and confirmed and strengthened his power, by obtaining in marriage Apamea, a daughter of Antiochus Soter, king of Syria. Prosperity inflated his mind; and he not only proclaimed himself Independent sovereign of the region of which he governed, but prepared, B.C. 265, to dethrone his generous brother. On his march towards Egypt, with a great army, tidings reached him of a revolt in Lybia, which compelled him to retreat. The king of Egypt was prevented from pursuing him, by the detection of a conspiracy formed against him by several thousand Gauls, whom he had admitted into his army, and who had rashly resolved to seize the kingdom. These he caused to be sent to an island in the Nile, and shut up till they all perished by famine. Megas no sooner restored his provinces to peace, than he formed an alliance with his fatherin-law, by which they proposed to invade Egypt at both its extremities. Ptolemy anticipated their plans, and frustrated their purpose; and, a few years later, he agreed to a treaty of peace with his brother, in which the latter gave his eldest daughter in marriage to the eldest son of Ptolemy, with Lybia and Cyrenaica for her dowry. Before the marriage was consummated Megas died, and his wife sought an asylum with her brother, Antiochus Theos, who had succeeded to the throne of Syria. She had been disappointed in her schemes to secure to herself the dominions of her husband, by the murder of the Grecian whom she purposed to marry. Bernice, her daughter, who had been guilty of this deed, having been actually married to the heir of Egypt, she, to be revenged on her, stirred up her brother to attempt the conquest of that kingdom.

The war which followed between Egypt and Syria lasted several years; but was at last terminated by a peace, the terms of which were that Antiochus should divorce his wife and marry Bernice, a daughter of Ptolemy,-disinherit the children by the former, and settle the crown on the children of the latter. This plan of Ptolemy to aggrandize his dynasty, appeared, probably to him, consummately adapted to re-establish, almost to its entire extent, the unity of the Grecian empire, which was completely opposed to the revealed purposes of God. That it was contemplated with no common satisfaction by those with whom it originated, their conduct showed. The monarchs met in Seleucia, the noble city recently built near the mouth of the Syrian river Orontes. The marriage was solemnized with great magnificence. Ptolemy, intensely solicitous for the health of his daughter, exalted to be queen of Syria, resolved that she should drink no water except that of the Nile, which he deemed essential to prevent disease; and he therefore decreed to transmit to her regular supplies.

The exultation of these princes was transitory. Their policy was confounded; Heaven frowned; and their counsels were given to the winds, and brought great calamity on both their kingdoms. This act of theirs, foreseen by the Omniscient, formed a prominent part of Daniel's prophetic vision of the Grecian empire. The history of each of the four kingdoms into which it was divided, on the death of the first generation, was not beheld or pourtrayed by the prophet; that of Egypt and Syria alone was interesting to the worshippers of the True God, for they were not to be particularly favoured or persecuted by the rulers of the other two. Egypt lay south of Judea, and Syria north; and hence the former is denominated by Daniel

the king of the South, and the latter the king of the North. King is put for kingdom; and the treaty of peace and marriage, with the results, are strikingly described. After presenting to view the conquest of Alexander, and the transference of his empire to those who belonged not to his race, the prophet proceeds :-"And the king of the south shall be strong, and one of his (the conqueror's) princes; and, or even, he shall bes trong above him, and have dominion; his dominion shall be a great dominion. And in the end of years they shall join themselves together; for the king's daughter of the south shall come to the king of the north to make an agreement: but she shall not retain the power of the arm; neither shall he stand, nor his arm; but she shall be given up, and they that brought her, and he that begat her, and he that strengthened her in these times." Dan. xi. 5, 6. That the Egyptian power was strong, the history of the dynasty of Ptolemy amply proves; but it was much exceeded by Syria under Seleucus and his race, whether we consider the extent of their dominions, or the warlike character of several of its kings, the principal actions of whom will have to pass under our review. Seleucus, before his death, ruled over the East from Mount Taurus to the river Indus, several provinces of Asia Minor, Thrace, and Macedon. The alliance by marriage of the royal families of Egypt and Syria was speedily dissolved. Ptolemy survived it only about two years. This event was no sooner known to Antiochus than he deserted Bernice, and restored Laodice his first wife to her place; and she, aware of the changeableness of his disposition, secretly poisoned him, and put Bernice and her infant son to death, to secure the throne to her own eldest son, known in history by the name of Seleucus Callinicus. This barbarous treatment of the princess of Egypt was deeply resented by her brother, Ptolemy Evergetus, who had ascended his father's throne. Thus the announcement of Daniel was minutely verified, and we may well adopt the reflection of Rollin on this fact: "I cannot but recognise in this place, with admiration, the divinity so visible in the scriptures, which have related, in so particular a manner, a variety of singular and extraordinary facts, above three hundred years before they were transacted. While an immense chain of events extends from the prophecy to the time of its accomplishment, by the breaking of any single link the whole would be disconcerted! With respect to the marriage alone, what hand but that of the Almighty could have conducted so many different views, intrigues, and passions to the same point? What knowledge but this could, with so much certainty, have foreseen such a number of distinct circumstances, subject not only to the freedom of will, but even to the irregular impressions of caprice? And what man but must adore that sovereign power which God exercises in a certain secret manner, over kings and princes, whose very crimes he renders subservient to the execution of his sacred will, and the accomplishment of his eternal decrees; in which all events, both general and particular, have their appointed time and place fixed beyond the possibility of failing, even those which depend the most on the choice and liberty of mankind ?"

CHAPTER XIII.

THE SYRIAN KINGS CONTEMPORARY WITH PTOLEMY SOTER

AND PHILADELPHUS.

ANTIOCHUS, father of Seleucus, was one of Alexander's chief captains; and the son is represented in history as superior to them all in the talents and acquirements of an accomplished warrior. He was, however, not less ambitious to excel in the arts of peace than those of war. His subjects esteemed him on account of the leniency, justice, and equity of his administration; and all admired the wisdom displayed in the numerous plans and the persevering efforts by which he studied to enrich and exalt his extensive kingdom.

Immediately after he and his three allies had finally divided among them the empire, he proceeded to take possession of the fine provinces of Syria, which constituted one of the most valuable portions of the division assigned him. He selected a fertile spot for the site of a city, which he purposed to make the capital of his dominions in the East. This city he named Antioch, to testify his respect for his father, or son. It was erected on the banks of the Orontes, the modern El-Aasi, the principal river of Syria, about twenty miles from its junction with the ocean. The river was anciently navigable, the city greater and richer than Rome, and, for many ages, not equalled by any oriental city. It has often suffered from earthquakes, and was completely ruined by the Mamelukes in 1269. Its remains form a poor town, remarkable chiefly for its numerous gardens. Five miles from the ocean, Seleucus built a city called by his own name; and higher up than Antioch, he raised the well-known city named from his wife Apamea. He gave, it is said, the name of Antioch to a number of the cities which he built in Asia Minor. He settled Jews in all these cities, conferring on them the same immunities and privileges which were enjoyed by his own countrymen, the Macedonians, his most favoured subjects. He may in this have imitated the policy of his contemporary kings of Egypt; or, as some think, he may have thus rewarded the Jews for their services, in advancing his interests in the East, when he had to contend for his existence against Antigonus and Demetrius. But whatever motive actuated him or other princes in their generous conduct to the Jews, the fact demonstrates that the dominion of idolatry was no longer absolute and exclusive in the empire; the true religion was allowed to lift up its voice in the East and the West. Moses, in innumerable synagogues, loudly called on all men, every Sabbath, to turn from dumb idols and serve the living God, that they might escape the just vengeance of Heaven.

In his first efforts to attain independence, Seleucus, with a view to destroy Eumenes and his army, when that general sought to compel him to support the royal cause, cut the sluices of the Euphrates, and laid the whole adjacent plain under water. This at once rendered the district of Babylon unfit to be inhabited, and the river which passed through the city became unnavigable. These circum

stances probably induced Seleucus to construct the celebrated city Seleucia, on the western bank of the Tigris, nearly opposite the present Bagdad, about forty miles from Babylon. The inhabitants of the latter soon deserted it, and peopled the new city; and from this time may be dated the complete fulfilment of the prophetic word, which announced that Babylon should be made a desert. Its walls remained some time for the protection of the wild beasts, hunted by the Parthian kings. These have long since disappeared; and nothing is visible to travellers, except vast mounds or extensive marshes, to indicate the site of the queen of the nations; see Babylon, in the Pocket Biblical Dictionary. Seleucia soon rose to be one of the first cities of the East, and was the occasional residence of Seleucus and his successors.

He survived Ptolemy Soter more than four years; and though he was at that time above seventy years of age, yet his thirst for empire was not allayed, nor his military prowess weakened. And perhaps all his experience and observation had failed to convince him that he possessed neither talents nor power to reduce under him all the kingdoms conquered by Alexander.

Circumstances flattered his boundless ambition. Ptolemy Philadelphus was not a warlike prince. Of all the great captains of Alexander, besides himself, Lysimachus alone survived, and he had lost his popularity. His celebrated son was esteemed by all ranks. He had been persuaded by his youngest wife that the prince had formed a conspiracy against him. Without proof he caused him to be imprisoned and put to death. The principal officers of his court, struck with horror, abandoned him, and, accompanied by the prince's widow, a daughter of Ptolemy Soter, his brother, and her own brother, Ptolemy Ceranus, went to the court of Seleucus to implore his assistance to dethrone their sovereign, and place the son on his throne. He received them courteously, especially Ptolemy Ceranus, the eldest son of Ptolemy, who had fled to Lysímachus when his father had placed his younger brother on the throne of Egypt; and he pledged himself to raise him to the throne of which he was the legitimate heir.

Having prepared for war, before he led his army against Lysimachus, Seleucus placed his son Antiochus over all his provinces lying east of the Euphrates. His march through Asia Minor was triumphant; the inhabitants every where submitted to him, and he obtained, in Sardis, all the treasures of the enemy. The contending armies met in Phrygia, and in the battle which imme diately followed, Lysimachus was slain, and his army defeated. The acquisition of his kingdom scarcely gave more pleasure to Seleucus than the fact that he alone survived of all the captains of Alexander, and had conquered the last of the conquerors. This induced him to assume the title Nicator, or conqueror, by which he is distinguished in history. Several months after the victory, instead of proceeding to Egypt, he set out for Macedon, avowing his intention to spend his last days in this, his native country. This appears to have provoked the wrath of Ptolemy Ceranus, who saw his interests wholly neglected, or left to the will of Antiochus. Unmoved by the kindness which he experienced from Seleucus, he indulged only the spirit of revenge, assassinated his benefactor, and, by the aid of the soldiers of Lysimachus, who regarded him as the

avenger of their sovereign's death, he took possession of Macedon. His sister, who had deserted Lysimachus, had two sons. Consider. ing himself in danger of losing the kingdom while they lived, he persuaded her, after the manner of the Persians, to marry him; and having thus deceived them, he speedily put them to death. But Divine vengeance suffered him not to live. He led an army against the Gauls, who had recently invaded the adjoining countries. A desperate battle terminated in the total defeat of his army; and, covered with wounds, he fell into the hands of the barbarians, and was ignominously slain.

In these events, we conceive, may be recognised the benevolence as well as justice of the supreme administration of the Almighty. Thus, had Seleucus lived much longer, nothing seemed to prevent his acquiring the entire ascendancy in the Grecian empire, except the power of Egypt. The few other provinces, which acknowledged not his government, were not in a state to oppose him, with any prospect of success. And the reigning king of Egypt was far his inferior as a warrior, and must have found it difficult, if not impoasible, to raise an army capable of defending his kingdom. Now, had the empire been subject to the successors of Seleucus, the result might have proved most injurious to the interests of the true religion. Some idea may be formed of this from the conduct of his descendant, Antiochus Epiphanes, who, we shall see, would have, had his power equalled his purpose and efforts, utterly destroyed every worshipper of the True God.

But supposing Seleucus had only deprived Ptolemy Philadelphus of the throne, and rendered his unprincipled brother the independent sovereign of Egypt, the consequence of such an event must have been deplorable to that kingdom and the world. The invaluable benefits which multitudes, in many kingdoms, owed to the wise and just government of the former prince, had not been enjoyed; but, instead of them, Egypt and the adjacent nations would have most probably witnessed a reign of crime, cruelty, oppression, and misery.

A calamity more dreadful to the inhabitants of the empire, if not to the human race, than any which had happened for ages, was finally averted by Antiochus, the son and heir of Seleucus. We allude to his final overthrow of the Gauls or Celts, on which account he acquired the title of Soter, the Deliverer or Saviour. This race of barbarians had been known and feared in Italy several years before they appeared in Greece and Asia. More than a century earlier they had laid Rome in ruins,-spread over France, to which they anciently gave the name of Gaul,-seized the western coasts and central regions of Spain, and passed over to Britain. An immense multitude migrated along the Danube, till they arrived at the outlet of the Save, where they formed themselves into three bodies. The first passed into Pannonia, the modern Hungary; the second, led by Cerethrius, entered Thrace; and the third, under Belgius, invaded Illyrium and Macedon. The nations exposed to their ravages hasted to pacify them with money. Their success only encouraged others of their barbarous race to follow them, particularly those who had first gone to Hungary. Their entrance into Greece was rendered memorable by their attempting to take possession of the immense riches of the famous temple of Apollo at