308 STRABO. CASAUB. 558. Pontus, maintaining it to be unjust towards a general who had brought the war to a successful issue, that the rewards and dis- tribution of honours should be placed in the hands of another. 34. The affairs of Comana were administered as has been described in the time of the kings. Pompey, when he had ob- tained the power, appointed Archelaus priest, and assigned to him a district of two schoeni, or 60 stadia in circuit, in addi- tion to the sacred territory, and gave orders to the inhabitants to obey Archelaus. He was their governor, and master of the sacred slaves who inhabited the city, but had not the power of selling them. The slaves amounted to no less than six thou- sand. This Archelaus was the son of that Archelaus who received honours from Sylla and the senate ; he was the friend of Gabinius, a person of consular rank. When the former was sent into Syria, he came with the expectation of accompanying him, when he was making preparations for the Parthian war, but the senate would not permit him to do so, and he abandoned this, and conceived a greater design. Ptolemy, the father of Cleopatra, happened at this time to be ejected from his kingdom by the ^Egyptians. His daughter however, the elder sister of Cleopatra, was in possession of the throne. When inquiries were making in order to marry her to a husband of royal descent, Archelaus presented himself to those who were negotiating the affair, and pretended to be the son of Mithridates Eupator. He was accepted, but reigned only six months. He was killed by Gabinius in a pitched battle, in his attempt to restore Ptolemy. 35. His son however succeeded to the priesthood, and Ly- comedes succeeded him, to whom was assigned an additional district of four schceni (or 120 stadia) in extent. When Ly- comedes was dispossessed he was succeeded by Dyteutus, the son of Adiatorix, who still occupies the post, and appears to have obtained this honour from Caesar Augustus on account of his good conduct on the following occasion. Caesar, after leading in triumph Adiatorix, with his wife and children, had resolved to put him to death together with the eldest of his sons. Dyteutus was the eldest ; but when the second of his brothers told the soldiers who were leading them away to execution that he was the eldest, there was a contest between the two brothers, which continued for some time, till
