seized and bound him, sold him to Antigonus to redeem what they had lost, and then went all over to him; which absolutely determined the war for the interest of Antigonus; for immediately hereon he became master of all Asia, from the Hellespont to the river Indus. Eumenes being thus fallen into his hands, he was for some time in a doubt how to dispose of him, he having been formerly his intimate friend, while they both served together under Alexander. The remembrance hereof did at first put the affection he had for him into a struggle with his interest for the saving of his life; and Demetrius his son became an earnest solicitor for him, being very desirous, out of the generosity of his temper, that so gallant a man should be kept alive. But at length, reflecting on his immovable fidelity to Alexander's family, how dangerous an antagonist he had in him on this account, and how able he was to disturb all his affairs, should he again get loose from him, he durst not trust him with life, and therefore ordered him to be put to death in prison. And thus perished the wisest and the gallantest man of the age in which he lived. He had not indeed the fortune of Alexander, but in every thing else far exceeded him: for he was truly valiant without rashness, and wise without timidity, readily foreseeing all advantages that offered, and boldly executing all that were feasible; so that he never failed of any thing that he undertook, but when disappointed by the treachery of his own men. By this means he lost the battle which he fought with Antigonus in Cappadocia; and by this means only was it that he was at last undone in Gabiena. After his death, Antigonus, with all his army, in the solemnest manner, attended his funeral pile, and shewed him the greatest honour that could be done him after his death, and sent his bones and ashes, in a sumptuous urn of silver, to his wife and children into Cappadocia. But this could make no amends for the taking away of his life. However it shewed, that, even in the opinion of the worst of his enemies, he was a person of that eminent merit as deserved a much better fate.

Antigonust now looking on the whole empire of Asia as his own, for the better securing of it to him, made a reform through all the eastern provinces, putting out all such governours as he distrusted, and placing others, of whom he had greater confidence, in their stead, and such as he thought dangerous he cut off. Of this number were Pithon, governour of Media, and Antigenes, general of the Argyraspides: and he had marked out Seleucus, governour of Babylon, for the same destruction; but he, being aware of it, fled into Egypt, and there, under the protection of Ptolemy, saved his life. And as to the Argyraspides, who were those that betrayed Eumenes, he sent them into Arachosia, the remotest province of the empire, giving it in charge to Sibyrtius, the governour of it, by all ways and means, to cause them there to be all consumed and destroyed, so that not a man of them might again return into Greece. And this he did out of a just abhorrence of the treachery which they had been guilty of towards their general, though he himself had the fruit of it.

In the interim, Seleucus" being got safe into Egypt, he so effectually represented to Ptolemy the formidable power of Antigonus, as he also did to Lysimachus and Cassander, by messengers sent to them for this purpose, and made them so sensible of the danger they were in from it, that he drew them all three into a league against him. Antigonus being aware that Seleucus, on his flight, might endeavour to engage those princes into measures prejudicial to his interest, sent to each of them ambassadors to renew his friendship with them. But finding by their answers, and the high demands which they made, that nothing but a war was to be expected from them, he hastened out of the East into Cilicia; and, having there taken care for the recruiting and reinforcing of his army, and ordered all things in the provinces of Lesser Asia as best suited with his interest, he marched thence into Syria and Phoenicia.

t Diodor. Sic. lib. 19. Plutarch. in Demet. Appian. in Syriacis. u Diodor. & Appian. ibid. Justin. lib. 15.

His intentions, in entering into these provinces, were to dispossess Ptolemy of them, and An. 314: make himself master of their naval force: Alexander for, finding that a dangerous war was coming

Ægus 3.

upon him from the confederated princes, and judging aright, that, without making himself master of the seas, there was no managing of it with success against them, he found it necessary to have the Phoenician ports and shipping at his command; but he came too late for the latter of them, Ptolemy having carried away all the Phoenician shipping into Egypt before his arrival: neither did he easily make himself master of the ports; for Tyre, Joppa, and Gaza, held out against him. The two latter he soon reduced, but Tyre endured a siege. of fifteen months before it could be brought to yield to him. However, having all the other ports of Syria and Phoenicia in his power, he immediately set himself to the building of a fleet of ships in them, cutting down vast quantities of timber from Mount Libanus, and causing them to be carried to the several ports where the ships were a building; in which works several thousands of hands were employed; and by this means he soon equipped such a number of ships, as did, with those sent him from Cyprus, Rhodes, and other confederated places, make up a fleet, which soon gave him the mastery of the seas. That which chiefly egged him on with so much speed to provide himself with this fleet, was an affront offered him by Seleucus; for while he lay encamped near Tyre on the sea shore, Seleucus came thither with one hundred sail of Ptolemy's fleet, and Antigonus, not having any shipping to encounter him, he passed by the coast where he was encamped, in contempt of him, within the sight of all his army; which very much disheartening his men, and raising a mean opinion of his power in such of his allies as were then present with him, for the remedy hereof he called them all together, and did let them know, that even that very summer he would be on those seas with a fleet of five hundred sail, which no power of the enemy should be able to

x Diodor. Sic. lib. 19.

withstand; and accordingly he made his word good before the end of the year.

But Antigonus finding, that, while he was intent An. 313. upon these affairs in Phoenicia, Cassander Alexander grew upon him in the Lesser Asia, y he Agus 4. marched thither with one part of his army, and left Demetrius, his son (then a young man, not exceeding the twenty-second year of his age,) with the other part, to defend Syria and Phoenicia against Ptolemy. By this time Tyre was reduced to great extremities; for Antigonus' fleet being now set to sea, barred all provisions from being carried to them; which soon brought them to a necessity of surrendering. However, they obtained terms for the garrison of Ptolemy to march safely thence with all their ef fects, and for the inhabitants to retain theirs without any damage. For Andronicus, who then commanded at the siege for Antigonus, was glad on any terms to gain so important a place, especially after being tired out with so long a siege; for it lasted (as I have already said) fifteen months. It was but nineteen years before that Alexander had destroyed this city in such a manner, as it might seem to require the length of ages for it again to recover itself; yet in so short a time it grew up again into a condition of enduring this siege for more than double the time of that of Alexander's. This shews the great advantage of trade: for this city being the grand mart, where most of the trade both of the East and West did then centre, by virtue hereof it was, that it so soon revived to its pristine vigour.

2

Antigonus, on his coming into Lesser Asia, soon reduced the growing power of Cassander, and forced him to very mean terms of accommodation; but, after he had made them, he repented of the agreement, and would not stand to it, but sent to Ptolemy and Seleucus for assistance; and went on with the war; which detained Antigonus longer in those parts than he intended, and, in the interim, gave Ptolemy the opportunity of gaining great advantages against him in the East.

y Diodor. Sic. lib. 19 Plutarch. in Demet Appian. in Syriacis. z Diodor. ibid. Plutarch. in Demetrio.

1

For having with his fleet sailed to Cyprus, he reduced most of that island to him, and from An. 312. thence made a descent first upon the Upper Alexander Syria, and next upon Cilicia; where having Ægus 5. taken great spoils, and many captives, he returned with them into Egypt; and there having, by the advice of Seleucus, formed a design for the recovery of Phoenicia and Syria, he marched thither with a great army. On his coming to Gaza, he there found Demetrius ready to obstruct his farther progress. This brought on a fierce battle between them, in which Ptolemy gained the victory, having slain five thousand of Demetrius' men, and taken eight thousand captive; which forced Demetrius to retreat, first to Azotus, and from thence to Tripoly, a city of Phoenicia, as far back as the confines of the Upper Syria, and quit all Phoenicia, Palestine, and Cole-Syria, to the victor. But, before he left Azotus, having sent to desire leave to bury the dead, Ptolemy not only granted him this, but sent him also all his equipage, tents, and furniture, with all his friends, family, and servants, without any ransom; which kindness Demetrius had the opportunity of returning, when, a while after, he got the like advantage of Ptolemy. All the other captives he sent into Egypt, to be there employed in his service on board his fleet; and then marching forward, had all the sea coast of Phoenicia forthwith surrendered to him, excepting only Tyre; for Andronicus, who had lately taken that city after the long siege I have mentioned, having then the government of it, held it out for some time. But, at length the garrison-soldiers falling into a mutiny against him, delivered the place to Ptolemy, and him with it.

b

After these successes, Seleucus, having obtained of Ptolemy one thousand foot, and three hundred horse, marched eastward with them to recover Babylon. With so small a force did he undertake so great an enterprise, and yet succeeded in it. On his coming to

a Diodor. ibid. Plutarch in Demetrio. Justin. lib. 15, c. 1. Hecatæus Abderita apud Josephum contra Apionem, lib. 1.

b Diodor. Sic. lib. 19. Appian. in Syriacis.