Soter governed that kingdom. Arsaces raised himself to a throne from the lowest condition of life, and became as me morable among the Parthians, as Cyrus had been among the Persians, or Alexander among the Macedonians, or Romulus among the Romans". This verifies that passage in holy Scripture, which declares, “That the Most High ruleth "in the kingdom of men, and giveth it to whomsoever he "will, and setteth up over it the basest of men."

Onias, the sovereign pontiff of the Jews, had neglected to send Ptolemy the usual tribute of twenty talents, which his predecessors had always paid to the kings of Egypt, as a testimonial of the homage they rendered to that crown. The king sent Athenion, one of his courtiers, to Jerusalem, to demand the payment of the arrears, which then amounted to a great sum; and to threaten the Jews, in case of refusal, with a body of troops, who should be commissioned to expel them from their country, and divide it among themselves. The alarm was very great at Jerusalem on this occasion, and it was thought necessary to send a deputation to the king, in the person of Joseph, the nephew of Onias, who, though in the prime of his youth, was universally esteemed for his prudence, probity, and justice. Athenion, during his continuance at Jerusalem, had conceived a great regard for his character, and as he set out for Egypt before him, he promised to render him all the good offices in his power with the king. Joseph followed him in a short time, and on his way met with several considerable persons of Cœlosyria and Palestine, who were also going to Egypt, with an intention to offer terms for farming the great revenues of those provinces. As the equipage of Joseph was far from being so magnificent as theirs, they treated him with little respect, and considered him as a person of no great capacity. Jaseph concealed his dissatisfaction at their behaviour, but drew from the conversation that passed between them, all the information he could desire, with relation to the affair that brought them to court, without seeming to have any particular view in the curiosity which he expressed.

When they arrived at Alexandria, they were informed that the king had taken a progress to Memphis, and Joseph was the only person among them who set out from thence, in order to wait upon that monarch, without losing a moment's time. He had the good fortune to meet him as he was returning from Memphis, with the queen and Athenion in his chariot. The king, who had been highly prepossessed in his favour by Athenion, was extremely delighted at his a Arsaces, quæsito simul constitutoque regno, non minus memorabilis [Par this fuit] quam Persis Cyrus Macedonibus Alexander, Romanis Romalus. Justin. b Dan iv. 17 e A. M. 3771. Ant. J. C. 233. Joseph. Antiq. 1. xii. c. 3. & 4.

presence, and invited him into his chariot. Joseph, to excuse his uncle, represented the infirmities of his great age, and the natural tardiness of his disposition in such an engaging manner, as satisfied Ptolemy, and created in him an extraordinary esteem for the advocate who had so effectually pleaded the cause of that pontiff. He ordered him an apartment in the royal palace of Alexandria, and allowed him a place at his table.

When the appointed day came for purchasing by auction, the privilege of farming the revenues of the provinces, the companions of Joseph in his journey to Egypt offered no more than eight thousand talents for the provinces of Colosyria, Phoenicia, Judæa, and Samaria. Upon which Joseph, who had discovered, in the conversation that passed between them in his presence, that this purchase was worth double the sum they offered, reproached them for depreciating the king's revenues in that manner, and offered twice as much as they had done. Ptolemy was well satisfied to see his revenues so considerably increased; but being apprehensive that the person who proffered so large a sum would be in no condition to pay it, he asked Joseph what security he would give him for the performance of his agreement? The Jewish deputy calmly replied, that he had such persons to offer for his security on that occasion, as he was certain his Majesty could have no objections to. Upon being ordered to mention them, he named the king and queen themselves; and added, that they would be his securities to each other. The king could not avoid smiling at this little pleasantry, which put him into so good a humour, that he allowed him to farm the revenues without any other security than his verbal promise for payment. Joseph acted in that station for the space of ten years, to the mutual satisfaction of the court and provinces. His rich competitors, who had farmed those revenues before, returned home in the utmost confusion, and had reason to be sensible, that a magnificent equipage is a very inconsiderable indication of merit.

King Demetrius died about this time, in Macedonia, and left a son, named Philip, in an early state of minority; for which reason his guardianship was consigned to Antigonus, who, having espoused the mother of his pupil, ascended the throne and reigned for the space of twelve years. He was magnificent in promises, but extremely frugal in performance, which occasioned his being surnamed Doson

he Five or six years after this period, Seleucus Callinicus,

a A. M. 3772. Ant. J. C. 232. Justin. 1. xxviii. e. 3. Dexipp. Porphyr, Euseb.

This name signifies in the Greek language, One who will give, that is to say, a person who promises to give, but never gives what be promises.

A. M. 3778. Ant. J. C.226. Justin. 1. vii. c. 3. Athen. p. 153.

who for some time had continued in a state of captivity in Parthia died in that country by a fall from his horse. Arsaces had always treated him as a king during his confinement. His wife was Laodice, the sister of Andromachus, one of his generals, and he had two sons and a daughter by that marriage. He espoused his daughter to Mithridates king of Pontus, and consigned Phrygia to her for her dowry. His sons were Seleucus and Antiochus; the former of whom, surnamed Ceraunus, succeeded him in the throne.

We are now arrived at the period wherein the republic of the Achæans begins to appear with lustre in history, and was in a condition to sustain wars, particularly against that of the Lacedæmonians. It will, therefore, be necessary for me to represent the present state of those two republics; and I shall begin with that of the Achæans.

SECT. II.

Character of Aratus, who delivers Sicyone from tyranny. The establishment of the Achæans.

a The republic of the Achæans was not considerable at first, either for the number of its troops, the immensity of its riches, or the extent of its territory, but derived its power from the great reputation it acquired for the virtues of probity, justice, love of liberty; and this reputation was very ancient. The Crotonians and Sybarites adopted the laws and customs of the Achæans, for the re-establishment of good order in their cities. The Lacedæmonians and Thebans had such an esteem for their virtue, that they chose them, after the celebrated battle of Leuctra, to arbitrate the differences. which subsisted between them.

The government of this republic was democratical, that is to say, in the hands of the people. It preserved its liberty to the times of Philip, and Alexander; but under those princes, and in the reigns of those who succeeded them, it was either in subjection to the Macedonians who had made themselves masters of Greece, or else was oppressed by cruel ty

rants.

It was composed of twelve cities, in Peloponnesus, but all together not equal to a single one of considerable rank, This republic did not signalise herself immediately by any thing great and remarkable, because, amongst all her citi zens, she produced none of any distinguished merit. The sequel will discover the extraordinary change, which a single man was capable of introducing among them, by his great

4 Polyb. I. p 1530.

6 These twee cities were Patræ, Dyma, Phare, Tritæa, Leontium, Aegira. Pellene, Aegium, Bura, Ceraunia, Olenus, Helice.

qualities. After the death of Alexander, this little state was involved in all the calamities inseparable from discord. The spirit of patriotism no longer prevailed among them, and each city was solely attentive to its particular interest. Their state had lost its former solidity, because they changed their master as often as Macedonia became subject to new sovereigns. They first submitted to Demetrius; after him to Cassander; and last of all to Antigonus Gonatas, who left them in subjection to tyrants of his own establishing, that they might not withdraw themselves from his authority.

Toward the beginning of the 124th Olympiad, about the time of the death of Ptolemy Soter, the father of Philadel-, phus, and the expedition of Pyrrhus into Italy, the republic of the Achæans resumed their former customs, and renewed their ancient concord. The inhabitants of Patra and Dymæ laid the foundations of this happy change. The tyrants were expelled from the cities, which then united as in former times, and constituted one body of a republic anew: all affairs were decided by a public council: the registers were committed to a common secretary: the assembly had two presidents, who were nominated by the cities in their respective turns ; but it was soon thought advisable to reduce them to one.

The good order which reigned in this little republic, where freedom and equality, with a love of justice and the public good, were the fundamental principles of their government, drew into their community several neighbouring cities, who received their laws, and associated themselves into their privileges. Sicyon was one of the first that acceded in this manner; by means of Aratus, one of its citizens, whom, in the sequel, we shall see acting a very great part, and becoming very illustrious.

Sicyon, which had long groaned under the yoke of her tyrants, attempted to shake it off, by placing Clinias one of her first and bravest citizens, at her head; and the government already began to flourish and assume a better form, when Abantidas found means to disconcert this plan, in order to seize the tyranny into his own hands. Some of his relations and friends he expelled from the city, and took off others by death: he also searched for Aratus, the son of Clinias, who was then but seven years of age, in order to destroy him; but the infant escaped, with some other persons, amidst the disorder that filled the house when his father was killed; and as he was wandering about the city, in the utmost consternation and distress, he accidentally entered unseen into a house which belonged to the tyrant's sister. This lady was naturally generous, and as she also believed that this destitute infant had taken refuge under her roof, by the im

@ A. M. 3724. Ant. J. C. 280.*

6 Plut. in Arato. p. 1027-1031.

pulse of some deity, she carefully concealed him; and when night came, caused him to be secretly conveyed to Argos. Aratus, being thus preserved from so imminent a danger, conceived in his soul from thenceforth an implacable aversion to tyrants, which always increased with his age. He was educated with the utmost care, by some hospitable friends of his father's at Argos.

The new tyranny in Sicyon had passed through several hands in a short time, when Aratus, who began to arrive at a state of manhood, was solicitous to deliver his country entirely from oppression. He was greatly respected, as well as for his birth as his courage, which was accompanied with a gravity superior to his age, and a strong and clear understanding. These qualities, which were well known at that time, caused the exiles from Sicyon to cast their eyes upon him in a peculiar manner, and to consider him as a person destined to be their future deliverer; in which conjecture they were not deceived.

Aratus who was then in the twentieth year of his age, formed a confederacy against Nicocles, who was tyrant at that time; and though the spies whom the latter sent to Argos, kept a vigilant eye on his conduct, he concealed his design so well, he pursued his measures with so much prudence and secrecy, that he scaled the walls of Sicyon, and entered the city by night. The tyrant was fortunate enough to secure himself a retreat, through subterranean passages, and when the people assembled in a tumultuous manner, without knowing what had been transacted, a herald cried with a loud voice, that "Aratus, the son of Clinias, invited the citi"zens to resume their liberty," Upon which the crowd immediately flocked to the palace of the tyrant, and burnt it to ashes in a few moments; but not a single man was killed or wounded on either side; the good genius of Aratus not suf fering an action of this nature to be polluted with the blood of his citizens; in which circumstance he made his joy and triumph consist. He then recalled all those who had been banished, to the number of five hundred.

Sicyon then began to enjoy some repose, but Aratus was not fully relieved from inquietude and perplexity. With respect to the situation of affairs without, he was sensible that Antigonus cast a jealous eye on the city, and had meditated expedients for making himself master of it, from the time of its having recovered its liberty. He beheld the seeds of sedition and discord sown within, by those who had been banished, and was extremely apprehensive of their effect. He imagined, therefore, that the safest and most prudent conduct, in this delicate juncture, would be to unite Sicyor!

a A. M. 3752. Ant. J. C. 252.