a smaller history of greece-第60章

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tatue　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　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　disp