Diodorus Siculus

BOOK XX - The Library of History



Page 672 overcame and kill'd many of them in another Battel at a Place call'd Perusia, and put that People into a great Consternation. He was the first of the Romans that ever enter'd with an Army into those Parts. But he made Peace with the Arretines and Crotoneans, and them of Perusina; and taking the City call'd Castula, he forc'd the Hetrurians to raise their Siege before Sutrium.

This Year there were two Censors created at Rome; the one of whom was Appius Claudius, who with the concurrence of his Collegue, Caius Plautius, abrogated many of the ancient Laws: For to gratifie the People, he made no account of the Senate. He brought Water (which was from him call'd Appia) into Rome from Places fourscore Furlongs distant, and expended a vast Sum of Money in this Work, receiv'd out of the Treasury by Consent of the Senate. Then he laid a Causey of hard Stone the greatest part of that way, which is from him call'd Appia, extending from Rome to Capua, a Thousand Furlongs and upwards; and with great Costs and Expence levell'd all the rising Grounds, and fill'd up all the Holes and hollow Places, making all even and plain; but hereby drain'd the Treasury almost of all the Money that was in it. And by this his laying out of himself in promoting the Publick Good, he left behind him an immortal Memorial. He also made up the Senate not only of the Nobility (as the ancient Custom was) but likewise of the Libertines, by chusing many of them, and mixing them with the other, which the Patritians took very heinously. Moreover, he gave liberty to the Citizens to incorporate themselves into what Tribe they thought fit, and to be tax'd in what Rank soever they pleas'd.

At length, perceiving how greatly he was envy'd by the Nobility, he avoided the Storm by insinuating himself into the favour of the Common People, and making use of them as a Bulwark against the Envy of the Patricians. In must' ring of the Horse, he never took any Mans Horse from him; neither ever remov'd any Person never so mean out of the Senate (that was once chosen) when he took an account of the Senators, which the Censors us'd to do. But the Consuls, both out of Envy, and to gratifie the Nobility, conven'd a Senate of such as were inroll'd by the former Censors, and not those that were allow'd by him: But the People oppos'd them, and sided with Appius; and that he might confirm the Advancement of such as were but of mean and obscure Birth, he preferr'd one Cains Flavius, the Son of a Libertine, to the Office of Aedilis, and to the highest Place in that Office. And this was the first Roman born of a Libertine, that ever before was advanc'd to that Honourable Station. Appius at length being remov'd out of his Office, out of fear of the Senate's Malice, kept his House, under pretence of being blind.

Now Charinus was Chief Governor at Athens, and the Romans created Publius Decius and Quintus Fabius Consuls. And at Elis was celebrated the Hundred and eighteenth Olympiad, in which Apollonides of Tegeata bore away the Prize: At which time Ptolemy sailing from Myndus along the Islands which lay in his way, came to Andros, and putting out the Garison that was there, restor'd it to her former Liberty: Thence he sail'd to the Isthmus, and receiv'd Sicyon and Corinth from Cratesipolis. But for what reasons, and upon what account he took these eminent Cities into his hands, we have related in the former Books, and therefore we shall forbear repetition. He design'd also to restore the rest of the Greek Cities to their Liberties, judging that by gaining the Hearts of the Grecians, he should very much promote his own Interest. But when the Peloponnesians were order'd to provide Money and Victuals, but perform'd nothing of what they had agreed to, he was so incens'd, that he made Peace with Cassander, upon this Condition, That each of them should retain those Cities they had then in their hands. Then having put Garisons into Sicyon and Corinth, he return'd into Aegypt.

In the mean time, Cleopatra being incens'd against Antigonus, of her own accord inclin'd to Ptolemy, and left Sardis to go to him: She was Sister of Alexander, the Conqueror of the Persians, the Daughter of Philip Son of Amyntas, and the Wise of Alexander, who undertook an Expedition into Italy. And therefore upon the account of the Nobleness of her Birth, Cassander, Lysunachus, Antigonus, and Ptolemy, and even the Chiefest of Alexander's Captains after his death, were every one ambitious to marry her: For every one hop'd by this Marriage to draw all the the Macedonians after them; and therefore each coveted to be related to the Royal Family, looking upon that as the way to gain the Sovereign Power and Command over all the rest. But the Governour of Sardis (whom Antigonus had commanded to retain Cleopatra) stopt her Journey; and afterwards by Order from Antigonus, with the help of some Women, privily murther'd her. But Antigonus, who would no ways be thought guilty of her death, struck off the Heads of some of those Women, for having a hand in her Murder, and bury'd her with all the Magnificence


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