and assassins, and capable of perpetrating the blackest crimes for gain. This kind of people, who had been banished their country for their crimes, flocked round the tyrant, who lived in the midst of them as their protector and king; employing them as his attendants and guards, to strengthen his tyranny and confirm his power. He was not satisfied with banishing the citizens; he acted in such a manner, that they could not find any secure asylum, even in foreign countries ; some were butchered in their journey by his emissaries, and he recalled others from banishment, with no other view but to murder them.

Besides these barbarities, he invented a machine, which may be called an infernal one, representing a woman magnificently dressed, and exactly resembling his wife. Every time that he sent for any person, to extort money from him, he would first declare, in the kindest and most gentle terms, the danger to which the whole country, and Sparta in particular, was exposed by the menaces of the Acheans; the number of foreigners he was obliged to keep in pay for the security of his government; the great sums he ex. pended for the worship of the gods, and for the good of the public. In case the person spoke to was wrought upon by his words, he proceeded no farther, this being all he wanted; but if he was refractory, and refused to give him money, he would say,

probably the talent of persuasion is not mine; but I hope that Apega will have some effect upon you." This Apega was his wife. He no sooner had uttered these words, but his machine appeared. Nabis, taking her by the hand, raised her from her chair, and ed VOL. 6.

53

her to his man. The hands, the arms, and breast, of this machine, were stuck with sharp iron points, concealed under her clothes. The pretended Apega embraced the unhappy wretch, folded him in her arms, and laying hers round his waist, clasped him to her bosom, whilst he vented the most lamentable cries. The machine was made to perform these several motions by secret springs. In this manner did the tyrant put many to death, from whom he could not otherwise extort the sums he demanded.

Would one believe that a man could be so completely wicked, as to contrive, in cold blood, such a machine, merely to torture his fellow creatures, and to feed his eyes and ears with the cruel pleasure of seeing their agonies, and hearing their groans? It is astonishing that in such a city as Sparta, where tyranny was had in the utmost detestation; where men thought it glorious to confront death; where religion and the laws, so far from restraining men as among us, seemed to arm them against all who were enemies to liberty ; it is astonishing, I say, that so horrid a monster should be suffered to live one day.

"I have already observed, that the Romans, employed in a more important war, had intermeddled very little with the affairs of Greece. The Etolians, finding themselves neglected by that powerful people, who were their only refuge, made a peace with Philip. Scarce was the treaty concluded, but P. Sempronius the proconsul arrived with considerable aids; ten thousand foot, one thousand horse, and thirty five ships of war. He was very much offended at them for

▪A, M, 3800. Ant. J. C. 204. Liv. 1. xxix.n. 12.

making this peace, without having first obtained the consent of the Romans, contrary to the express words of the treaty of alliance. The Epirots also, tired with the length of the war, sent deputies, with the proconsul's leave, to Philip, who now was returned to Macedonia, to exhort him to agree to a general peace; hinting to him, that they were almost sure, if he consented to have an interview with Sempronius, they would easily agree upon the conditions. The king was greatly pleased with these overtures, and went to Epirus. As both parties were desirous of peace; Philip, that he might have leisure to settle the affairs of his kingdom; and the Romans, that they might be able to carry on the war against Carthage with greater vigor; a treaty was soon concluded. The king caused Prusias king of Bithynia, the Acheans, Beotians, Thessalians, Acarnanians, and Epirots to be included in it; and the Romans included in the people of Ilium, king Attalus, Pleuratus, Nabis, the Spartan tyrant, successor to Machanidas, the people of Elis, the Messenians, and the Athenians. In this manner the war of the confederates terminated in a peace of no long continuance.

SECTION VIII.

THE GLORIOUS EXPEDITIONS OF ANTIOCHUS. AT HIS RETURN, RECEIVES ADVICE OF PTOLEMY PHILOPATOR'S DEATH.

THE history of the wars in Greece obliged us to interrupt the relation of the transactions in Asia, and therefore we now return to them.

▾ Antiochus, after the death of Acheus, having employed some time in settling his affairs in Asia Minor, marched towards the east, to reduce those provinces which had revolted from the empire of Syria. He began by Media, of which the Parthians had just before dispossessed him. Arsaces, son to him who founded that empire, was their king. He had taken advantage of the troubles in which the wars of Antio chus with Ptolemy and Acheus had involved him, and had conquered Media.

This country, says Polybius, is the most powerful in all Asia, as well for its extent, as for the number and strength of the men, and the great quantity of horses it produces. Media furnishes all Asia with those beasts; and its pastures are so good, that the neigh, bouring monarchs send their studs thither. Ecbatana is its capital city. The edifices of this city are the finest in the world, and the king's palace is seven hundred fathoms round. Though all the timber work is of cedar and cypress, yet not the least piece of timber was visible; the joists, the beams, the ceilings, and columns, which sustained the porticoes and piazzas, being covered with silver or gold plates. All the tiles were of silver. The greatest part of these rich materials had been carried off by the Macedonians under Alexander the Great, and the rest plundered by Antigonus and Seleucus Nicator. Nevertheless, when Antiochus entered this kingdom, the temple of Ena was still surrounded with gilt columns, and the soldiers found in it a great number of silver tiles, a few golden bricks, and a great many of silver. All this

A. M. 3792. Ant. J. C. 212. Polyb. 1. x. p. 597–602.

was converted into specie, and stamped with Antiochus's image; the whole amounting to four thousand talents, or about six hundred thousand pounds sterling.

Arsaces expected that Antiochus would advance as far as this temple; but he never imagined that he would venture to cross, with his numerous army, a country so barren as that which lies near it; and especially as no water can be found in those parts, none appearing on the surface of the earth. There are indeed rivulets and springs under ground, but no one, except those who know the country, can find them. On this occasion, a true story is related by the inhabitants of the country, that the Persians, when they conquered Asia, gave to those who should raise water in places where none had been before, the profits arising from such places, to the fifth generation inclusively. The inhabitants, animated by these promises, spared neither labour nor expense to convey water under ground from mount Taurus, whence a great quantity flows, as far as these deserts; insomuch that at this time, says Polybius, those who make use of these waters, do not know from what springs the subterraneous rivulets flow that supply them with it.

It were to he wished that Polybius, who generally is diffusive enough, had been more prolix here, and explained to us in what manner these subterraneous canals, for such were the wells here spoken of, were built, and the methods employed by Arsaces to stop them. From the account he gives of the prodigious labour employed, and the vast sums expended to complete this work, we may suppose that water had been