GORGIAS (Poiryfas), one of the generals of An ttochus Epiphanes, who is called in Maccab. and in Josephus a mighty man of the king's friends ' (bhp &wart's r63t, 017on, parraiccv ; Maccab. iii. 38 ; Joseph. -4ntiq. xii. 7. 3.) He was chosen by Lysias, the general and minister of Antiochus Epiphanes, and at this time in sole command of the provinces from the Euphrates to the sea, to undertake an expedition in company with Ptolemy, the son of Dorymenes, and with Nicanor, against Judma, B.C. 166 Maccab. 38 ; Joseph. Antiq. xii. 7. 2, 3). These generals were, however, totally defeated near Emmaus by Judas Maccabmus Maccab. iv. r, seq. ; Joseph. Antiq., 1. c.) In u.c. 165, Joseph, the son of Zacharias, and Azarias, two captains in the service of Judas Maccabteus, anxious to get themselves a name, and acting without the orders of Judas, attacked the garrison of Jamnia. Gorgias, the governor of the forces at Jamnia, defeated them with great loss (t Maccab. v. 56, seq.; Joseph. Antiq. xii. 7. 6.) The account of Gorgias in 2 MaCCab. is very con fused. In one passage Ile is described shnply as a captain, who in matters of war had great expe rience,' and therefore sent with Nicanor, the son of Patroclus, one of the special friends of Ptolemreus, the governor of Code-Syria and Phcenice (cf.
Maccab. 38 ; Joseph. Antiq. xii. 7. 3), to root out the whole nation of the Jews (z Maccab. viii. 9). In another passage he is represented as 'governor of the holds' (.7J-7-pal-Inas rav rbircov [7-pbrcup Alex.], 2 Maccab. x. 14), and apparently of the holds of the Idtunmans (?) (Acrabattene ? cf. t Maccab. v. 3 ; Joseph. //nag. xii. 8. 1; see Ewald, Geschichte, iv. 91, 358, and Smith, Diet. of Eible, vol. p. 42, note). He is aftenvards, ac cording to the present text, described as governor of Idumxa' (2 Maccab. xii. 32).
Grotius (see Wernsdorff, De fid. Libr. Mace., sec. 73) suggests that the reading governor of Idu maea' is an error for ' governor of Jamnia' (as at Maccab. v. 58). Josephus warrants this cor rection (6 1-.7js 'lauvetar errparnyts, Antiq. xii. S. 6). From the epithet applied to Gorgias, he seems to have been held in the highest detesta tion by the Jews (A. V., that cursed man ; rap /car dparov, 2 Maccab. xii. 35). The description of his flight to Marisa and his defeat by Dositheus, one of Judas' generals, is given at some length, though in an obscure and confused manner (2 Maccab. xii. 34-38 ; cf. Joseph. Antiq. 8. 6).—F. W. M.