50 Surrenders

Syracufe fius, he found it impoffible to hold out, and therefore furren dered himself to Timoleon, by whom he was fent to Co. rinth; where at laft he was reduced to the neceffity of teach. to laneing a school for his fupport. leon, and keeps a fchool at Corinth.

After the expulfion of the tyrant, Timoleon withdrew to Catana, leaving only 400 Corinthians, under the command of an experienced officer named Leon, to guard the citadel. These were immediately befieged by Icetas and the Carthaginians, but Timoleon found means to relieve them in fpite of all oppofition; and having dispersed emissaries through the army of Mago the Carthaginian general, exhorting the Cowardice mercenary Greeks to forfake him, he was fo much intimiof the Car- dated, that in spite of all the remonftrances Icetas could thaginians. make, he fet fail for Africa, leaving his colleague to carry

52

and other

ty.

53

54

on the war in the best manner he could..

The day after the departure of Mago, Timoleon affaulted the city fo brifkly, that the troops of Icetas were driven from the walls, and the Corinthians became matters of the Citadel of place. Timoleon, by found of trumpet, invited the inha Syracufe bitants to come and affift in demolishing the citadel and forts demo- other caftles, which he called the nests of tyrants; after which lished by he caused edifices to be erected in the place where the citaTimoleon. del had ftood, for the administration of juftice. He found the city in a moft miferable fituation: for many having perifhed in the wars and feditions, and others having fled to avoid the oppreffion of tyrants, Syracufe, once fo wealthy and populous, was now become almost a defert; infomuch that the horses were fed on the grafs which grew on the He repco market-place. Timoleon fupplied the city with inhabitants ples the ci- from Corinth and other cities of Greece, at the fame time that great multitudes from Italy and the other parts of Sicily reforted thither. Timoleon diftributed the lands among them gratis; but fold the houses, and with the money arifing from the fale established a fund for the fupport of the poor. Having thus reftored Syracufe, he in like manner delivered all the Greek cities of Sicily from the tyrants who had taken poffeffion of them, all of whom he put to death. After this he refigned his authority, and led a retired life, honoured in the highest degree by the Syracufians, and by Dies, and is all the cities in Sicily. After his death he was honoured honoured as a god; the expence of his funeral was defrayed by the as a god. public; fports, with horfc-races and gymnaftic exercifes, were held annually on the day of his death; and it was decreed, that whenever the Syraculians were at war with the barbarians, they fhould fend to Corinth for a general. For 20 years the Syracufians enjoyed the fruits of Timoleon's victories; but new disturbances arifing, in a fhort time another tyrant started up, who exceeded all that had gone who exceeded all that had gone before him in cruelty and other vices. This was the cele brated Agathocles, of whofe exploits against the Carthaginians a full account is given under the article CARTHAGE, n° 33-53. He was poifoned by one Monon in the year 289 B. C. after having reigned 28 years, and lived 95.A fucceffion of tyrants followed, till at laft the city, being held by two rivals, Tonion and Sofiftratus, who made war within the very walls, Pyrrhus king of Epirus was invited into Sicily, in order to put an end to these distractions. He willingly complied with the invitation; and was everywhere received with loud acclamations, as the deliverer not only of Syracuse, but of all Sicily. As he had a fine army of 30,000 Conquers a foot and 500 horfe, with a fleet of 200 fail, he drove the Carthaginians from place to place, till he left them only the two ftrong pofts of Eryx and Lilybæum. The former of thefe he took by affault, and was himself the first man who mounted the walls, after having killed a great number of Africans with his own hand. The Mamertines likewife, who had conquered a confiderable part of the island, were everywhere defeated and driven out, till at last they were

55 Syracufe again falls under the power of tyrants.

56

Pyrrhus king of Epirus in

vited into

Sicily.

57

great part of the ifland.

58 Behaves in

turn into

59

fhut up in the city of Meffana. The Carthaginians, alarmed Syracufa at the rapidity of his conquefts, fent ambaffadors with pro-t pofals of peace upon very advantageous terms; but Pyrrhus, puffed up with the expectation of reducing the whole ifland, refused to hearken to any terms unless they would instantly abandon it. So firm was he in the belief of this, that he caufed his fon take upon him the title of king of Sicily; but a haughty in the mean time, having difpleafed the Sicilians by his arbi- manner, trary behaviour, they deferted from him in such numbers and is obli that he was glad to fet out for Italy, for which retreat the ged to reembaffies he received from the Samnites, Tarentines, and Italy. other Italians, furnished him with an honourable pretext. He embarked in the fhips which he had brought with him from Italy; but was met at fea by the Carthaginians, who funk 70 of his veffels, and dispersed or took the reft; so that he faved himself in Italy only with 12 veffels, the poor remains of a fleet of 200 fail. No fooner were the Mamer Haraffed by tines apprifed of his departure, than they difpatched a body the Mamer of 18,000 men to harass him after his landing. Thefe, ha. tines. ving paffed the ftraits before him, pofted themselves in the road which Pyrrhus must take in marching by land to Tarentum; and concealing themselves among woods and rocks, attacked him unexpectedly, and with great refolution. But Pyrrhus behaved on this occafion with his ufual braveThe attack being made on his rear, he haftened thither, and made a dreadful flaughter of the enemy, till a wound on his head obliged him to retire. As he was fupposed to be disabled by this wound, a proud Mamertine, of an extraordinary fize, and fhining in bright armour, advanced, and with a loud voice challenged the king of Epirus, if he was yet alive, to a fingle combat. Pyrrhus imme- Aftonih. diately turned about, and making a dreadful appearance by ing exploit of Pyrrhus, reafon of the blood which ran down his face, flew at this new champion, on whofe head he discharged fuch a furious blow, that he cleft his body afunder; one half falling to the right, and the other to the left. This incredible feat, which has fince been afcribed to other warriors, perhaps with as much truth as to Pyrrhus, fo much intimidated the Mamertines, that they allowed his troops to continue their march unmolested.

ry.

бо

68

cufian for

ces.

After the departure of Pyrrhus, Hiero the son of Hiero- Hiero chocles, a defcendant of Gelon the first king of Syracuse, was en general chofen general of the forces, along with another named Ar-of the syras temidorus. The two generals had nothing more at heart than to put an end to the confufion and diforder which reigned in the city; for, which reason they entered it at the head of their forces. On this occafion Hiero difcovered extraordinary talents for government. By mere dint of infinuation and addrefs, without fhedding blood, or hurting a single citizen, he calmed the minds of the people; reconciled the factions; and fo gained the affections of all, that he was invested with the whole civil as well as military power in the state. Soon after this, he married the daughter of one of the first citizens; and having diftinguished himself Is elected by his exploits againft the Mamertines, was unanimously king of Syelected king of Syracufe, in the year 265 B. C.

62

racufe.

63

Some time after Hiero's acceffion to the throne, he again defeated the Mamertines, and reduced them to fuch ftraits, that they were obliged to call in the Romans to their af fiftance. The confequences of this have been fully related under the articles ROME and CARTHAGE. Hiero, who had Lives in allied himself with the Carthaginians, being himself defeated strict friend by the Romans, and finding his allies unable to protect him hip with against the power of that republic, concluded an alliance with them; and continued faithful to them even in the time of the fecond Punic war, when they were in the greatest diftrefs. In his reign flourished the celebrated mathematician Archimedes, whofe genius he employed in fortifying

the

The Ro

mans.

Syracufe. the city of Syracufe, by innumerable machines, in fuch a manner as rendered it absolutely impregnable to every me. thod of attack known at that time.

with the

nians.

thage,

11° 123. 65

Syracufe invelted.

66

of the Romaus by fea and land.

Marcellus.

64 Hierony Hiero died about 211 B. C. and was fucceeded by his mus allies grandson Hieronymus: but he imprudently forfook the counfels of his grandfather, and entered into an alliance with Carthagi- the Carthaginians. Soon after this he was murdered, in confequence of his tyranny and cruelty, and the greateft diforders took place in the city; which Hannibal, though then in Italy, found means to foment, in hopes of keeping the Syracufians in his intereft. This indeed he effected; but * See Car- as his own affairs in Italy began to decline *, he could not prevent Marcellus from landing in Sicily with a formidable army, which the Sicilians could by no means refift. Syracufe was foon invetted; but the machines invented by Archimedes baffled all attempts to take it by affault. It was 22 miles in compass, and confifted properly of five cities in one, viz. Ortygia, Acradina, Tyche, Neapolis, and Epipola. Ortygia was a small island very near the continent, and might be called the citadel of Syracufe, being joined to Great force Acradina by a bridge. The immenfe preparations which the conful had made for taking the city by ftorm, could not have failed to accomplish his purpose, had the place been otherwife defended than by the contrivance of Archimedes. The Roman fleet confifted of 60 quinqueremes, befides a far greater number of other fhips. The decks were covered with foldiers armed with darts, flings, and bows, to drive the belieged from the ramparts, which on the fide of Acra67 dina were washed by the fea, and to facilitate the approach Machine in- to the walls. But a machine of Marcellus's own invention vented by was what he chiefly depended on. He had fastened together fidewife eight galleys of different lengths, which made but one large body, and were rowed only by the oars of the outermoft galleys. Thefe eight galleys thus joined, ferved only as a bafis for a machine, which was raised up higher than the highest towers of the walls, and had at the top a platform guarded with parapets in front and on each fide. This machine was called a jambuca, from its resemblance to a mufical inftrument of that name, not unlike an harp. The conful's defign was to bring his fambuca to the foot of Destroyed the walls of Acradina; but, while it was at a confiderable by Archi- distance (and it advanced very flow, being moved only by two ranks of rowers), Archimedes discharged from one of his engines a vaft ftone, weighing, according to Plutarch's account, 1250 pounds, then a fecond, and immediately after a third; all which, falling upon the fambuca with a dreadful noife, broke its fupports, and gave the galleys upon which it flood fuch a violent fhock that they parted, and the machine which Marcellus had raised upon them at a vast trouble and expence was battered to pieces. At the fame time, feveral other machines, which were not vifible without the walls, and confequently did not leffen the confidence of the Romans in the affault, played inceffantly upon their ships, and overwhelmed them with showers of flones, rafters, and beams pointed with iron; infomuch that Marcellus, being at a loss what to do, retired with all poffible hafte, and fent orders to his land-forces to do the fame; for the attack on the land-fide was attended with no better fuccefs, the ranks being broken and thrown into the utmost confufion by the ftones and darts, which flew with fuch noife, force, and rapidity, that they ftruck the Romans with terror, and dashed all to pieces before them.

68

medes.

69 Incredible effects of

the machines of Archimedes.

Marcellus, furprifed, though not difcouraged, at this artificial ftorm, which he did not expect, held a council of war, in which it was refolved, the next day before fun-rife, to come up clofe under the wall, and keep there. They were in hopes by this means to fecure themlelves againft the terrible ftorm of flones and darts which fell on the fhips

when at a distance. But Archimedes had prepared engines Syracufe, which were adapted to all distances. When the Romans therefore had brought their fhips clofe under the wall, and thought themselves well covered, they were unexpectedly overwhelmed with a new shower of darts and ftones, which fell perpendicularly on their heads, and obliged them to retire with great precipitation. But they were no fooner got at fome diftance, than a new fhower of darts overtook them, which made a dreadful havock of the men, while ftones of an immense weight, discharged from other machines, either difabled or broke in pieces moft of their galleys. This lofs they fuftained, without being able to revenge it in the least on the enemy. For Archimedes had placed moft of his engines behind the walls, and not only out of the reach, but even out of the fight, of the enemy; fo that the Romans were repulsed with a dreadful slaughter, without seeing the. hand that occafioned it; as if they had been fighting, to use Plutarch's expreffion, not with men, but with the gods. themselves. What most haraffed the Romans in the attack by fea, was a fort of crow with iron claws, fastened to a long chain, which was let down by a kind of lever. weight of the iron made it fall with great violence, and drove it into the planks of the galleys. Then the belieged, by a great weight of lead at the other end of the lever, weighed it down, and confequently raifed up the iron of the crow in proportion, and with it the prow of the galley to which it was fastened, finking the poop at the fame time into the water. After this the crow letting go its hold all of a fudden, the prow of the galley fell with fuch force into the fea, that the whole veffel was filled with water, and sunk. At other times, the machines, dragging fhips to the fhore by hooks, dashed them to pieces againit the points of the rocks which projected under the walls. Other veffels were quite. lifted up into the air, there whirled about with incredible rapidity, and then let fall into the fea, and funk, with all that were in them. How thefe ftupendous works were effected, few, if any, have hitherto been able to comprehend.

The

The troops under the command of Appius fuffered no lefs in this fecond attack than the fleet. In the whole pace of ground which the army, when formed, took up, the last files as well as the firft were overwhelmed with fhowers of darts and flints, against which they could not poffibly defend themselves. When they had with infinite trouble brought the mantelets and covered galleries, under which they were to work the ranis, near the foot of the wall, Archimedes discharged fuch large beams and ftones upon them as crushed them to pieces. If any brave Roman ventured to draw too near the wall, iron hooks were immediately let down from above, which, taking hold of his clothes or fome part of his body, lifted him up in the air and dafhed out his brains with the fall. Marcellus, though at a loss what to do, could not however forbear expreffing himself with pleafantry: Shall we perfift, faid he to his workmen, in making war upon this Briareus, upon this giant with an hundred hands? But the foldiers were fo terrified, that if they saw upon the walls only a small cord, or the leaft piece of wood, they immediately turned their backs and fled, crying out, that Archimedes was going to discharge some dreadful inachine upon them.

7༠

The confuls, finding themfelves thus defeated in every The fiege attempt, turned the fiege into a blockade, reduced most of turned into A blockade. the other places in the island, and defeated the forces which were fent against them; and at lait Marcellus made himself mafter of Syracuse itfelf, of which the following account is given by Mr Flooke. "He took the opportunity of a fe- M-Hooke's tival, when the foldiers and citizens had drunk plentifully, account of to make a detachment fcale the walls of Tyche, in that part of Syracufe. the taking of

Kk 2

71

Syracufe, of it which was nearest to Epipole, and which was ill guard ed. He prefently after poffeffed himself of Epipole; where upon the inhabitants of Neapolis, as well as Tyche, fent de puties to him, and fubmitted. Marcellus granted life and liberty to all of free condition, but gave up thofe quarters of the city to be plundered.

Notwithstanding this, there was a great deal yet to do. Acradina and Ortygia, which were frongly fortified, fill held out; Hippocrates and Himilco arrived with their troops to the relief of the besieged; and the Romans were forced to exert all their bravery and skill to maintain the advantages they had gained.

But now a plaque made terrible havock in both armies. At the first breaking out of the peftilence, the Sicilians, who ferved under Hippocrates and Himilco, difbanded themselves, and returned to their respective homes; but all the Carthaginian foldiers perished, together with thofe two generals. The Nomans fuffered lefs by the infection becaufe, having been a long time before Syracufe, they were seasoned to the air and water of the country.

"About this time Bomilcar arrived on the coaft of Sicily from Carthage, with a fleet of 130 galleys and 700 fhips of burden; but was long hindered by contrary winds from doubling the cape of Pachynum. Epicydes, fearing the Carthaginian might fail back to Africa, left the command of Acradina to the generals of the mercenaries, and went to Bomilcar, in order to perfuade him to fight the Roman fleet. The admiral would not engage, but failed away to Tarentum with all his galleys, ordering his thips of burden to return to Africa. Epicydes, thus fruftrated of his hopes, and knowing himfelf unable to defend a city already half taken, retired to Agrigentum; whereupon the Syracufans. maffacred the commanders appointed by him, chose new prætors to govern in the town, and fent deputies to Marcellus to treat of peace. In the mean time, the deferters, fearing to be given up to the vengeance of the Romans, perfuaded the mercenaries that they also would have the fame fate. Inftantly the foldiers ran to arms, put to death the new prætors, together with many of the Syracufians, and plundered part of the city. After this flaughter they chofe fix generals, three to command in Acradina, and three in Ortygia. Upon the return of the deputies from Marcellus, the mercenaries. finding that their cafe was different from that of the deferters, and that there was no defign against their lives, became perfectly fatisfied, and the negotiation went on. During the course of the treaty, Marcellus found means to corrupt Mericus, a Spaniard, one of the fix generals chosen by the foldiers, and engaged him to admit the Romans into that part of the city where he commanded. Mericus, the better to accomplish this defign, feigned an extraordinary zeal for the prefervation of that place; pretended not to like that deputies fhould have leave to go out and in at pleasure; and proposed, that for the greater fecurity of the town, each general fhould have a diftinct quarter affigned him, and be responsible for any neglect of duty in it. The motion was agreed to; and upon the division, that district of Ortygia which extended from the fountain of Arethufa to the mouth of the great port fell to his care. Marcellus, informed of what was done, took his measures accordingly. He fent a body of troops to that fide where Mericus commanded, and the Spaniards admitted them at the gate of Arethufa. At the fame time, the proconful ordered a falfe attack to be made on Acra dina; which drawing almost all the foldiers of the garrifon thither, Ortygia was in a manner left defencelefs. Fore feeing this, he had detached another party of foldiers to take advantage of it. These entered Ortygia almoft with out fighting; upon which the deferters made their efcape,

the Romans giving them way; and the Syracufians in A. Syracufe cradina, thus delivered from the fear of the deferters, immediately opened their gates to Marcellus, who thereby became master of the whole city.

72

and Archi.

"And now the conqueror, who is faid to have wept The city during the fere with compaffion for the inhabitanta, gave plundered, up both Ortygia and Aeradina to be, plundered by his medes kil army, after he had fecured the late king's treasures for the led. ufe of his republic, and the ftatues, paintings, and principal ornaments of Syracufe to illuftrate his triumph. The foldiers had orders to fpare the lives of the citizens; but they were cruel in their avarice, flew many of them, and among the reft the incomparable Archimedes. He was very intent on a demonftration in geometry, and calmly drawing his lines, when a foldier entered the room, and clapped a fword to his throat. "Hold! (faid Archimedes) one moment, and my demonftration will be finished." But the foldier, equally regardless of his prayer and his de monftration, killed him inftantly. There are different accounts of the manner of his death; but all agree that Marcellus regretted it extremely, and showed a fingular favour to his relations for his fake."

73

in the Tavo. Sicilies,

The city of Syracuse continued fubject to the western Syracufe deftroyed empire till its declenfion, when the island of Sicily, being by the sas ravaged by different barbarians, the capital alfo underwent racens. various revolutions.; till at laft, in the 9th century, it was fo deftroyed by the Saracens, that very few traces of its ancient grandeur are now to be feen. "The ancient city of Travels Syracufe was of a triangular formy and confifted of five parts or towns. The circuit, according to Strabo, amount- vol. ii. ed to 180 ftadia, or za English miles, and four furlongs. p. 327, An account (fays Mr Swinburne) which I once fufpected &c. of exaggeration; but, after spending two days in tracing the ruins, and making reasonable allowances for the encroachments of the fea, I was convinced of the exactness of his meafurement.

"At prefent it is strongly fortified towards the land, and the ditches of the bastions form the communications between the two havens. tween the two havens. It is very weak towards the fea, but the fhelves render it hazardous to debark on that fide. The garrifon is one of the bell appointed in the kingdom, but the heights of Acradina command the works.

"About eighteen thousand inhabitants are now contained in it. The dwellings are far from being memorials of an cient Syracufan architecture or opulence. In any other fituation they might be thought tolerable; but to observers who reflect on the ftyle of those buildings that probably once covered the fame ground, the prefent edifices must have a mean appearance. The ancient temple of Minerva is now turned into a cathedral. The walls of the cella are thrown down, and only as much left in pillars as is neceffary to fupport the roof; the intercolumniations of the peryftile are walled up. This temple is built in the old Doric proportions used in the reft of Sicily; its exterior dimenfions are 185 feet in length and 75 in breadth. There are also fome remains of Diana's temple, but now scarcely difcernible. Besides thefe, there are few ruins in the ifland; and one is furprised that any should exift in a place which has been fo often laid waste by enemies, and so often fhaken by earthquakes.

Every object here imprints a melancholy fenfation on the mind, while it draws a comparifon between the prefent humble ftate of things and their once flourishing condition. The ancients have left pompous defcriptions of the traffic carried on in this well fituated port, the almoft incredible wealth poffeffed by its citizens, and the fplendid edifices upon which they lavished a great part of their riches. I had already viewed (fays Mr Swinburne) the defert fites

of

Syria,

I

of many great ancient cities, and had as often. mourned over their remains, but never did I feel the impreffion of pity and regret fo ftrong as in wandering among the ruins of Syracufe.'

SYRIA, a very ancient kingdom of Afia, lying between the Mediterranean on the weft, the Euphrates on the eaft, and Arabia Deserta, Phoenicia, and Palestine, on the fonth. In ancient times this country was called Arm, from ANames, divilions, &c, ram. the youngest fon of Shem, who fettled here; but in of ancient process of time the name came to be changed into Syria, Syria. from one Syrus, according to fome; though others think it is only a contraction of the word Affyria. At firft it was ́undoubtedly parcelled out into feveral petty fates; all of which feem afterwards to have been reduced under fubjection to the four principal ones, Zobali, Damafcus, Hamath, and Gehur. Afterwards the whole country was divided in to two parts only, viz. Cœlefyria and Phoenicia; though the Phenicians, Idumeans, Jews, Gazites, and Azotites, or the whole country of the Philistines, was included. After the death of Alexander, Syria,, in the great extent of the word, was divided, according to Strabo, into Conagene, Seleucis of Syria, Calefyria, Phoenice on the fea coaft, and Judea in the midland. Ptolemy, however, fubdivides thefe; and in the Proper Syria reckons only Comagene, Pieria, Cyrrhitti ca or Cyrrheftica, Seleucis, Caffiotis or Caftotis, Chalybonitis, Chalcidice or Chaleidene,. A pamene, Laodicene, Phoc nicia Mediterranea, Cœlefyria and Palmyrene.

Seleucus the first

3

The hiftory of the ancient Syrians, till the time of their being carried away by the kings of Affyria, is totally unknown, excepting a few particulars which may be gathered from Scripture, and which it is needlefs here to reptat. During the continuance of the Affyrian, Babylonian, and Perfian monarchies, the history of this country affords BOthing remarkable; but after the death of Alexander, it gave name to a very confiderable empire, which makes a confpicuous figure in ancient history. At this time, however, it was not confined to Syria properly fo called, but compre. hended all thofe vaft provinces of the Upper Alia which formed the Ferfian empire; being, in its full extent, bounded by the Mediterranean upon one fide, and the river Indus on the other. The first king was Seleucus, one of the generals of Alexander the Great; who, after the death of king of that conqueror, being made governor of Babylon, was Syria after Alexander tempted, by the example of Alexander's other captains, to the Great. fet up for himself. Eumenes, who had fincerely at heart the intereft of Alexander's family, folicited his affiftance Attempts against Antigonus, who had openly revolted; but Seleucus to deftroy not only refused this affiftance, but attempted to destroy Eu menes himself with his whole army, by cutting the fluices of the Euphrates, and laying under water the whole plain where they were encamped. Eumenes, however, found means to escape the danger without the lofs of a man. Up. on this Seleucus endeavoured to gain over his troops: but finding that impoffible, he made a truce with Eunenes, and granted him a lafe paffage through his province; but at the fame time sent an exprefs. to Antigonus, defiring him to fall upon him before he was joined by the governors of Upper Alia. Antigonus did not fail to follow his advice; but having prevailed again Eumenes through treachery, he next thought of bringing Seleucus himself under fubjection. Obliged by On his return to Babylon, therefore, after having been feaftAntigonus ed with his whole army by Seleucus, he demanded of him to fly into Egypt. an account of the revenues of his province. Receiving an unfavourable answer to this queftion, Antigonus was fo much exafperated, that Seleucus, not thinking himself a match for him at that time, thought proper to fly into ESYRt.

Etamenes.

4

By the flight of Seleucus, Antigonus was left mafter of

lon with a

all his provinces; but his fan. Demetrius being afterwards Sýria defeated by Ptolemy at Gaza, Seleucus began to think of recovering what he had loft. Being furnished by Ptolemy Attempts with roco foot and 200 horfe, he fet out with that flender the recoveforce to attempt the recovery of Babylon. Nothing couldry of Babyhave a more defperate appearance than this undertaking; very fender yet Seleucus was not difcouraged. On his arrival at Carrhæ force. in Mefopotamia, partly by force and partly by perfuafion, he prevailed on the Macedonians who garrifoned that place to revolt from Antigons and join him. Being thus reinforced, he entered the territories of Babylon, where new fupplies were continually added to his army; his ancient fubjects flocking to him from all parts, and declaring themfelves ready to ftand by him with their lives and tortunes. This happened in confequence of the lenity with which they had been treated by Seleucus; whereas Antigonus was univerially detefled an account of his feverity.-As he ap-Becomes proached the city, those who lavoured Antigonus retired mafter of into the citadel, but were toon obliged to furrender; and in that ortrefs. Seleucus found his children, friends, and dometics, whom Antigonus had kept pritoners ever fince his fight into Egypt.

the city.

Nicanor,

Seleucus having thus made himself master of Babylon, in the year 312 B. C. began to prepare for encountering Antigomus, who he knew would foon attack him with all his force. Nicanor, governor of Media under Antigonus, firft Defeatsadvanced against him at the head of 10,000 foot and 7000 horfe; but Seleucus, with only 3000 foot and co horse, in reduces having drawn him into an ambush, cut off aloft the whole Sufiana, of his army, and fuch of the foldiers as had escaped the flaughter willingly enlisted under his banner.

The confequence of this victory was the fubmiffion of all Media and Sufiana; which alarming Antigonus, he fent his fon Demetrius with an army of 5300 Macedonian foot, 10,000 mercenaries, and 4000 horfe. Seleucus was then in Media; and Patrocles, whom he had left to take care of Babylon, finding his force inadequate to that purpofe, com pelled the inhabitants to leave the city and difperfe themfelves in the adjacent countries, while he himself, with what troops he had, retired into two forts, which he thought. could eatily be defended. When therefore Demetrius entered Babylon, he was furprised to find it deferted, upon which he intantly attacked the forts. One was quickly reduced; but as the other held out till the expiration of the time which had been allowed him by his father, he left. 5000 foot and 1000 horse under the command of Archelaus to carry on the fiege. With the reft he marched away, fuffering his foldiers to live at difcretion as he went along; which fo provoked the Babylonians, that they were ever after attached to Seleucus as if he had been their natural. prince.

an: reduces

Media and

3

On the return of Seleucus to Babylon, he easily droveout the troops left by Antigonus, recovered the caftle: which he had garrifoned, and fettled his authority on fuch a firm foundation, that it could never afterwards be moved. Having then marched again into Media, he defeated and Nicanor killed with his own hand Nicanor or Nicator, whom Anti-again degonus had fent against him; after which, having fettled the feated and affairs of Media, he reduced all Perfia, Bactria, and Hyrcania, fubjecting to his new empire these and all the other provinces on this fide the Indus which had been conquered.

Seleucus being now master of all the countries which lie between the Euphrates and the Indus, took the title of king of Babylon and Media. But, not fatisfied with these possesfions, ample as they were, he croffed the Indus, in order to conquer those regions which had submitted to Alexander beyond that river. But, during the time that the generals. of Alexander had been making war upon his family and up7

killed.