BOOK EIGHTEENTH.

THE

HISTORY

OF

ALEXANDER'S SUCCESSORS,

CONTINUED.

THIS chapter includes twenty four years, during which Ptolemy Epiphanes reigned in Egypt. In this interval, the Romans engage in war; first against Philip, king of Macedon, over whom they gain a famous victory; and then against Antiochus, king of Syria, who also is defeated, and forced to sue for peace. At the same time, feuds and divisions break out between the Lacedemonians and the Acheans, and the famous Philopemen dies.

SECTION I.

PTOLEMY EPIPHANES SUCCEEDS PHILOPATOR IN EGYPT. TROU.

BLES WHICH SOON FOLLOW.

I RELATED, in the preceding book, how Ptolemy Philopator, worn out with riots and excesses, had come to his end, after having reigned seventeen years. As the

* A. M. 3800. Ant. J. C. 204. Justin. 1. xxx. c. 2. Polyb. l. xv. p› 712-729.

only persons present when that monarch expired, were Agathocles, his sister, and their creatures, they concealed his death as long as possible from the public, in order that they might have time to carry off all the money, jewels, and other valuable effects, in the palace. They also formed a plan to maintain the authority they had enjoyed under the late king, by usurping the regency, during the minority of his son, named Ptolemy Epiphanes, who was then but five years old. They imagined this might be easily done, if they could but take off Tlepolemus, who had succeeded Sosibes in the ministry; and accordingly, they concerted measures to dispatch him.

At last they informed the public of the king's death. Immediately a great council of the Macedonians was assembled, in which Agathocles and Agathoclea were present. Agathocles, after shedding abundance of tears, begins by imploring their protection for the young king, whom he held in his arms. He told them that his royal father, in his expiring moments, had committed him to the care of Agathoclea, whom he pointed out to them; and had recommended him to the fidelity of the Macedonians; that, for this reason, he was come to implore their assistance against Tlepolemus, who, as he had certain advice, had formed the design of usurping the crown. He added, that he had brought witnesses expressly to prove his treason, and at the same time offered to produce them. He imagined, that by this weak artifice, Tlepolemus would be immediately dispatched; and that, in consequence, he

Polybius gives this name to the Alexandrians, who descended from the Macedonians, and the posterity of the founders of Alexandria, or af those to whom the same privileges had been granted.

might casily obtain the regency; but the artifice was too gross, and the people immediately swore the destruction of Agathocles, his sister, and all their creatures. This last attempt recalling to their remembrance their other crimes, all the inhabitants of Alexandria rose against them. The young king was taken out of their hands, and seated on the throne in Hippodrome; after which, Agathocles, his sister, and Einanthe his mother, were brought before the king, and all three put to death, as by his order. The populace exposed their dead bodies to all the indignities possible; dragging them through the streets, and tearing them to pieces. All their relations and creatures met with the same treatment, and not one of them was spared; the usual and just end of those unworthy favourites, who abuse the confidence of their sovereign to oppress the people, and who never punish those who resemble themselves.

Philammon, the assassin, who had been hired to murder Arsinoe, being returned from Cyrene to Alexandria, two or three days before this tumult broke out; the ladies of honour of that unfortunate queen had immediate notice of it; and, taking this opportunity, which the distractions of the city gave them, they resolved to revenge their mistress's death. Accordingly, they broke open the door of the house where he was, and killed him with clubs and stones.

The care of the king's person, till otherwise provided for, was given to Sosibes, son to him who had governed during the three last reigns. History does not inform us whether he was still alive; but it is certain that he lived to a great age, as he had passed above

threescore years in the administration. No minister was ever more cunning or more corrupt than this Sosibes. He made no scruple of committing the blackest crimes, provided they conduced to his ends. Polybius imputes to him the murder of Lysimachus, son of Ptolemy, and of Arsinoe daughter of that Lysimachus; of Magas, son of Ptolemy, and of Berenice, daughter of Magas; of Berenice, mother to Ptolemy Philopator; of Cleomenes, king of Sparta; and lastly, of Arsinoe, daughter of Berenice. It is surprising that, notwithstanding a conduct of so much inhumanity and cruelty in his administration, he should support himself so long, and at last come to a peaceable end.

d Antiochus, king of Syria, and Philip, king of Macedonia, during the whole reign of Ptolemy Philopator, had discovered the strongest zeal for the interest of that monarch, and were ready to assist him on all occasions. Yet, no sooner was he dead, leaving be hind him an infant, whom the laws of humanity and justice enjoined them not to disturb in the possession of his father's kingdom, but they immediately join in a criminal alliance, and excite each other to take off the lawful heir, and divide his dominions between them. Philip was to have Caria, Lybia, Cyrenaica, and Egypt; and Antiochus all the rest. With this view, the latter entered Celosyria and Palestine; and, in less than two campaigns, made an entire conquest of those two provinces, with all their cities and

A. M. 3801. Ant. J. C. 203. Polyb. l. iii. p. 159. Id. I. xv. p. 707, et 708.

But

dependencies. Their guilt, says Polybius, would not have been quite so glaring, had they, like tyrants, endeavoured to gloss over their crimes with some specious pretence; but so far from doing this, their injustice and cruelty were so barefaced, that to them was applied what is generally said of fishes; that the large ones, though of the same species, prey on the lesser. One would be tempted, continues the same author, at seeing the most sacred laws of society so openly violated, to accuse Providence of being indif ferent and insensible to the most horrid crimes. it fully justified its conduct, by punishing those two kings according to their deserts, and made such an example of them as ought in all succeeding ages to deter others from following their example; for, whilst they are meditating to disposses a weak and helpless infant of his kingdom, by piecemeal; Providence raised up the Romans against them, who entirely subverted the kingdoms of Philip and Antiochus, and reduced their successors to almost as great calamities as those with which they intended to crush the infant king.

During that time, Philip was engaged in a war against the Rhodians, over whom he gained an inconsiderable advantage, in a naval engagement near the island of Lade, opposite to the city of Miletus.

The next year he invaded Attalus, and advanced as far as Pergamus, the capital of his kingdom. But all his efforts in assaulting that city being to no purpose, he turned his rage and fury against the gods;

• Polyb in Excerpt. Vales. p. 70, et 73.

A. M. 3802. Ant. J. C. 202. Polyb. ib. p. 66. Diod. ib. p. 294.