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 ba nished from it all such as were most 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 ty ranny, 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 Achæans; the number of foreigners he was obliged to keep in pay for the security of his government; the great sums he expended 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 Polyb. 1. xiii. p. 674, 675. he was refractory, and refused to give him money, he would say, " Probaby 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 but his machine appeared. Nabis, taking her by the hand, raised her from her chair, and led 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 her's round his waist, clasped him into 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 most 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, a thousand horse, and thirty-five ships of war. He was very much offend © Liv. 1. xxix. n. 12. A. M. 3800. Ant. J. C. 204. A. M. ed 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 uponthe 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 Bithynia, the Achæans, Baotians, 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 terminated in a peace of no long continuance, SECT. VIII. The glorious expeditions of Antio- 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 Achæus, having 3792. employed some time in settling his affairs in Asia Ant. J. C. Minor, marched towards the East, to reduce those 212. provinces which had revolted from the empire of f Polyb. l. x, p. 597–602. 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. This country, says Polybius, is the most powerful in all Asia, as well for its extent, as for the number andstrength 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 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 cyprus, 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 Ana 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 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 that know the country, can find them. On this occasion, a true story is related A. M. 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 expence 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 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 de3793. serts, in spite of the difficulties which he imagined Ant. J. C. would stop his march, he gave orders for stopping 211. A. M. 3794 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 Ant. C. the year before in Media: Arsaces was forced to retire into Hyrcania, where he imagined that in securing some passes of the mountains which separate 210. |