a smaller history of greece-第54节

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in　the　annals　of　ancient　naval　warfare；　more　particularly　on　account　of　the　vast　size　of　the　vessels　engaged。　　Ptolemy　was　completely　defeated；　and　so　important　was　the　victory　deemed　by　Antigonus；　that　on　the　strength　of　it　he　assumed　the　title　of　king；　which　he　also　conferred　upon　his　son。　　This　example　was　followed　by　Ptolemy；　Seleucus；　and　Lysimachus。

Demetrius　now　undertook　an　expedition　against　Rhodes；　which　had　refused　its　aid　in　the　attack　upon　Ptolemy。　　It　was　from　the　memorable　siege　of　Rhodes　that　Demetrius　obtained　his　name　of　〃Poliorcetes。〃　　After　in　vain　attempting　to　take　the　town　from　the　sea…side；　by　means　of　floating　batteries；　from　which　stones　of　enormous　weight　were　hurled　from　engines　with　incredible　force　against　the　walls；　he　determined　to　alter　his　plan　and　invest　it　on　the　land…side。　　With　the　assistance　of　Epimachus；　an　Athenian　engineer；　he　constructed　a　machine　which；　in　anticipation　of　its　effect；　was　called　Helepolis；　or　〃the　city…taker。〃　　This　was　a　square　wooden　tower；　150　feet　high；　and　divided　into　nine　stories；　filled　with　armed　men；　who　discharged　missiles　through　apertures　in　the　sides。　　When　armed　and　prepared　for　attack；　it　required　the　strength　of　2300　men　to　set　this　enormous　machine　in　motion。　　But　though　it　was　assisted　by　the　operation　of　two　battering…rams；　each　150　feet　long　and　propelled　by　the　labour　of　1000　men；　the　Rhodians　were　so　active　in　repairing　the　breaches　made　in　their　walls；　that；　after　a　year　spent　in　the　vain　attempt　to　take　the　town；　Demetrius　was　forced　to　retire　and　grant　the　Rhodians　peace。

In　301　B。C；　the　struggle　between　Antigonus　and　his　rivals　was　brought　to　a　close　by　the　battle　of　Ipsus　in　Phrygia；　in　which　Antigonus　was　killed；　and　his　army　completely　defeated。　　He　had　attained　the　age　of　81　at　the　time　of　his　death。　　A　third　partition　of　the　empire　of　Alexander　was　now　made。　　Seleucus　and　Lysimachus　shared　between　them　the　possessions　of　Antigonus。　Lysimachus　seems　to　have　had　the　greater　part　of　Asia　Minor；　whilst　the　whole　country　from　the　coast　of　Syria　to　the　Euphrates；　as　well　as　a　part　of　Phrygia　and　Cappadocia；　fell　to　the　share　of　Seleucus。　　The　latter　founded　on　the　Orontes　a　new　capital　of　his　empire；　which　he　named　Antioch；　after　his　father　Antiochus；　and　which　long　continued　to　be　one　of　the　most　important　Greek　cities　in　Asia。　　The　fall　of　Antigonus　secured　Cassander　in　the　possession　of　Greece。

Demetrius　was　now　a　fugitive；　but　in　the　following　year　he　was　agreeably　surprised　by　receiving　an　embassy　from　Seleucus；　by　which　that　monarch　solicited　his　daughter　Stratonice　in　marriage。　Demetrius　gladly　granted　the　request；　and　found　himself　so　much　strengthened　by　this　alliance；　that　in　the　spring　of　the　year　296　he　was　in　a　condition　to　attack　Athens；　which　he　captured　after　a　long　siege；　and　drove　out　the　bloodthirsty　tyrant　Lachares；　who　had　been　established　there　by　Cassander。

Meanwhile　Cassander　had　died　shortly　before　the　siege　of　Athens；　and　was　succeeded　on　the　throne　of　Macedon　by　his　eldest　son；　Philip　IV。　　＇Philip　Arrhidaeus　is　called　Philip　III。＇　But　that　young　prince　died　in　295；　and　the　succession　was　disputed　between　his　two　brothers；　Antipater　and　Alexander。　　Demetrius　availed　himself　of　the　distracted　state　of　Macedonia　to　make　himself　master　of　that　country　（B。C。　294）。　　He　reigned　over　Macedonia；　and　the　greater　part　of　Greece；　about　seven　years。　　He　aimed　at　recovering　the　whole　of　his　father's　dominions　in　Asia；　but　before　he　was　ready　to　take　the　field；　his　adversaries；　alarmed　at　his　preparations；　determined　to　forestall　him。　　In　the　spring　of　B。C。　287　Ptolemy　sent　a　powerful　fleet　against　Greece；　while　Pyrrhus　on　the　one　side　and　Lysimachus　on　the　other　simultaneously　invaded　Macedonia。　　Demetrius　had　completely　alienated　his　own　subjects　by　his　proud　and　haughty　bearing；　and　by　his　lavish　expenditure　on　his　own　luxuries；　while　Pyrrhus　by　his　generosity；　affability；　and　daring　courage；　had　become　the　hero　of　the　Macedonians；　who　looked　upon　him　as　a　second　Alexander。　　The　appearance　of　Pyrrhus　was　the　signal　for　revolt：　the　Macedonian　troops　flocked　to　his　standard　and　Demetrius　was　compelled　to　fly。　　Pyrrhus　now　ascended　the　throne　of　Macedonia；　but　his　reign　was　of　brief　duration；　and　at　the　end　of　seven　months　he　was　in　turn　driven　out　by　Lysimachus。　　Demetrius　made　several　attempts　to　regain　his　power　in　Greece；　and　then　set　sail　for　Asia；　where　he　successively　endeavoured　to　establish　himself　in　the　territories　of　Lysimachus；　and　of　his　son…in…law　Seleucus。　Falling　at　length　into　the　hands　of　the　latter；　he　was　kept　in　a　kind　of　magnificent　captivity　in　a　royal　residence　in　Syria；　where；　in　283；　at　the　early　age　of　55；　his　chequered　career　was　brought　to　a　close；　partly　by　chagrin；　and　partly　by　the　sensual　indulgences　with　which　be　endeavoured　to　divert　it。

Lysimachus；　Seleucus；　and　Ptolemy　now　divided　the　empire　of　Alexander　between　them。　　In　Egypt　the　aged　Ptolemy　had　abdicated　in　285　in　favour　of　his　son　by　Berenice　afterwards　known　as　Ptolemy　Philadelphus；　and　to　the　exclusion　of　his　eldest　son；　Ptolemy　Ceraunus；　by　his　wife　Eurydice。　　Ptolemy　Ceraunus　quitted　Egypt　in　disgust；　and　fled　to　the　court　of　Lysimachus；　and　Arsinoe；　the　wife　of　Lysimachus；　jealous　of　her　stepson　Agathocles；　the　heir　apparent　to　the　throne；　and　desirous　of　securing　the　succession　for　her　own　children；　conspired　with　Ptolemy　Ceraunus　against　the　life　of　Agathocles。　　She　even　procured　the　consent　of　Lysimachus　to　his　murder；　and　after　some　vain　attempts　to　make　away　with　him　by　poison；　he　was　flung　into　prison；　where　Ptolemy　Ceraunus　despatched　him　with　his　own　hand。　Lysandra；　the　mother　of　Agathocles；　fled　with　the　rest　of　her　family　to　Seleucus；　to　demand　from　him　protection　and　vengeance；　and　Seleucus；　induced　by　the　hopes　of　success；　inspired　by　the　discontent　and　dissensions　which　so　foul　an　act　had　excited　among　the　subjects　of　Lysimachus；　espoused　her　cause。　　The　hostilities　which　ensued　between　him　and　Lysimachus　were　brought　to　a　termination　by　the　battle　of　Corupedion；　fought　near　Sardis　in　281；　in　which　Lysimachus　was　defeated　and　slain。　　By　this　victory；　Macedonia；　and　the　whole　of　Alexander's　empire；　with　the　exception　of　Egypt；　southern　Syria；　Cyprus；　and　part　of　Phoenicia；　fell　under　the　sceptre　of　Seleucus。

That　monarch；　who　had　not　beheld　his　native　land　since　he　first　joined　the　expedition　of　Alexander；　now　crossed　the　Hellespont　to　take　possession　of　Macedonia。　　Ptolemy　Ceraunus；　who　after　the　battle　of　Corupedion　had　thrown　himself　on　the　mercy　of　Seleucus；　and　had　been　received　with　forgiveness　and　favour；　accompanied　him　on　this　journey。　　The　murder　of　Agathocles　had　not　been　committed　by　Ptolemy　merely　to　oblige　Arsinoe。　　He　had　even　then　designs　upon　the　supreme　power；　which　he　now　completed　by　another　crime。　　As　Seleucus　stopped　to　sacrifice　at　a　celebrated　altar　near　Lysimachia　in　Thrace；　Ptolemy　treacherously　assassinated　him　by　stabbing　him　in　the　back　（280）。　　After　this　base　and　cowardly　act；　Ptolemy　Ceraunus；　who　gave　himself　out　as　the　avenger　of　Lysimachus；　was；　by　one　of　those　movements　wholly　inexplicable　to　our　modern　notions；　saluted　king　by　the　army；　but　the　Asiatic　dominions　of　Seleucus　fell　to　his　son　Antiochus；　surnamed　Soter。　The　crime　of　Ptolemy。　　however；　was　speedily　overtaken　by　a　just　punishment。　　In　the　very　same　year　his　kingdom　of　Macedonia　and　Thrace　was　invaded　by　an　immense　host　of　Celts；　and　Ptolemy　fell　at　the　head　of　the　forces　which　he　led　against　them。　　A　second　invasion　of　the　same　barbarians　compelled　the　Greeks　to　raise　a　force　for　their　defence；　which　was　intrusted　to　the　command　of　the　Athenian　Callippus　（B。C。　279）。　　On　this　occasion　the　Celts　attracted　by　the　report　of　treasures　which　were　now　perhaps　little　more　than　an　empty　name；　penetrated　as　far　southwards　as　Delphi；　with　the　view　of　plundering　the　temple。　　The　god；　it　is　said；　vindicated　his　sanctuary　on　this　occasion　in　the　same　supernatural　manner　as　when　it　was　attacked　by　the　Persians：　　it　is　at　all　events　certain　that　the　Celts　were　repulsed　with　great　loss；　including　that　of　their　leader　Brennus。　　Nevertheless　some　of　their　tribes　succeeded　in　establishing　themselves　near　the　Danube；　others　settled　on　the　sea…coast　of　Thrace　whilst　a　third　portion　passed　over　into　Asia；　and　gave　their　name　to　the　country　called　Galatia。

After　the　death　of　Ptolemy　Ceraunus；　Macedonia　fell　for　some　time　into　a　state　of　anarchy　and　confusion；　and　the　crown　was　disputed　by　several　pretenders。　　At　length；　in　278；　Antigonus　Gonatas；　son　of　Demetrius　Poliorcetes；　succeeded　in　establishing　himself　on　the　throne　of　Macedonia；　and；　with　the　exception　of　two　or　three　years　（274…272）　during　which　he　was　temporarily　expelled　by　Pyrrhus；　he　continued　to　retain　possession　of　it　till　his　death　in　239。　　The　struggle　between　Antigonus　and　Pyrrhus　was　brought　to　a　close　at　Argos　in　272。　　Pyrrhus　had　marched　into　the　Peloponnesus　with　a　large　force　in　order　to　make　war　upon　Sparta；　but　with　the　collateral　design　of　reducing　the　places　which　still　held　out　for　Antigonus。　　Pyrrhus　having　failed　in　an　attempt　to　take　Sparta；　marched　against　Argos；　where　Antigonus　also　arrived　with　his　forces。　　Both　armies　entered　the　city　by　opposite　gates；　an