太子爷小说网 > 英语电子书 > a smaller history of greece >

第53节

a smaller history of greece-第53节

小说: a smaller history of greece 字数: 每页4000字

按键盘上方向键 ← 或 → 可快速上下翻页,按键盘上的 Enter 键可回到本书目录页,按键盘上方向键 ↑ 可回到本页顶部!
————未阅读完?加入书签已便下次继续阅读!




Perdiccas possessed more power than any of Alexander's generals; and he now aspired to the Macedonian throne。  His designs; however; were not unknown to Antigonus and Ptolemy ; and when he attempted to bring Antigonus to trial for some offence in the government of his satrapy; that general made his escape to Macedonia; where he revealed to Antipater the full extent of the ambitious schemes of Perdiccas; and thus at once induced Antipater and Craterus to unite in a league with him and Ptolemy; and openly declare war against the regent。  Thus assailed on all sides; Perdiccas resolved to direct his arms in the first instance against Ptolemy。  In the spring of B。C。 321 he accordingly set out on his march against Egypt; at the head of a formidable army; and accompanied by Philip Arrhidaeus; and Roxana and her infant son。  He advanced without opposition as far as Pelusium; but he found the banks of the Nile strongly fortified and guarded by Ptolemy; and was repulsed in repeated attempts to force the passage of the river; in the last of which; near Memphis; he lost great numbers of men by the depth and rapidity of the current。  Perdiccas had never been popular with the soldiery; and these disasters completely alienated their affections。  A conspiracy was formed against him; and some of his chief officers murdered him in his tent。

The death of Perdiccas was followed by a fresh distribution of the provinces of the empire。  At a meeting of the generals held at Triparadisus in Syria; towards the end of the year 321 B。C。; Antipater was declared regent; retaining the government of Macedonia and Greece; Ptolemy was continued in the government of Egypt; Seleucus received the satrapy of Babylon; whilst Antigonus not only retained his old province; but was rewarded with that of Susiana。

Antipater did not long survive these events。  He died in the year 318; at the advanced age of 80; leaving Polysperchon; one of Alexander's oldest generals; regent; much to the surprise and mortification of his son Cassander; who received only the secondary dignity of Chiliarch; or commander of the cavalry。 Cassander was now bent on obtaining the regency; but seeing no hope of success in Macedonia; he went over to Asia to solicit the assistance of Antigonus。

Polysperchon; on his side; sought to conciliate the friendship of the Grecian states; by proclaiming them all free and independent; and by abolishing the oligarchies which had been set up by Antipater。  In order to enforce these measures; Polysperchon prepared to march into Greece; whilst his son Alexander was despatched beforehand with an army towards Athens to compel the Macedonian garrison under the command of Nicanor to evacuate Munychia。  Nicanor; however; refused to move without orders from Cassander; whose general he declared himself to be。  Phocion was suspected of intriguing in favour of Nicanor; and being accused of treason; fled to Alexander; now encamped before the walls of Athens。  Alexander sent Phocion to his father; who sent him back to Athens in chains; to be tried by the Athenian people。  The theatre; where his trial was to take place; was soon full to overflowing。  Phocion was assailed on every side by the clamours of his enemies; which prevented his defence; from being heard; and he was condemned to death by a show of hands。  To the last Phocion maintained his calm and dignified; but somewhat contemptuous bearing。  When some wretched man spat upon him as he passed to the prison; 〃Will no one;〃 said he; 〃check this fellow's indecency?〃  To one who asked him whether he had any message to leave for his son Phocus; he answered; 〃Only that he bear no grudge against the Athenians。〃  And when the hemlock which had been prepared was found insufficient for all the condemned; and the jailer would not furnish more unless he was paid for it; 〃Give the man his money;〃 said Phocion to one of his friends; 〃since at Athens one cannot even die for nothing。〃  He died in B。C。 317; at the age of 85。  The Athenians afterwards repented of their conduct towards Phocion。  His bones; which had been cast out on the frontiers of Megara; were brought back to Athens; and a bronze statue was erected to his memory。

Whilst Alexander was negotiating with Nicanor about the surrender of Munychia; Cassander arrived in the Piraeus with a considerable army; with which Antigonus had supplied him。  Polysperchon was obliged to retire from Athens; and Cassander established an oligarchical government in the city under the presidency of Demetrius of Phalerus。

Although Polysperchon was supported by Olympias; the mother of Alexander the Great; he proved no match for Cassander; who became master of Macedonia after the fall of Pydna in B。C。 316。  In this city Olympias had taken refuge together with Roxana and her son; but after a blockade of some months it was obliged to surrender。 Olympias had stipulated that her life should be spared; but Cassander soon afterwards caused her to be murdered; and kept Roxana and her son in custody in the citadel of Amphipolis。 Shortly afterwards Cassander began the restoration of Thebes (B。C。 315); in the twentieth year after its destruction by Alexander; a measure highly popular with the Greeks。

A new war now broke out in the East。  Antigonus had become the most powerful of Alexander's successors。  He had conquered Eumenes; who had long defied his arms; and he now began to dispose of the provinces as he thought fit。  His increasing power and ambitious projects led to a general coalition against him; consisting of Ptolemy; Seleucus; Cassander; and Lysimachus; the governor of Thrace。  The war began in the year 315; and was carried on with great vehemence and alternate success in Syria; Phoenicia; Asia Minor; and Greece。  After four years all parties became exhausted with the struggle; and peace was accordingly concluded in 311; on condition that the Greek cities should be free; that Cassander should retain his authority in Europe till Alexander came of age; that Ptolemy and Lysimachus should keep possession of Egypt and Thrace respectively; and that Antigonus should have the government of all Asia。  This hollow peace; which had been merely patched up for the convenience of the parties concerned; was not of long duration。  It seems to have been the immediate cause of another of those crimes which disgrace the history of Alexander's successors。  His son; Alexander; who had now attained the age of sixteen; was still shut up with his mother Roxana in Amphipolis; and his partisans; with injudicious zeal; loudly expressed their wish that he should be released and placed upon the throne。  In order to avert this event Cassander contrived the secret murder both of the mother and the son。

This abominable act; however; does not appear to have caused a breach of the peace。  Ptolemy was the first to break it (B。C。 310); under the pretext that Antigonus; by keeping his garrisons in the Greek cities of Asia and the islands; had not respected that article of the treaty which guaranteed Grecian freedom。 After the war had lasted three years Antigonus resolved to make a vigorous effort to wrest Greece from the hands of Cassander and Ptolemy; who held all the principal towns in it。  Accordingly; in the summer of 307 B。C。 he despatched his son Demetrius from Ephesus to Athens; with a fleet of 250 sail; and 5000 talents in money。  Demetrius; who afterwards obtained the surname of 〃Poliorcetes;〃 or 〃Besieger of Cities;〃 was a young man of ardent temperament and great abilities。  Upon arriving at the Piraeus he immediately proclaimed the object of his expedition to be the liberation of Athens and the expulsion of the Macedonian garrison。  Supported by the Macedonians; Demetrius the Phalerean had now ruled Athens for a period of more than ten years。  Of mean birth; Demetrius the Phalerean owed his elevation entirely to his talents and perseverance。  His skill as an orator raised him to distinction among his countrymen; and his politics; which led him to embrace the party of Phocion; recommended him to Cassander and the Macedonians。  He cultivated many branches of literature; and was at once an historian; a philosopher; and a poet; but none of his works have come down to us。  The Athenians heard with pleasure the proclamations of the son of Antigonus his namesake; the Phalerean was obliged to surrender the city to him; and to close his political career by retiring to Thebes。  The Macedonian garrison in Munychia offered a slight resistance; which was soon overcome; Demetrius Poliorcetes then formally announced to the Athenian assembly the restoration of their ancient constitution; and promised them a large donative of corn and ship…timber。  This munificence was repaid by the Athenians with the basest and most abject flattery。  Both Demetrius and his father were deified; and two new tribes; those of Antigonias and Demetrias; were added to the existing ten which derived their names from the ancient heroes of Attica。

Demetrius Poliorcetes did not; however; remain long at Athens。 Early in 306 B。C。 he was recalled by his father; and; sailing to Cyprus; undertook the siege of Salamis。  Ptolemy hastened to its relief with 140 vessels and 10;000 troops。  The battle that ensued was one of the most memorable in the annals of 

返回目录 上一页 下一页 回到顶部 0 0

你可能喜欢的