CHAP. XIV. Fourth Generation of Alexander's Successors. Revolt of Media and Persis from Antiochus III. — Intrigues of his Minister, Hermeias. - War in Upper Asia.- Negociations with Ptolemy Philopator. Address of Ptolemy's Minister Sosibius.-Battle of Raphia. Achæus's Power in Lesser Asia.-War of Commerce between the Rhodians and Byzantines. Achæus besieged in Sardes.- His Capture and Death. - Antiochus's Expedition against the Parthians and Bactrians. He rescues Gerra from Arabs. — Last Stages of Ptolemy Philopator's Reign.- Profanation of the Jewish Temple. Sedition in Alexandria. and Arts. - - Letters CHAP. Alexan cessors, Antio DURING a full century after the death of AlexXIV., ander, the three first successions of his generals Fourth ge- enjoyed either an absolute jurisdiction, or a neration of controuling ascendency over all those counder's suc- tries of the East, that fall within the sphere of ancient history. But in the fourth generation, the Greeks and Macedonians began to cxxxix. 2. be precipitated from the supreme rank which Philip and they had long held among nations. This rePtolemy. volution, originating in domestic disorders, Olymp. cxxxix. 4. was accelerated by the impulse of a great foreign power, whose spring had recently been chus. Olymp. B. C. 223. B. C. 221. 1 XIV. wound up in Italy, and which, after burst- CHAP. ing that barrier, to lay prostrate Carthage and Sicily, assailed in succession the rich countries of the east, with accumulating force, and most decisive effect. Immediately before this Roman warfare, the thrones of Syria and Macedon devolved respectively on Antiochus III. and Philip IV. both of them minors; and, at the same time, Egypt was subjected to the worse than puerile follies of Ptolemy IV., surnamed Philopator. ' From such principal actors a very perturbed scene was to be expected. Greece which had been united in peaceful tranquillity under the mild yet firm policy of Antigonus Doson, again exhausted its unhappy valour in what is called the social war. The throne of the young king of Syria was shaken by revolt in his provinces, and by discord in his family. Notwithstanding this unsoundness. within, Antiochus was tempted by the mad cruelty of Ptolemy Philopator, which rendered him odious to his subjects, to make war on that profligate tyrant.2 From these general convulsions, many partial disorders flowed; and the empire was weakened by deep internal wounds, when the evil destiny of Philip and Antiochus involved them successively in hostilities with Rome. To unravel this complex subject, it is necessary to begin with the affairs of Syria. merit with When that kingdom was deprived of its head Achæus's by the treacherous murder of Seleucus Kerau- Antio Polybius, 1. ii. c. 70, 71. l. iv. c. 2. 2 Id. 1. v. c. 40. chus. XIV. CHAP. nus in Lesser Asia, his brother Antiochus, presumptive heir to the crown, resided in Babylon, that is, Seleucia-Babylonia, the greatest city in the empire. Achæus, a general nearly connected with the royal line, after punishing the murderers of Keraunus, might have been saluted king by the motly and mutinous army in Lesser Asia. 5 But he disdained the treachery of his troops, quelled their sedition, reviled their disloyalty, and overawed them into allegiance to the representative of Seleucus Nicator. Antiochus was thus recalled from the East to the more central strong-hold of Antioch, the usual residence of his predecessors. The generous Achæus remained as governor in the provinces on this side mount Taurus; and Epigenes, a general eminent for abilities and integrity, conducted a portion of the western army to join the The perni- royal standard in Syria. The affairs of that cious mi- country, and the general superintendence of the empire, had been committed by the late king, to Hermeias the Carian; a man insinuating and artful, but subtle without wisdom, ambitious without dignity, envious and vengeful in the extreme, and industrious to supply the want of every virtue, by boldness of intrigue, and unprincipled stratagems of well-concerted villany. This knave, whose abilities were equally wellcalculated to gain and to abuse the confidence nister Hermeias. 3 Polybius, 1. v. c. 40. Conf. Hieronym. in Daniel, c. xi. since his father AndroPolyb. 1. iv. c. 51. XIV. of princes, soon acquired an ascendency over CHAP.. the youthful inexperience of Antiochus. The opinion of Hermeias was paramount in the council; and by his advice, Molon and Alexander, two brothers as unworthy as himself, were named respectively to the important satrapies of Media and Persis. " Media and cxxxix. 3. These men were no sooner established in their Revolt of governments, than they tampered with the allegiance of the troops, withheld pecuniary contri- Olymp. butions, and at length openly revolted. Instead B. C. 222. of being encouraged to oppose in person this formidable rebellion, Antiochus was amused by the celebration of unequal nuptials with Laodicé, daughter to Mithridates IV. of Pontus', still a small and weak kingdom; and though a council. was afterwards held purposely to deliberate on. war, the selfish advice of the minister again defeated measures salutary to the empire. The Epigenes loyal bravery of Epigenes warmly recommended the king an expedition to the East. The insurrections, to march he observed, might be yet checked by season- East. able vigour. Little was to be apprehended from the partisans of Molon and Alexander, inconsiderable in number, destitute of faith to their lawful king, and not likely to be firm in adherence to upstart masters. Should the European troops, contrary to all probability, per... Polyb. I. v. c. 41. 7 From Laodicé, mother to Seleucus Nicator, with whose house the kings of Pontus and Cappadocia became connected by affinity,, that name grew nearly as common in Syria and Lesser Asia, as Cleopatra was in Egypt. We shall see another Laodicé, daughter: also to Mithridates IV., married to Achæus, Antiochus's kinsman. exhorts to the CHAP. severe in rebellion, such handfuls of men would XIV. be overwhelmed by the more honest natives of the provinces: Antiochus, therefore, had only to show himself among them, and the Asiatics would signalise their loyalty, by seizing and surrendering to him the European rebels. This pre vented by the in trigues of Hermeias. 8 In reply to this good counsel, Hermeias upbraided its author for wishing to expose the tender age of the king to a laborious and dangerous warfare. He proposed that two of his own creatures, Xenon, and Theodotus surnamed Hemiolius from the hugeness of his figure, should be sent to Upper Asia against the insurgents; and when these generals had fully shown their incapacity, again diverted Antiochus from the Median war, by recommending to him a nearer and safer expedition, for the recovery of Cole-Syria out of the careless hands of Ptolemy Philopator. To enforce this latter measure in the council, Hermeias produced a forged letter, addressed, as he pretended, to himself, by Achæus, in which that governor of Lesser Asia revealed overtures from Ptolemy, advising him to despise the nonage of his royal kinsman, and boldly to place the diadem on his own head, with an assurance that, if Achæus were not wanting to himself at this crisis of his fortune, Ptolemy would powerfully assist him with ships and money. The vile artifice succeeded: Antiochus eagerly adopted the expedition against Cole-Syria. 9 |