fled to Calauʼria, a small island on the Argive coast, where he took refuge in a temple of Neptune, but being pursued thither by the emissaries of Antipater, he took poison, and escaped by suicide from falling into the hands of his enemies. 318. 17. Antipater, when dying, bequeathed the regency B.C. of Macedon to Polysper'chon the oldest of Alexander's surviving generals. This arrangement was particularly displeasing to Cassan'der, the son of Antipater, and he immediately commenced a series of intrigues to obtain his father's power. In this he was assisted by Nica'nor, who commanded the Macedonian garrison in Munych'ia, and by the leaders of the aristocratic party at Athens, to whom the whole power of the state had been transferred by Antipater. 18. Polysper'chon, in order to counteract the efforts of Cassander, declared himself the patron of democracy and freedom; the old contest between the nobles and the people was thus revived in all the states with greater violence than ever. 19. The presence of Nica'nor's forces, who garrisoned both the Peira'eus and Munych'ia, enabled Pho''cion to maintain the oligarchy which Antipater had established; but the arrival of a numerous army under the command of Polysper'chon's son, soon made the popular party superior. A tumultuous assembly was convoked; the democracy was restored by acclamation, and sentence of death denounced against Pho"cion and all who had participated in the late government. 20. The persons who were thus summarily convicted of treason fled for protection to Polysper'chon, but he, anxious to conciliate the Athenians, shamefully surrendered the fugitives to the vindictive populace. The trial of these unfortunate persons was a mockery of justice; they were not allowed to speak in their own defence, and those who attempted to plead their cause were hooted from the tribunal. Pho'cion submitted to his fate with resignation, and showed no resentment for his unmerited condemnation, or the insults heaped on him by a furious rabble. His last message to his son was a command not to revenge the injuries that the Athenians had done him. With their usual fickleness, the people soon repented of their cruelty; they erected a brazen statue of Phocion, and punished his accusers with death, hoping, as usual, to atone for their own crime by punishing those by whom they had been stimulated to its commission. 21. From Attica, Polysper'chon proceeded to the Pelo ponnesus, where by siding with the popular party he made himself master of most of the cities. Megalop'olis, the capital of Arcadia, however, rejected all his offers of alliance, and resisted all his efforts to subdue it. 22. The defeat of Polysper'chon at Megalop'olis restored the sinking fortunes of Cassan'der; and the crimes of Olym'pias, the mother of Alexander, whom the regent had unwisely recalled to Macedon, enabled him to complete his triumph. 23. The nominal authority of the state had been confided to Anhidæ'us, the brother of the late king, but as he was almost an idiot, all the power was really possessed by his wife, Eurydi'ce, who was passionately attached to Cassan'der. Olym'pias, with the forces of the regency, advanced against the imbecile Anhidæ'us, and made him and his wife prisoners. The unfortunate captives were put to death with shocking cruelty, and more than a hundred Macedonians, suspected of attachment to Cassander, shared the same fate. 24. But this cruelty proved the ruin of her cause; the Macedonians, shocked at her barbarity, deserted, and Cassander, advancing to avenge his murdered friend, scarcely met any opposition. Olym'pias shut herself up B.C. in Pyd'na, but the city was besieged and taken; she 315. S surrendered on the promise of receiving a fair trial, but Cassan'der, dreading her influence over the Macedonians, caused her to be assassinated in prison. 25. To secure himself on the throne, Cassander married Thessaloni'ca, the sister of Alexander the Great, and put to death all the descendants of the conqueror. The generals in the east had previously assumed the authority, though not as yet the title, of kings, and thus in a few years after the death of Alexander, not only his extensive empire, but even his hereditary dominions, were lost to his posterity for ever. 26. Cassander rebuilt Thebes, and recalled the descendants of the former inhabitants; he also gave to the remnant of the unfortunate Olynthians habitations in Cassandrei'a, a new city which he erected on the ruins of Potidea. He restored the power of the aristocracy at Athens, and intrusted the government of the city to Deme'trius of Phale'rum, a man celebrated for his philosophical attainments, and love of justice. A brief season of tranquillity followed, which was first interrupted by Cassander's joining the confederacy which had been formed against Antigonus.* * See Historical Miscellany, part II. chap. VII. 27. Demetrius Poliorce'tes, the son of Antigonus, was sent to Greece to rouse up the states against Cassander, and professing himself the advocate of democracy, was soon at the head of a considerable party. The first enterprise B.c. of Poliorce'tes was the siege of the Peira'eus, the 307. capture of which made him master of Athens. He restored the popular form of government, but saved the friends of oligarchy from the vengeance of the mob; Demetrius Phale'reus, though his equitable administration ought to have afforded him protection, was warned by the fate of Phocion on a similar occasion, not to place any reliance on the gratitude of the Athenian populace; he, therefore, retired to Thebes, and subsequently to Egypt. 28. The inconstancy of that fickle people was soon after experienced by Poliorce'tes; on the first reverse of fortune, the Athenians excluded him from their city. After a short siege Demetrius again became master of Athens, and instead of punishing the inhabitants for their ingratitude, loaded them with benefits. 29. The death of Cassander, and the civil war SB.C. between his sons, afforded a new field of action to 296. Demetrius. Antip'ater, the elder of the brothers, commenced his reign by the murder of his mother, because he suspected her of favouring the pretensions of her younger son Alexander. A civil war ensued; by the aid of Pyrr'hus, king of Epirus, Alexander succeeded in driving Antipater into exile, where he was soon after murdered. Demetrius came to the assistance of Alexander, but the war was terminated before his arrival, and the young king, dreading the abilities of his ally, plotted against his life, but was met with equal cunning. At length Alexander was slain, and Demetrius obtained the kingdom of Macedon. 30. In the sixth year of his reign Deme'trius was SB.C. expelled from his kingdom by Pyrr'hus; he fled 287. into Asia, and being made a prisoner by his father-in-law Seleu'cus, died in captivity. A series of sudden revolutions followed; Pyrr'hus was driven out by Lysim'achus king of Thrace; he in his turn was defeated and slain by Seleu'cus, and Seleu'cus was assassinated by Ptol'emy Cerau'nus, who soon after made himself master of Macedon. 31. Cerau'nus did not long enjoy the fruit of his crimes; a horde of Gauls who had been settled in Panno'nia, finding their territories too small to support their increasing numbers, directed their course southwards, and soon appeared on the frontiers of Macedonia. Cerau'nus led an army to repel B.C. this invasion, but was defeated and slain. The entire 278. S country was laid waste by the barbarians, and when the resources of Macedon were exhausted, they prepared to extend their ravages to Greece. The Greeks, like their ancestors in the Persian war, met and defeated the invaders at Thermop'yle, and like them lost the fruits of their victory, by allowing the enemy to come round on their rear through the unguarded mountain-passes. The defenders of Thermop'ylæ escaped on board the Athenian fleet, and the Gauls, having now no impediment in their way, advanced to plunder the temple of Delphi. The preservation of the shrine from the spoilers is said to have been similar to its former deliverance from the Persians. (chap. V.) The Pho"cians, from their knowledge of the mountains, were enabled to harass the invaders by simultaneous attacks on their front, flank, and rear; an accidental storm terrified them with the dread of divine vengeance; and finally, a sudden panic spreading in their camp by night, they turned their weapons against each other, and were so weakened by mutual slaughter, that they could no longer make any head against the enemy, by whom they were slaughtered without mercy. From Europe the shattered remains of the Gauls passed over into Asia Minor, where they finally made themselves masters of the province which after them was named Gala'tia. 33. The kingdom of Macedon was distracted by the pretensions of different claimants to its crown, but at length the contest terminated in favour of Antig'onus, surnamed Gona'tas, from Goni in Thessaly, where he had been educated. He was the son of Demetrius Poliorcetes, and inherited both the ambition and abilities of his father Questions for Examination. 1 By whom was an attempt made to take advantage of Alexander's absence? 2. How did Antipater behave when he heard this intelligence? 3. What was the result of the war? 4. How were the Greek states treated during the reign of Alexander? 5. Did any remarkable oratorical contest occur at Athens? 6. What was the foundation of this contest? 7. What were the charges made by Æschines? 8. Which proved himself the better orator? 9. How did the trial terminate? 10. Did the rival orators exhibit any spite or jealousy? 1. What consequences followed the death of Alexander? 2. On what account did the Athenians go to war with Antipater? 13. Why is this called the Lamian war? 14. How did Antipater become superior in this war? 15. On what conditions was peace granted? 16. How did Demosthenes die? 17. What disputes took place after the death of Antipater? 22. What even favourable to Cassander took place? 24. How was she treated by Cassander? 25. How was Alexander's empire broken up? 26. What beneficial arrangements were made by Cassander? 27. Why did Demetrius Phalereus leave Athens ? 28. Did Poliorcetes show a revengeful disposition? 29. How did Demetrius acquire the kingdom of Macedon? 30. What revolutions followed? 31. How did Ceraunus die? 32. How did the invasion of the Gauls terminate? 33. Who acquired the kingdom of Macedon? CHAPTER XVI. THE ACHEAN LEAGUE-FIRST INTERFERENCE OF THE 1. WHEN the victories of Alexander, and still more the judicious measures of Antip'ater, had established the supremacy of Macedon over all the Grecian states, the league which bound together the Achæ'an cities was broken, and each was separately governed by some petty prince appointed by the Macedonians. But when the civil wars between the successors of Alexander had broken up his mighty empire, the Achæ'ans eagerly embraced the opportunity of recovering their independence. Patræ and some others having expelled their garrisons and governors, B.C. combined for the purpose of mutual defence, and 280. chose at an assembly of the states two generals to manage the affairs of the confederacy. 2. The happiness which this change produced, excited the emulation of those states which still groaned under the yoke of the Macedonian tyrants; Sic''yon, the most ancient of the Grecian cities. |