Meanwhile the Jews in the region of Cyrene had put one Andreas at their head and were destroying both the Romans and the Greeks. They would cook their flesh, make belts for themselves of their entrails, anoint themselves with their blood, and wear their skins for clothing. Many they sawed in two, from the head downwards. Others they would give to wild beasts and force still others to fight as gladiators. In all, consequently, two hundred and twenty thousand perished. In Egypt, also, they performed many similar deeds, and in Cyprus under the leadership of Artemio. There, likewise, two hundred and forty thousand perished. For this reason no Jew may set foot in that land, but even if one of them is driven upon the island by force of the wind, he is put to death. Various persons took part in subduing these Jews, one being Lusius, who was sent by Trajan.
A.D. 117 (a.u. 870)
33
Now Trajan was preparing to make a new expedition into Mesopotamia. Finding himself, however, held fast by the clutches of the disease, he started to sail to Italy himself and left behind Publius Aelius Hadrian with the army in Syria. So the Romans, who had conquered Armenia, most of Mesopotamia, and the Parthians, had labored in vain and had vainly undergone danger. The Parthians disdained Parthamaspates and began to have kings according to their original custom. Trajan suspected that his falling sick was due to the administration of poison. Some declare it was because his blood, which annually descended into the lower part of his body, was kept from flowing. He had also become paralyzed, so that part of his body was disabled, and his general diathesis was dropsical. And on coming to Selinus in Cilicia, which we also call Traianoupolis, he suddenly expired after a reign of nineteen years, six months, and fifteen days.
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Hadrian without being adopted succeeds, through the favor of Plotina (chapters [1], [2] ).
About the assassinations authorized by Hadrian: about his varied learning and jealousies (chapters [3], [4] ).
His virtues, particularly affability and generosity: old arrears of debt forgiven (chapters [5], [6], [7], [8] ).
Travels: discipline of the army reformed: interest in hunting (chapters [9], [10] ).
How he honored Antinous with various marks of remembrance (chapter [11] ).
Uprising of Jews on account of the founding of Capitolina: Bithynia recovered (chapters [12], [13], [14] ).
The Albanians are held in check: Pharasmanes the Iberian is honored (chapter [15] ).
The Temple of Jupiter Olympius and the Panellenium are consecrated (chapter [16] ).
Growing ill, he adopts Commodus, slays Servianus: the distinguished services of Turbo, Fronto, Similis (chapters [17], [18], [19] ).
On the death of Commodus he adopts Antoninus, the latter adopting at the same time Marcus and Verus (chapters [20], [21] ).
How Hadrian departed this life (chapters [22], [23] ).