CHAPTER XCVI.
FROM THE LAMIAN WAR TO THE CLOSE OF THE HISTORY OF FREE HELLAS AND HELLENISM.
Antipater purges and remodels the Peloponnesian cities. He attacks the Ætolians, with a view of departing them across to Asia. His presence becomes necessary in Asia: he concludes a pacification with the Ætolians. — Plans of Perdikkas — intrigues with the princesses at Pella. — Antigonus detects the intrigues, and reveals them to Antipater and Kraterus. — Unpropitious turn of fortune for the Greeks, in reference to the Lamian war. — Antipater and Kraterus in Asia — Perdikkas marches to attack Ptolemy in Egypt, but is killed by a mutiny of his own troops. Union of Antipater, Ptolemy, Antigonus, etc. New distribution of the satrapies, made at Triparadeisus. — War between Antigonus and Eumenes in Asia. Energy and ability of Eumenes. He is worsted and blocked up in Nora. — Sickness and death of Antipater. The Athenian orator Demades is put to death in Macedonia — Antipater sets aside his son Kassander, and names Polysperchon viceroy. Discontent and opposition of Kassander. — Kassander sets up for himself, gets possession of Munychia, and forms alliance with Ptolemy and Antigonus against Polysperchon. Plans of Polysperchon — alliance with Olympias in Europe, and with Eumenes in Asia — enfranchisement of the Grecian cities. — Ineffectual attempts of Eumenes to uphold the imperial dynasty in Asia: his gallantry and ability: he is betrayed by his own soldiers, and slain by Antigonus. — Edict issued by Polysperchon at Pella, in the name of the imperial dynasty — subverting the Antipatrian oligarchies in the Grecian cities, restoring political exiles, and granting free constitutions to each. — Letters and measures of Polysperchon to enforce the edict. State of Athens: exiles returning: complicated political parties: danger of Phokion. — Negotiations of the Athenians with Nikanor, governor of Munychia for Kassander. — Nikanor seizes Peiræus by surprise. Phokion, though forewarned, takes no precautions against it. — Mischief to the Athenians, as well as to Polysperchon, from Nikanor’s occupation of Peiræus; culpable negligence, and probable collusion, of Phokion. — Arrival of Alexander (son of Polysperchon): his treacherous policy to the Athenians; Kassander reaches Peiræus. — Intrigues of Phokion with Alexander — he tries to secure for himself the protection of Alexander against the Athenians. — Return of the deported exiles to Athens — public vote passed in the Athenian assembly against Phokion and his colleagues. Phokion leaves the city, is protected by Alexander, and goes to meet Polysperchon, in Phokis. — Agnonides and others are sent as deputies to Polysperchon, to accuse Phokion and to claim the benefit of the regal edict. — Agnonides and Phokion are heard before Polysperchon — Phokion and his colleagues are delivered up as prisoners to the Athenians. Phokion is conveyed as prisoner to Athens, and brought for trial before the assembly. Motion of his friends for exclusion of non-qualified persons. — Intense exasperation of the returned exiles against Phokion — grounds for that feeling. — Phokion is condemned to death — vindictive manifestation against him in the assembly, furious and unanimous. — Death of Phokion and his four colleagues. — Alteration of the sentiment of the Athenians towards Phokion, not long afterwards. Honors shown to his memory. — Explanation of this alteration. Kassander gets possession of Athens and restores the oligarchical or Phokionic party. — Life and character of Phokion. — War between Polysperchon and Kassander, in Attica and Peloponnesus. Polysperchon is repulsed in the siege of Megalopolis, and also defeated at sea. — Increased strength of Kassander in Greece — he gets possession of Athens. — Restoration of the oligarchical government at Athens, though in a mitigated form, under the Phalerean Demetrius. — Administration of the Phalerean Demetrius at Athens, in a moderate spirit. Census taken of the Athenian population — Kassander in Peloponnesus — many cities join him — the Spartans surround their city with walls. — Feud in the Macedonian imperial family — Olympias puts to death Philip Aridæus and Eurydikê — she reigns in Macedonia: her bloody revenge against the partisans of Antipater. — Kassander passes into Macedonia — defeats Olympias, and becomes master of the country — Olympias is besieged in Pydna, captured, and put to death. — Great power of Antigonus in Asia. Confederacy of Kassander, Lysimachus, Ptolemy, and Seleukus against him. — Kassander founds Kassandreia, and restores Thebes. — Measures of Antigonus against Kassander — he promises freedom to the Grecian cities — Ptolemy promises the like. Great power of Kassander in Greece. — Forces of Antigonus in Greece. Considerable success against Kassander. — Pacification between the belligerents. Grecian autonomy guaranteed in name by all. Kassander puts to death Roxana and her child. — Polysperchon espouses the pretensions of Herakles, son of Alexander, against Kassander. He enters into compact with Kassander, assassinates the young prince, and is recognized as ruler of Southern Greece. — Assassination of Kleopatra, last surviving relative of Alexander the Great, by Antigonus. — Ptolemy of Egypt in Greece — after some successes, he concludes a truce with Kassander. Passiveness of the Grecian cities. — Sudden arrival of Demetrius Poliorketes in Peiræus. The Athenians declare in his favor. Demetrius Phalereus retires to Egypt. Capture of Munychia and Megara. — Demetrius Poliorketes enters Athens in triumph. He promises restoration of the democracy. Extravagant votes of flattery passed by the Athenians towards him. Two new Athenian tribes created. — Alteration of tone and sentiment in Athens, during the last thirty years. — Contrast of Athens as proclaimed free by Demetrius Poliorketes, with Athens after the expulsion of Hippias. — Opposition made by Demochares, nephew of Demosthenes, to these obsequious public flatteries. — Demetrius Phalereus condemned in his absence. Honorable commemoration of the deceased orator Lykurgus. Restrictive law passed against the philosophers — they all leave Athens. The law is repealed next year, and the philosophers return to Athens. — Exploits of Demetrius Poliorketes. His long siege of Rhodes. Gallant and successful resistance of the citizens. — His prolonged war, and ultimate success in Greece, against Kassander. — Return of Demetrius Poliorketes to Athens — his triumphant reception — memorable Ithyphallic hymn addressed to him. — Helpless condition of the Athenians — proclaimed by themselves. — Idolatry shown to Demetrius at Athens. He is initiate in the Eleusinian mysteries, out of the regular season. — March of Demetrius into Thessaly — he passes into Asia and joins Antigonus — great battle of Ipsus, in which the four confederates completely defeat Antigonus, who is slain and his Asiatic power broken up and partitioned. — Restoration of the Kassandrian dominion in Greece. Lachares makes himself despot at Athens, under Kassander. Demetrius Poliorketes returns, and expels Lachares. He garrisons Peiræus and Munychia. — Death of Kassander. Bloody feuds among his family. — Demetrius acquires the crown of Macedonia. — Antigonus Gonatas (son of Demetrius) master of Macedonia and Greece. Permanent rule of the Antigonid dynasty in Macedonia, until the conquest of that country by the Romans. — Spirit of the Greeks broken — isolation of the cities from each other by Antigonus. — The Greece of Polybius cannot form a subject of history by itself, but only as an appendage to foreign neighbors. — Evidence of the political nullity of Athens — public decree in honor of Demochares — what acts are recorded as his titles to public gratitude.
CHAPTER XCVII.
SICILIAN AND ITALIAN GREEKS — AGATHOKLES.
Constitution established by Timoleon at Syracuse — afterwards exchanged for an oligarchy. — Italian Greeks — pressed upon by enemies from the interior — Archidamus king of Sparta slain in Italy. — Growth of the Molossian kingdom of Epirus, through Macedonian aid — Alexander the Molossian king brother of Olympias. — The Molossian Alexander crosses into Italy to assist the Tarentines. His exploits and death. — Assistance sent by the Syracusans to Kroton — first rise of Agathokles. — Agathokles distinguishes himself in the Syracusan expedition — he is disappointed of honors — becomes discontented and leaves Syracuse. — He levies a mercenary force — his exploits as general in Italy and Sicily. — Change of government at Syracuse — Agathokles is recalled — his exploits against the exiles — his dangerous character at home. — Farther internal changes at Syracuse — recall of the exiles — Agathokles readmitted — swears amnesty and fidelity. — Agathokles, in collusion with Hamilkar, arms his partisans at Syracuse, and perpetuates a sanguinary massacre of the citizens. — Agathokles is constituted sole despot of Syracuse. — His popular manners, military energy, and conquests. Progress of Agathokles in conquering Sicily. The Agrigentines take alarm and organize a defensive alliance against him. — They invite the Spartan Akrotatus to command — his bad conduct and failure. — Sicily the only place in which a glorious Hellenic career was open. Peace concluded by Agathokles with the Agrigentines — his great power in Sicily. — He is repulsed from Agrigentum — the Carthaginians send an armament to Sicily against him. — Position of the Carthaginians between Gela and Agrigentum — their army reinforced from home. — Operations of Agathokles against them — his massacre of citizens at Gela. — Battle of the Himera, between Agathokles and the Carthaginians. — Total defeat of Agathokles by the Carthaginians. — The Carthaginians recover a large part of Sicily from Agathokles. His depressed condition at Syracuse. — He conceives the plan of attacking the Carthaginians in Africa. — His energy and sagacity in organizing this expedition. His renewed massacre and spoliation. — He gets out of the harbor, in spite of the blockading fleet. Eclipse of the sun. He reaches Africa safely. — He burns his vessels — impressive ceremony for affecting this, under vow to Demeter. — Agathokles marches into the Carthaginian territory — captures Tunês — richness and cultivation of the country. — Consternation at Carthage — the city force marches out against him — Hanno and Bomilkar named generals. — Inferior numbers of Agathokles — his artifices to encourage the soldiers. — Treachery of the Carthaginian general Bomilkar — victory of Agathokles. — Conquests of Agathokles among the Carthaginian dependencies on the eastern coast — Religious terror and distress of the Carthaginians. Human sacrifice. — Operations of Agathokles on the eastern coast of Carthage — capture of Neapolis, Adrumetum, Thapsus, etc. — Agathokles fortifies Aspis — undertakes operations against the interior country — defeats the Carthaginians again. — Proceedings of Hamilkar before Syracuse — the city is near surrendering — he is disappointed, and marches away from it. — Renewed attack of Hamilkar upon Syracuse — he tries to surprise Euryalus, but is totally defeated, made prisoner, and slain. — The Agrigentines stand forward as champions of Sicilian freedom against Agathokles and the Carthaginians. — Mutiny in the army of Agathokles at Tunês — his great danger, and address in extricating himself. — Carthaginian army sent to act in the interior — attacked by Agathokles with some success — his camp is pillaged by the Numidians. — Agathokles invites the aid of Ophellas from Kyrênê. — Antecedent circumstances of Kyrênê. Division of coast between Kyrênê and Carthage. — Thimbron with the Harpalian mercenaries is invited over to Kyrênê by exiles. His checkered career, on the whole victorious, in Libya. — The Kyrenæans solicit aid from the Egyptian Ptolemy, who sends Ophellas thither. Defeat and death of Thimbron. Kyrenaica annexed to the dominions of Ptolemy, under Ophellas as viceroy. — Position and hopes of Ophellas. He accepts the invitation of Agathokles. He collects colonists from Athens and other Grecian cities. — March of Ophellas, with his army, and his colonists, from Kyrênê to the Carthaginian territory — sufferings endured in the march. — Perfidy of Agathokles — he kills Ophellas — gets possession of his army — ruin and dispersion of the colonists. — Terrible sedition at Carthage — Bomilkar tries to seize the supreme power — he is overthrown and slain. — Farther successes of Agathokles in Africa — he captures Utica, Hippo-Zarytus, and Hippagreta. — Agathokles goes to Sicily, leaving Archagathus to command in Africa. Successes of Archagathus in the interior country. — Redoubled efforts of the Carthaginians — they gain two great victories over Archagathus. — Danger of Archagathus — he is blocked up by the Carthaginians at Tunis. — Agathokles in Sicily. His career at first prosperous. Defeat of the Agrigentines. — Activity of Agathokles in Sicily — Deinokrates in great force against him. — Agrigentine army under Xenodokus — opposed to the mercenaries of Agathokles — superiority of the latter. — Defeat of Xenodokus by Leptines — Agathokles passes over into Africa — bad state of his army there — he is defeated by the Carthaginians. — Nocturnal panic and disorder in both camps. — Desperate condition of Agathokles — he deserts his army and escapes to Sicily. — The deserted army kill the two sons of Agathokles, and capitulate with the Carthaginians. — African expedition of Agathokles — boldness of the first conception — imprudently pushed and persisted in. — Proceedings of Agathokles in Sicily — his barbarities at Egesta and Syracuse. — Great mercenary force under Deinokrates in Sicily — Agathokles solicits peace from him, and is refused — he concludes peace with Carthage. — Battle of Torgium — victory of Agathokles over Deinokrates. — Accommodation and compact between Agathokles and Deinokrates. — Operations of Agathokles in Liparæ, Italy, and Korkyra — Kleonymus of Sparta. — Last projects of Agathokles — mutiny of his grandson Archagathus — sickness, poisoning, and death of Agathokles. — Splendid genius of action and resource — nefarious dispositions — of Agathokles. — Hellenic agency in Sicily continues during the life of Agathokles, but becomes then subordinate to preponderant foreigners.
CHAPTER XCVIII.
OUTLYING HELLENIC CITIES. — 1. IN GAUL AND SPAIN. — 2. ON THE COAST OF THE EUXINE.