conjured him, by the breasts which had nourished him, to spare her life. Alexander, in order to avenge this unnatural barbarity, solicited the assistance of Pyrrhus and Demetrius, the former of whom was in Epirus and the latter in Peloponnesus. Pyrrhus arrived the first, and made himself master of several cities in Macedonia, part of which he retained as a compensation for the aid he had given Alexander; and he returned to his own dominions, after he had reconciled the two brothers. Demetrius made his approach at the same instant, upon which Alexander advanced to meet him, and testified, at the interview between them, all imaginable gratitude and friendship; but represented to him, at the same time, that the state of his affairs was changed, and that he no longer had any need of his assistance. Demetrius was displeased with this compliment, whilst Alexander, who dreaded the greatness of his power, was apprehensive of subjecting himself to a master, should he admit him into his dominions. They, however, conversed together with an external air of friendship, and entertained each other with reciprocal feasts, till at last Demetrius, upon some intelligence, either true or fictitious, that Alexander intended to destroy him, prevented the execution of that design, and killed him. This murder armed the Macedonians against him at first, but, when he had acquainted them with all the particulars that influenced his conduct, the aversion they entertained for Antipater, the infamous murderer of his own mother, induced them to declare for Demetrius, and they accordingly proclaimed him king of Macedonia. Demetrius possessed this crown for the space of seven years, and Antipater fled into Thrace, where he did not long survive the loss of his kingdom.

One of the branches of the royal family of Philip, king of Macedonia, became entirely extinct by the death of Thessalonica and her two sons; as the other branch from Alexander the Great had been before by the death of the young Alexander and Hercules, his two sons. Thus these two princes, who by their unjust wars had spread desolation through so many provinces, and destroyed such a number of royal families, experienced, by a just decree of Providence, the same calamities in their own families as they had occasioned to others. Philip and Alexander, with their wives and all their descendants, perished by violent deaths.

• Much about this time Seleucus built the city of Seleucia, on the banks of the Tygris, at the distance of 40 miles from Babylon. It became very populous in a short time, and Pliny tells us it was inhabited by 600,000 persons. The dykes of the Euphrates being broken down, spread such an

A. M. 3711. Ant. J. C, 293. Strab. l. xvi. p. 738 et 743. Plin. 1. vi. c. 26

inundation over the country, and the branch of that river which passed through Babylon was sunk so low by this evacuation as to be rendered unnavigable, by which means that city became so incommodious, that, as soon as Seleucia was built, all its inhabitants withdrew thither. This circumstance prepared the way for the accomplishment of that celebrated prophecy of Isaiah, who, at a time when this city was in the most flourishing condition, had foretold, that it should one day become entirely desert and uninhabited. a I have observed, elsewhere, by what manner and degrees this prediction was fully accomplished.

Simon, surnamed the Just, the high-priest of the Jews, died at the close of the ninth year of his pontificate, and left a young son, named Onias. As he was of too tender an age to take upon himself the exercise of that dignity, it was consigned to Eleazar, the brother of Simon, who discharged the functions of it for the space of 15 years.

I here pass over some events of small importance, and proceed to Demetrius, who, believing his power sufficiently established in Greece and Macedonia, began to make great preparations for regaining the empire of his father in Asia. With this view he raised an army of above 100,000 men, and fitted out a fleet of 500 sail. So great an armament had never been seen since the time of Alexander the Great. Demetrius animated the workmen by his presence and instructions, visited them in person, directed them how to act, and even assisted them in their labours. The number of his galleys, and their extraordinary dimensions, created an universal astonishment; for, no ships of 16, or even 15, benches of oars had ever been seen till then; and Ptolemy Philopater did not build one of 40 benches till many years after this period"; but then it was only for pomp and ostentation, whereas those which Demetrius built were extremely useful in battle, and more admirable for their lightness and agility than their grandeur and magnificence.

e

Ptolemy, Lysimachus, and Seleucus, receiving intelligence of these formidable preparations of Demetrius, immediately caught the alarm; and, in order to frustrate their effect, renewed their alliance, in which they likewise engaged Pyrrhus, king of Epirus; in consequence of which, when Lysimachus began to invade Macedonia on one side, Pyrrhus

a Vol ii. p. 210, &c. At the taking of Babylon by Cyrus. b A. M. 3712. Ant. J. C. 292. Joseph Antiq. I. xii. c. 2.

c A. M 3716 Ant. J. C. 288. Plut. in Demetr. p. 909. et in Pyrrh. p. 386 Justin. xvi. c. 2

d This galley was 280 cubits (about 420 feet) in length, and 28 cubits (72 feet) from the keel to the top of the poop. It carried 400 sailors, besides 4000 rowers and near 3000 soldiers, who were disposed in the spaces between the rowers, abc on the lower deck. Plut. in the Life of Demetrius,

e A. M. 3717, Ant J. C. 287.

did the same on the other. Demetrius, who was then making preparations in Greece for his intended expedition into Asia, advanced with all speed to defend his own dominions, but, before he was able to arrive there, Pyrrhus had taken Berza, one of the most considerable cities in Macedonia, where he found the wives, children, and effects, of a great number of soldiers belonging to Demetrius. This news caused so great a disorder in the army of that prince, that a considerable part of his troops absolutely refused to follow him, and declared, with an air of mutiny and sedition, that they would return to defend their families and effects. In a word, things were carried to such an extremity, that Demetrius, perceiving he no longer had any influence over them, fled to Greece in the disguise of a common soldier, and his troops went over to Pyrrhus, whom they proclaimed king of Macedonia.

The different characters of these two princes greatly contributed to this sudden revolution. Demetrius, who considered vain pomp and superb magnificence as true grandeur, rendered himself contemptible to the Macedonians, in the very circumstance by which he thought to obtain their esteem. He ambitiously loaded his head with a double diadem, like a theatrical monarch, and wore purple robes, enriched with a profusion of gold. The ornaments of his feet were altogether extraordinary; and he had long employed artists to make him a mantle, on which the system of the world, with all the stars visible in the firmament, were to be embroidered in gold. The change of his fortune prevented the finishing of this work, and no future king would presume to wear it.

But that which rendered him still more odious was his being so difficult of access. He was either so imperious and disdainful as not to allow those who had any affairs to transact with him the liberty of speech, or else he treated them with so much rudeness as obliged them to quit his presence with disgust. One day, when he came out of his palace, and walked through the streets with a mien of more affability than it was usual for him to assume, some persons were encouraged to present a few petitions to him. He received them with a gracious air, and placed them in one of the folds of his robe; but, as he was passing over a bridge on the river Axius", he threw all those petitions into the stream. A prince must certainly know very little of mankind, not to be sensible that such a contemptuous behaviour is sufficient to disgust his subjects. On this occasion, an action of the great Philip was recollected, which has been related among the events of his reign.-That prince had several times refused

a A river of Upper Macedonia.

Book XVI. audience to a poor woman, under pretence that he wanted leisure to hear her. 66 Be no longer king then," replied she, with some emotion; and Philip, from thenceforth, made it a maxim with himself to grant his subjects long and frequent audiences. For, as Plutarch observes on that occasion, THE MOST INDISPENSABLE DUTY OF A KING IS TO EXERT HIMSELF IN THE ADMINISTRATION OF JUSTICE 4.

The Macedonians had formed a very different idea of Pyrrhus. They had heard it reported, and were sensible by their own experience, that affability was natural to him, and that he was always mild and accessible; they were convinced of his promptitude to recompense the services rendered him, and that he was slow to anger and severity. Some young officers, over their liquor, had vented several offensive pleasantries against him. The particulars of their conversation were related to Pyrrhus himself, who ordered them to be brought into his presence, and then asked them, if they had expressed themselves in the manner he had heard? "Yes, my lord," replied one of the company, "and we should have added a great deal more, if we had had more wine." Pyrrhus could not forbear laughing at this facetious and sprightly turn, and dismissed them from his presence without farther notice.

66

The Macedonians thought him much superior to Demetrius, even in military merit. He had beaten them on several occasions, but their admiration of his bravery was greater than their resentment for their defeat. It was a common expression with them, that other princes imitated Alexander in nothing but their purple robes, the number of their guards, the affectation of inclining their heads like his, and their imperious manner of speaking; but that Pyrrhus was the only one who represented that monarch in his great and laudable qualities. Pyrrhus himself was not altogether free from vanity, with respect to the resemblance of his own features to those of Alexander, but a good matron of Larissa, in whose house he once lodged, had undeceived him in that particular, by an answer, perhaps, not at all agreeable to him. The Macedonians, however thought they discovered in him the aspect of that prince, with all the fire of his eyes, and the vivacity, promptitude, and impetuosity, with which he charged his enemies, and bore down all who presumed to

« Οὐδὲν γὰρ ὕτως τῷ βασιλέι προσῆκον, ὡς τὸ τῆς δίκης ἔργον.

b A set of flatterers had really persuaded Pyrrhus, that he resembled Alexan der in the features of his face. With this belief he sent for the pictures of Philip, Perdiccas, Alexander, Cassander, and some other princes, and then desired a wo man of Larissa, with whom be then lodged, to tell him which of those princes he most resembled She refused to answer him for a considerable time, till at last he pressed her very earnestly to satisfy his curiosity: upon which she replied, that she thought him very like Batrachion, who was a noted cook in that city. Lucian. advers. indoct. p. 552, 553.

oppose him: but, with respect to the military art, and ability in drawing up an army in battle, and knowing how to take advantage of circumstances, they thought none comparable to Pyrrhus.

It cannot, therefore, be thought surprising, that the Macedonians, who entertained prejudices so favourable to the one and so disadvantageous to the other, should easily quit the party of Demetrius to espouse that of Pyrrhus: and one may see, by this instance and a thousand others, how necessary it is for princes to attach their people to their interests by the gentle ties of affection and gratitude; and by entertaining a real love for them, which is the only means of acquiring their love, which constitutes their most solid glory, their most essential obligation, and at the same time their greatest security.

a As Lysimachus happened to arrive immediately after Pyrrhus had been declared King of Macedonia, he pretended that he had contributed as much as that prince to the flight of Demetrius, and that he consequently ought to have a share in that kingdom. Pyrrhus, who, in this conjuncture, was not entirely certain of the fidelity of the Macedonians, readily acquiesced in the pretensions of Lysimachus, and the cities and provinces were accordingly shared between them; but this agreement was so far from uniting them with each other, that it rather led them into a constant train of animosities and divisions: for, as Plutarch observes, when neither seas, nor mountains, nor uninhabitable deserts, could suffice as barriers to the avarice and ambition of these princes, and when their desires were not to be bounded by those limits which seperate Europe from Asia, how could they possibly continue in a state of tranquillity, and refrain from the injustice of invading domains which lay so near and so commodious to them? This was a moderation not to be expected; and a perpetual war between them became inevitable, from the malignant seeds of envy and usurpation that had taken root in their minds. The names of peace and war were considered by them as two species of coin, to which they themselves had given currency, merely for their own interest, and without the least regard to justice. Still, continues the same author, do they act more laudably when they engage in an open war than when they use the sacred names of justice, friendship, and peace, for what, in reality, is no more than a truce, or transient suspension of their unjust views.

The whole history of Alexander's successors justifies these reflections of Plutarch. Never were more treaties and alliances made, and never were they violated with less disguise and more impunity. Would to God that those complaints were

a Plut in Pyrth. p. 389, 390,