Simon's Leadership according to Josephus

Antiochus, however, by reason of his greediness and wicked disposition, forgot about the kind service that Simon had afforded him in his time of necessity, committed an army of soldiers to his friend Cendebeus, and dispatched it at once to ravage Judaea and to seize Simon. Although he was now advanced in years, when Simon heard of Antiochus’ breaking his league with him, he was nevertheless provoked by the unjust treatment he had received from Antiochus, and adopting a purpose stronger than his age could well bear, like a young man, he acted as general of his army. He also sent his sons ahead, among the most warlike of his soldiers, and he himself marched on with his army another way and laid many of his men in ambushes in the narrow valleys between the mountains. Nor did he fail in any of his attempts but prevailed over his enemies in every one of them. So he spent the rest of his life in peace and also established an alliance with the Romans.

He ruled over the Jews for all of eight years but at a feast came to his end by cause of the treachery of his son-in-law Ptolemy, who also seized his wife and two of his sons and kept them in bonds. He also sent some to kill John, the third son, whose name was Hyrcanus. But the young man, perceiving them coming, fled the danger he was in from them and made haste into the city [Jerusalem], taking courage in the goodwill of the multitude because of the benefits they had received from his father and because of the hatred that same multitude bore toward Ptolemy, so that when Ptolemy was endeavoring to enter the city by another gate they drove him away, having already admitted Hyrcanus.