a smaller history of greece-第49部分

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lip　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；　and　in　a　battle　which　ensued　in　the　streets　Pyrrhus　was　struck　from　his　horse　by　a　tile　hurled　by　a　woman　from　a　house…top；　and　was　then　despatched　by　some　soldiers　of　Antigonus。　　Such　was　the　inglorious　end　of　one　of　the　bravest　and　most　warlike　monarchs　of　antiquity；　whose　character　for　moral　virtue；　though　it　would　not　stand　the　test　of　modern　scrutiny；　shone　out　conspicuously　in　comparison　with　that　of　contemporary　sovereigns。

Antigonus　Gonatas　now　made　himself　master　of　the　greater　part　of　Peloponnesus；　which　he　governed　by　means　of　tyrants　whom　he　established　in　various　cities。

While　all　Greece；　with　the　exception　of　Sparta；　seemed　hopelessly　prostrate　at　the　feet　of　Macedonia；　a　new　political　power；　which　sheds　a　lustre　on　the　declining　period　of　Grecian　history；　arose　in　a　small　province　in　Peloponnesus；　of　which　the　very　name　has　been　hitherto　rarely　mentioned　since　the　heroic　age。　　In　Achaia；　a　narrow　slip　of　country　upon　the　shores　of　the　Corinthian　gulf；　a　league；　chiefly　for　religious　purposes；　had　existed　from　a　very　early　period　among　the　twelve　chief　cities　of　the　province。　　The　league；　however；　had　never　possessed　much　political　importance；　and　it　had　been　suppressed　by　the　Macedonians。　　At　the　time　of　which　we　are　speaking　Antigonus　Gonatas　was　in　possession　of　all　the　cities　formerly　belonging　to　the　league；　either　by　means　of　his　garrisons　or　of　the　tyrants　who　were　subservient　to　him。　　It　was；　however；　this　very　oppression　that　led　to　a　revival　of　the　league。　　The　Achaean　towns；　now　only　ten　in　number；　as　two　had　been　destroyed　by　earthquakes；　began　gradually　to　coalesce　again；　but　Aratus　of　Sicyon；　one　of　the　most　remarkable　characters　of　this　period　of　Grecian　history；　was　the　man　who；　about　the　year　251　B。C。；　first　called　the　new　league　into　active　political　existence。　　He　had　long　lived　in　exile　at　Argos；　whilst　his　native　city　groaned　under　the　dominion　of　a　succession　of　tyrants。　　Having　collected　a　band　of　exiles；　he　surprised　Sicyon　in　the　night　time；　and　drove　out　the　last　and　most　unpopular　of　these　tyrants。　　Instead　of　seizing　the　tyranny　for　himself；　as　he　might　easily　have　done；　Aratus　consulted　only　the　advantage　of　his　country；　and　with　this　view　united　Sicyon　with　the　Achaean　league。　　The　accession　of　so　important　a　town　does　not　appear　to　have　altered　the　constitution　of　the　confederacy。　　The　league　was　governed　by　a　STRATEGUS；　or　general；　whose　functions　were　both　military　and　civil；　a　GRAMMATEUS；　or　secretary；　and　a　council　of　ten　DEMIURGI。　　The　sovereignty；　however；　resided　in　the　general　assembly；　which　met　twice　a　year　in　a　sacred　grove　near　AEgium。　It　was　composed　of　every　Achaean　who　had　attained　the　age　of　thirty；　and　possessed　the　right　of　electing　the　officers　of　the　league；　and　of　deciding　all　questions　of　war；　peace；　foreign　alliances；　and　the　like。　　In　the　year　245　B。C。　Aratus　was　elected　STRATEGUS　of　the　league；　and　again　in　243。　　In　the　latter　of　these　years　he　succeeded　in　wresting　Corinth　from　the　Macedonians　by　another　nocturnal　surprise；　and　uniting　it　to　the　league。　　The　confederacy　now　spread　with　wonderful　rapidity。　　It　was　soon　joined　by　Troezen；　Epidaurus；　Hermione　and　other　cities；　and　ultimately　embraced　Athens；　Megara；　AEgina；　Salamis；　and　the　whole　Peloponnesus；　with　the　exception　of　Sparta；　Elis；　and　some　of　the　Arcadian　towns。

Sparta；　it　is　true；　still　continued　to　retain　her　independence；　but　without　a　shadow　of　her　former　greatness　and　power。　　The　primitive　simplicity　of　Spartan　manners　had　been　completely　destroyed　by　the　collection　of　wealth　into　a　few　hands；　and　by　the　consequent　progress　of　luxury。　　The　number　of　Spartan　citizens　had　been　reduced　to　700；　but　even　of　these　there　were　not　above　a　hundred　who　possessed　a　sufficient　quantity　of　land　to　maintain　themselves　in　independence。　　The　young　king；　Agis　IV。；　who　succeeded　to　the　crown　in　244；　attempted　to　revive　the　ancient　Spartan　virtue；　by　restoring　the　institutions　of　Lycurgus；　by　cancelling　all　debts；　and　by　making　a　new　distribution　of　lands；　and　with　this　view　he　relinquished　all　h