid Scaurus three hundred talents to buy peace and end the campaign in Arabia. He also became a friend of Antipater through marriage to Antipater’s relation. By Chapter 29, Aretas was in a great contest with Sylleus, his own subject. In Book II, Chapter 5, he brought a large army against Herod out of hatred for him, but Varus dismissed Aretas and the Arabians after they pursued the war according to their own interests and harmed the country.
Relationship record
Life events
- Antipater took Hyrcanus to Aretas, who supplied an army to restore him to the kingdom.(Book I, Chapter 6 · 📍 Petra)
- With: Hyrcanus (unresolved ch006) Antipater (unresolved ch006)
- “he took Hyrcanus by night, and ran away from the city, and, continuing his flight with great swiftness, he escaped to the place called Petra, which is the royal seat of the king of Arabia, where he put Hyrcanus into Aretas's hand; and by discoursing much with him, and gaining upon him with many presents, he prevailed with him to give him an army that might restore him to his kingdom.”
- Scaurus threatened the besiegers, causing Aretas to withdraw and Aristobulus to escape capture.(Book I, Chapter 6 · 📍 Jerusalem)
- With: Scaurus Aristobulus (unresolved ch006)
- “Aristobulus was not able to make resistance, but was deserted in his first onset, and was driven to Jerusalem; he also had been taken at first by force, if Scaurus, the Roman general, had not come and seasonably interposed himself, and raised the siege.”
- Aretas paid Scaurus three hundred talents, ending the campaign in Arabia.(Book I, Chapter 8 · 📍 Arabia)
- Varus dismissed Aretas and his Arabians after they pursued their own hostile agenda.(Book II, Chapter 5)
- With: Varus
- “he sent them away, but made haste, with his own legions, to march against those that had revolted”
Book I, Chapter 6
- protégé: Hyrcanus (unresolved ch006) “he prevailed with him to give him an army that might restore him to his kingdom”
- enemies with Aristobulus (unresolved ch006) “This army consisted of fifty thousand footmen and horsemen, against which Aristobulus was not able to make resistance”
- with Antipater (unresolved ch006) (interaction) “by discoursing much with him, and gaining upon him with many presents, he prevailed with him to give him an army”
- with Hyrcanus (unresolved ch006) (Aretas provided military support for Hyrcanus.) “he prevailed with him to give him an army that might restore him to his kingdom”
Book I, Chapter 8
- with Scaurus (Scaurus negotiated a payment for peace with Aretas.) “whom also Scaurus sent to Aretas, as one well acquainted with him, to induce him to pay him money to buy his peace. The king of Arabia complied with the proposal, and gave him three hundred talents;”
- friends with Antipater (Antipater became a close friend of the king of Arabia, identified earlier as Aretas.) “so did he contract the greatest friendship with the king of Arabia, by marrying his relation;”
- with Antipater (Antipater was well acquainted with Aretas.) “whom also Scaurus sent to Aretas, as one well acquainted with him”
Book I, Chapter 29
- enemies with Sylleus “This Sylleus had also a great contest with Aretas his own king;”
- rivals with Sylleus (Sylleus was in conflict with Aretas) “This Sylleus had also a great contest with Aretas his own king”
Book II, Chapter 5
- enemies with Herod (son of Antipater and Cypros) “as well as Aretas the Arabian, [who, out of the hatred he bore to Herod, brought a great army of horse and foot,]”
- with Varus (Aretas's Arabian forces served as auxiliaries in Varus's campaign, but Varus later dismissed them.) “when he found that the Arabians did not act like auxiliaries, but managed the war according to their own passions, and did mischief to the country otherwise than he intended, and this out of their hatred to Herod, he sent them away”
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Extracted from the original text of The Wars of the Jews; Or, The History of the Destruction of Jerusalem. Made with Rho MD.