a smaller history of greece-第59章

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in　that　of　Poseidon　（Neptune）　in　the　isle　of　Calaurea；　near　Troezen。　　But　the　satellites　of　Antipater；　under　the　guidance　of　a　Thurian　named　Archias　who　had　formerly　been　an　actor；　tore　them　from　their　sanctuaries。　　Hyperides　was　carried　to　Athens；　and　it　is　said　that　Antipater　took　the　brutal　and　cowardly　revenge　of　ordering　his　tongue　to　be　cut　out；　and　his　remains　to　be　thrown　to　the　dogs。　　Demosthenes　contrived　at　least　to　escape　the　insults　of　the　tyrannical　conqueror。　　Archias　at　first　endeavoured　to　entice　him　from　his　sanctuary　by　the　blandest　promises；　But　Demosthenes；　forewarned；　it　is　said；　by　a　dream；　fixing　his　eyes　intently　on　him；　exclaimed；　〃Your　acting；　Archias；　never　touched　me　formerly；　nor　do　your　promises　now。〃　And　when　Archias　began　to　employ　threats；　〃Good；〃　said　Demosthenes；　〃now　you　speak　as　from　the　Macedonian　tripod；　before　you　were　only　playing　a　part。　　But　wait　awhile；　and　let　me　write　my　last　directions　to　my　family。〃　　So　taking　his　writing　materials；　he　put　the　reed　into　his　mouth；　and　bit　it　for　some　time；　as　was　his　custom　when　composing；　after　which　he　covered　his　head　with　his　garment　and　reclined　against　a　pillar。　　The　guards　who　accompanied　Archias；　imagining　this　to　be　a　mere　trick；　laughed　and　called　him　coward；　whilst　Archias　began　to　renew　his　false　persuasions。　　Demosthenes；　feeling　the　poison　workfor　such　it　was　that　he　had　concealed　in　the　reed　now　bade　him　lead　on。　　〃You　may　now；〃　said　he；　〃enact　the　part　of　Creon；　and　cast　me　out　unburied；　but　at　least；　O　gracious　Poseidon；　I　have　not　polluted　thy　temple　by　my　death　which　Antipater　and　his　Macedonians　would　not　have　scrupled　at。〃　　But　whilst　he　was　endeavouring　to　walk　out；　he　fell　down　by　the　altar　and　expired。

The　history　of　Alexander's　successors　is　marked　from　first　to　last　by　dissension；　crimes；　and　unscrupulous　ambition。　　It　is　only　necessary　for　the　purpose　of　the　present　work　to　mention　very　briefly　the　most　important　events。

Alexander　on　his　death…bed　is　said　to　have　given　his　signet…ring　to　Perdiccas；　but　he　had　left　no　legitimate　heir　to　his　throne；　though　his　wife　Roxana　was　pregnant。　　On　the　day　after　Alexander's　death　a　military　council　was　assembled；　in　which　Perdiccas　assumed　a　leading　part；　and　in　which；　after　much　debate；　an　arrangement　was　at　length　effected　on　the　following　basis：　　That　Philip　Arrhidaeus；　a　young　man　of　weak　intellect；　the　half…brother　of　Alexander　（being　the　son　of　Philip　by　a　Thessalian　woman　named　Philinna）；　should　be　declared　king；　reserving　however　to　the　child　of　Roxana　if　a　son　should　be　born；　a　share　in　the　sovereignty：　　that　the　government　of　Macedonia　and　Greece　should　be　divided　between　Antipater　and　Craterus：　　that　Ptolemy　should　preside　over　Egypt　and　the　adjacent　countries：　that　Antigonus　should　have　Phrygia　Proper；　Lycia；　and　Pamphylia：　that　the　Hellespontine　Phrygia　should　be　assigned　to　Leonnatus：　that　Eumenes　should　have　the　satrapy　of　Paphlagonia　and　Cappadocia；　which　countries；　however；　still　remained　to　be　subdued：　　and　that　Thrace　should　be　committed　to　Lysimachus。　Perdiccas　reserved　for　himself　the　command　of　the　horse…guards；　the　post　before　held　by　Hephaestion；　in　virtue　of　which　he　became　the　guardian　of　Philip　Arrhidaeus；　the　nominal　sovereign。　　It　was　not　for　some　time　after　these　arrangements　had　been　completed　that　the　last　rites　were　paid　to　Alexander's　remains。　　They　were　conveyed　to　Alexandria；　and　deposited　in　a　cemetery　which　afterwards　became　the　burial…place　of　the　Ptolemies。　　Nothing　could　exceed　the　magnificence　of　the　funeral　car；　which　was　adorned　with　ornaments　of　massive　gold；　and　was　so　heavy；　that　it　was　more　than　a　year　in　being　conveyed　from　Babylon　to　Syria；　though　drawn　by　84　mules。　　In　due　time　Roxana　was　delivered　of　a　son；　to　whom　the　name　of　Alexander　was　given；　and　who　was　declared　the　partner　of　Arrhidaeus　in　the　empire。　　Roxana　had　previously　inveigled　Statira　and　her　sister　Drypetis　to　Babylon；　where　she　caused　them　to　be　secretly　assassinated。

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　surrende