II. carefully covered by their shields, laboured CHAP. strenuously to mount the scaling ladders which were already planted on the walls. But their exertions were repelled by equal vigour, and from more advantageous ground. Ptolemy himself gave extraordinary proofs of skill and courage, aiming dexterously with his spear, and thereby blinding the elephants as they advanced to the assault. The battle continued through the greater part of the day, during which time no practicable breach was made in the walls, and many crowded scaling ladders were tumbled headlong into the stream. Perdiccas, obstinate as he was, yielded to the necessity of sounding a retreat, not doubting that his veterans would wash out the infamy of this repulse, in the blood of their upstart rivals. disaster at an island of the Nile, near Mem With the allowance of only a short interval Dreadful for rest and refreshment, he made another nocturnal march to that part of the bank which is opposite to Memphis; and where two branches phis. of the river, (before they finally separated to enclose the broad Delta,) formed a much smaller island, yet sufficient to lodge with safety a numerous army. His dispositions for crossing this branch of the Nile, which reached to the necks of the men, were judicious. On the left of his infantry, he endeavoured to break the force of the current by a line of elephants; his cavalry passed on the right, that they might pick up and save those of the foot, who were carried down by the strength of the stream. But an extra 60 Diodorus, 1. xviii. s. 34. II. CHAP. ordinary change in the river itself is said to have baffled these precautions. Whether, that its oozy bed was unable to sustain the incumbent weight; or that some distant sluice suddenly poured into it a new supply of water, or more probably that the agitated sand, scooped from the bottom of the channel, gradually increased its depth, it is certain, that after the first divisions had crossed over with little difficulty, the passage became altogether impracticable to those who came after them: Perdiccas was greatly disconcerted by this unexpected obstacle. In despair of protecting the troops who had already passed, he was obliged to recall to his standard those still struggling with the stream. His soldiers on the opposite bank, perceiving that they were abandoned by their friends, into the hands of far superior enemies, impetuously rushed into the Nile. Those expert at swimming, reached the desired shore with the loss of their armour. Those less skilful, to the number of two thousand, were either carried back to the enemy, or swallowed up by the waters, or being long borne on their surface, were devoured by crocodiles. 61 Ptolemy's prudent humanity. Instead of testifying unmanly joy at this disaster, Ptolemy shewed a laudable sympathy, even with the distress of invaders. The captives who had fallen into his hands were treated like brethren. Many bodies of the dead were recovered; burned, according to custom, with due lamentations; and their ashes in solemn pomp restored to their friends. This show of humanity 61 Diodor. 1. xviii. s. 35. II. contained much real prudence. The Mace- CHAP. donians were forcibly struck with the contrast between him, whom they had come to combat, and their stern unfeeling master. A conspiracy was formed against Perdiccas, headed by tion of his secret but inveterate enemy Python. 62 The Assassinaprotector's tent was surprised in the night; Perdiccas. and he, who had for three years been a terror to his opponents in every part of the empire, fell an easy victim to the hatred of his faithless followers. racter. Thus died Perdiccas, who had presumptuously His chaaspired to fill the place of Alexander. In the boldness of his hopes, and the intrepidity of his valour, he was not an unworthy coadjutor to that extraordinary man; but he was entirely destitute of Alexander's nobler virtues; his indulgent humanity, his glowing affections, his passion for arts and letters, that commanding energy which overawes opposition, and that matchless merit which disarms envy. Perdiccas was fitted to act the second part boldly, not to sustain the first wisely. Had his designs been less audacious, or his ambition more discerning, he might certainly have appropriated a valuable portion of the empire, and laid the foundation of a powerful monarchy. But by grasping at objects too lofty, he missed those within his reach. His pride and cruelty brought on him deserved ruin; and, as his towering enterprise had nothing of justness or solidity, he is entitled only to a place among those vulgar 62 Arrian, Diodorus, Strabo, and Pausanias. VOL. I. A A CHAP. favourites of fortune, who have gained a spuriII. ous renown by disturbing the quiet of mankind, and destroying the plans of persons, better and wiser than themselves, for promoting public happiness. CHAP. III. State of Greece. - Proclamation for recalling Exiles. Opposition of the Athenians and Etolians. - Lamian War. Antipater negotiates with the States separately. - The Etolians alone refractory. History of the Greeks in Africa. -Motives and Object of their first Settlements there. - Commercial Geography of Africa. ·Description and History of the Pentapolis. Its Productions and Arts.-Thimbron's Invasion.-Cyrené reduced under Ptolemy Soter. III. quences of cxiv. 4. B. C.321. THE death of Perdiccas was followed by dissen- CHAP. sions in his great controuling army, by the destruction of the vast fleets collected or created Conseby Alexander, and by a new partition of the Perdiccas's provinces bequeathed by that conqueror. Before murder. Olymp. we proceed to examine these memorable events, we shall previously relate two transactions comparatively unimportant to the empire at large, which happened during Perdiccas's short regency of three years. The first of these transactions, is the rebellion in Greece, and the consequent adjustment of the affairs of that country by Antipater: the second is the conquest of Cyrené by Ptolemy. The former general upheld the dominions entrusted to him by judicious policy; the latter enlarged his province by prudent enterprise. During eleven years that Alexander spent in State of Asia, Greece enjoyed an unusual degree of tran ancient Greece |