Diodorus Siculus

BOOK XIX - The Library of History



Page 635 came to Antigonus, who made a League with him; and then calling a general Council of the Army and the Strangers there resident, declar'd unto them how Cassander had murder'd Olympias, and how villainously he had dealt with Roxana and the young King, and that he had forc'd Thessalonices to marry him, and that it was very clear and evident that he aspir'd to the Kingdom of Macedonia. Moreover, that he had planted the Olynthians, the most bitter Enemies of the Macedonians, in the City call'd after his own Name; That he had rebuilt Thebes that was raz'd by the Macedonians: Having thus incens'd the Army, he made and wrote an Edict, That Cassander should be taken as an open Enemy, unless he raz'd the two Cities, releas'd the King and Roxana his Mother, and return'd them safe to the Macedonians: And lastly, Unless he submitted to Antigonus, as General and sole Protector of the Kingdom; and free all the Greek Cities, and withdraw all the Garisons out of them.

When the Army had approv'd of this Edict by their Suffrages, he sent Courriers away to publish it in all places: For he hop'd, that by this Means all the Grecians, in expectation of having their Liberties restor'd, would be his Consederates, and readily assist him in the War, and that all the Governors of the Higher Provinces, who before suspected him, as if he design'd to deprive the Posterity of Alexander of the Kingdom, (now that it clearly appear'd that he took up Arms in their behalf) would observe all his Commands of their own accord.

Having dispatch'd all these Matters, he sent back Alexander with Five hundred Talents into Peloponnesus, with his hopes rais'd in expectation of mighty Matters: And he himself with Shipping had from Rhodes, and others he had lately built, set sail for Tyre; where being now Master at Sea, he so block'd it up for thirteen Months together, that no supply of Victuals could be brought thither, and thereby reduc'd the Inhabitants into so great distress, that at length (upon suffering the Soldiers to march away with some small things that were their own) the City was surrender'd to him upon Terms; and he plac'd a Garison in it for its Defence.

In the mean time, Ptolemy hearing what a Declaration Antigonus with the Macedonians had made, concerning the Liberty of the Grecians, made the like himself, as desirous that all the World should take notice, that he was no less zealous for the Liberty of Greece than Antigonus was: For both of them well considering of how great moment it was to their Affairs to gain the good Will of the Grecians, strove one with another which should oblige them most by Acts of Grace. Then he join'd to his Party the Governor of Caria, who was a Man of great Power, and had many great Cities under his Command. And thô he had before sent Three thousand Soldiers to the Kings in Cyprus, yet he hastned away many more, to reduce those who had there sided against him. Those sent were Ten thousand, under the Command of Myrmidon, an Athenian born, and an Hundred sail of Ships, Commanded by Polyclitus: And the General over all he made his Brother Menelaus.

These coming into Cyprus, join'd then with Seleucus and his Fleet, and in a Council of War advis'd what course was fit to be taken. The Result of which was, that Polyclitus with Fifty sail should pass into Peloponnesus, and there should make War upon Aristodemus, Polysperchon, and his Son Alexander: That Myrmidon should go with an Army of Foreigners into Caria, there to help Cassander against Ptolemy, a Captain of Antigonus, who pressed hard upon him; and that Seleucus and Menelaus staying in Cyprus, should bear up Nicocreon the King, and the rest of their Confederates, against their Enemies.

Having thus therefore divided their Forces, Seleucus went and took Cyrinia and Lapithus; and having drawn over Stasiecus, King of the Malenses, to his Party, he forc'd the Prince of the Amathusians to give him Hostages for his Fealty for the time to come. As for the City Citium (seeing it would come to no Agreement with him) he fell to besiege it with his whole Army.

About the same time came Forty Ships out of the Hellespont and Rhodes, under the Command of one Themison, their Admiral, to Antigonus; and after them came Dioscorides with Fourscore more; though Antigonus had already a Navy of his own, new built in Phenicia, to the Number of an Hundred and twenty Ships, with those that he left at Tyre; so that he had in the whole Two hundred and forty Men of War, of which there were Ninety of four Tire of Oars; Ten of Five, Three of Nine; Ten of Ten; and Thirty open Gallies.

Antigonus dividing this Navy into Squadrons, sent Fifty of them into Peloponnesus, and the rest he committed to Dioscorides, his own Brother's Son, with this Charge, That he should guard the Seas, and help his Friends as their occasion requir'd, and that he should gain unto his Party such of the Islands as hitherto stood out against him. And in this Posture stood the Affairs of Antigonus.


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