The wreaths of liberty to me you owe,

The brightest crown the gods bestow.

These lofty verses being finely expressed by the singer, who had an exquisite voice, struck the whole assembly. At the same time all the Greeks cast their eyes upon Philopemen; and clapping their hands, and raising shouts of joy, they called to mind the glorious ages of triumphant Greece; soothing themselves with the pleasing hopes, that they should revive those ancient times, and their pristine glory; so greatly did a general, like Philopomen, increase their confidence, and inflame their courage.

And indeed, says Plutarch, as we find young colts are always fond of those they are used to, and that in case any other person attempts to mount them, they are restive, and prance about with their new rider; the same disposition appeared in the Achæan league. The instant they were to embark in a new war, and a battle was to be fought, if any other general was appointed, immediately the deputies of the confederate powers would be discouraged, and turn their eyes in quest of Philopomen; and the moment he appeared, the whole league revived and were ready for action; so strongly were they persuaded of his great valour and abilities; well knowing that he was the only general whose presence the enemy dreaded, and whose name alone made them tremble.

Can there, humanly speaking, be a more pleasing, more affecting, or more solid glory for a general or a prince, than to see himself esteemed, beloved, and revered, by the army and by nations, in the manner Philopomen was? Is it possible for any man to be so tasteless and void of sense, as to prefer, or even compare, to the honour which the exalted qualities of Philopomen acquired him, the pretended glory which so many persons of quality imagine they derive from their equipages, buildings, furniture, and the ridiculous expense of their tables. Philopomen affected magnificence more than they do; but then he placed it in what it really consists; the clothing his troops splendidly; providing them good horses and shining arms; supplying, with a generous hand, all their wants both public and private; distributing money seasonably to encourage the officers, and even the private men: in acting thus, Philopomen, though dressed in a very plain habit, was looked upon as the greatest and most magnificent general of his time.

Sparta did not recover its ancient liberty by the death of Machanidas, the only consequence of which was its changing one oppressor for another. The tyrant had been extirpated, but not the tyranny. That unhappy city, formerly se

jealous of its liberty and independence, and now abandoned to slavery, seemed by its indolence studious of nothing but to make itself new chains, or to support its old ones. Machanidas was succeeded by Nabis, a still greater tyrant than the former, yet the Spartans did not show the least spirit, or make the least effort to shake off the yoke of slavery.

a Nabis, in the beginning of his government, was not desirous to undertake any foreign expedition; but employed his whole endeavours to lay the solid foundations of a lasting and cruel tyranny. For that purpose he made it his particular care to destroy all the remaining Spartans, in that republic. He banished from it all such as were not distinguished for their quality and wealth, and gave their estates and wives to his creatures. We shall speak of these persons hereafter under the name of the Exiles. He had taken into his pay a great number of foreigners, all plunderers 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 with which the whole country and Sparta in particular was menaced by the Achæans; the number of foreigners he was obliged to keep in pay for the security of the state; the great sums he expended for the worship of the gods, and for the good of the public. In case the person spoken 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 uttered these words than his machine appeared.—Nabis, taking her by the hand, raised her from her chair, and led her to the person. The hands, the arms, and breast of this machine were struck with sharp iron points, concealed under her clothes. The pretended Apega em

a Polyb. I. xiii. p. 674-675.

braced the unhappy wretch, folded him in her arms; and laying hers round his waist clasped him to her bosom, whilst he uttered 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 held 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.

a I have already observed, that the Romans, employed in a most important war, had intermeddled very little with the affairs of Greece. The Ætolians, finding themselves neglected by that powerful people, who were their only refuge, made a peace with Philip. Scarce was the treaty concluded, when P. Sempronius the proconsul arrived with considerable aids; ten thousand foot, a thousand horse, and thirtyfive ships of war. He was very much offended at them for 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 vigour; a treaty was soon concluded. The king caused Prusias, king of Bythinia, the Achæans, Boeotians, Thessalians, Acarnanians, and Epirots, to be included in it; and the Romans included 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 was terminated by a peace which was of no long continu

ance.

a A. M 3800. Ant. J. C. 204. Liv. l. xxix. n. 12.

SECT VIII.

The glorious expeditions of Antiochus. At his return, he receives advice of Ptolemy Philopater'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.

a Antiochus, after the death of Achæus, 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 Antiochus with Ptolemy and Achæus had involved him, and had conquered Media. He endeavoured to hinder Antiochus from entering this province, by closing all the wells in the desert through which he must necessarily pass, and in which it would be impossible for his army to subsist without them.

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 neighbouring monarchs send their studs thither. Ecbatana is its capital city. The edifices of this city surpass in richness and magnificence all others in the world, and the king's palace is seven hundred fathoms round. Though all the wood-work was of cedar and cypress, yet not the least piece of timber was visible; the joists, the beams, the cielings, 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 Æna was still surrounded with gilded 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 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 a A. M. 3792. Ant. J. C. 212. Polyb. 1. x. p. 597–602.

found in those parts, none appearing on the surface of the carth. There are indeed rivulets and springs under ground, but no one, except those that 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 be wished that Polybius, who generally is diffusive enough, had been more prolix here, and had 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 conveyed into every part of this vast desert, by stone aqueducts built under ground, with openings at proper distances, which Polybius calls wells.

" When Arsaces saw that Antiochus crossed the deserts, in spite of the difficulties which he imagined would impede his march, he gave orders for stopping up the wells. But Antiochus, having foreseen this, sent a detachment of horse, which posted itself near these wells, and beat the party that came to stop them. The army passed the deserts, entered Media, drove Arsaces out of it, and recovered all that province. Antiochus stayed there the rest of the year, in order to re-establish his affairs, and to make the preparations necessary for carrying on the war.

The year following he entered very early into Parthia, where he was as successful as he had been the year before in Media: Arsaces was forced to retire into Hyrcania, where he imagined that by securing some passes of the mountains which separate it from Parthia, it would be impossible for the Syrian army to approach him.

However, he was mistaken; for, as soon as the season would permit, Antiochus took the field; and, after incredible difficulties, attacked all those posts at the same time with his whole army, which he divided into as many bodies as there were attacks, and soon forced them all. He afterwards re-assembled them in the plains, and marched to be

A. M. 3793. Ant. J. C. 211.

A. M. 3794. Ant. J. C. 210.

c A. M. 3795. Ant. J. C. 809.