Diodorus Siculus

BOOK XX - The Library of History




Page 704 the Messengers from Antigonus came to Demetrius, who deliver'd his Father's Commands, and order'd him to transport his Forces over into Asia, with all the speed imaginable.

Whereupon, he looking upon it as a thing of absolute Necessity to obey his Father, forthwith struck up a Peace with Cassander, upon Condition, that his Father would approve of it; not in the least doubting, but that he would make all void, who he knew had resolv'd to put an end to the War, by no other ways than by force of Arms. However he was willing to manage his Business so, as that his leaving of Greece should look with a fair Face, and not resemble a Flight: For among other things, he took care to have it inserted into the Articles of Peace, That all the Greek Cities, both in Greece and Asia, should enjoy their ancient Laws and Liberties. At length, having got Ships together to transport his Army and the Carriages, he set sail with his whole Fleet, and steering a right Course through the Islands, (of the Aegean Sea) came to Ephesus, and there landing his Army, Encamp'd before it, and reduc'd it to its former Obedience, and suffer'd the Garison which Prepalaus had put there, safely to depart: Then putting a strong Garison of his own into the Castle there, march'd away with the rest of his Army as far as the Hellespont, where he reduc'd the Lampsacenians and Parians, and other revolted Cities to his Subjection: And from thence going to the Mouth of Pentus, Encamp'd near the Temple of the Chalcedentans, and there fortisy'd; which done, he left there Three thousand Foot, and Thirty Sail of good Ships to keep the Port, and sent the rest of his Army to Quarter for that Winter in several Places thereabouts.

About this time, Mithridates, who was subject to Antigonus, being suspected of favouring Cassander's Party, was slain at Cius, in the Country of Mysia; of which, and of Arthinas he had been Prince Thirty five years. His Son, call'd also Mithridates, succeeded him in his Principality, and added to his Dominions Cappadocia and Paphlagonia, and held them Thirty six years.

In these days Cassander, after the departure of Demetrius, recover'd all the Cities lying upon the Sea Coasts, and sent Pleistarchus into Asia, with an Army of Twelve thousand Foot and Five hundred Horse to assist Lysimachus. But Pleistarchus coming to the Mouth of Pontus, found that Streight kept by the Enemy: And thereupon, despairing of any Passage that way, went to Odessus, which lies between Apollonia and Galatia, over against Heraclea, where a Part of Lysimachus his Army lay: But having not Shipping enough for the Transportation of all his Forces at that Place, he divided his Army into three Parts: The first part that set out, landed safely at Heraclea: The second was defeated by the Enemy's Ships which lay to keep the Streight at Pontus: The third, wherein Pleistarchus himself was, was so overset by a violent Tempest, that the greatest part of the Ships, and Men in them perish'd: And among the rest the Ship wherein he was, being a Vessel of Six Tire of Oars; and of all the Men in her, which could not be less than Five hundred, only Three and thirty escap'd, of whom Pleistarchus himself was one, who getting upon a Plank of the Ship when it split, was cast on Shore half dead; yet being a little recover'd, was carry'd to Heraclea, and there growing strong again, went to Lysunachus in his Winter Quarters, having lost the greatest part of his Army by the way.

About the same time, Ptolemy coming with an excellently well-appointed Army out of Aegypt, reduc'd all the Cities of Caelosyria to his Obedience; but when he lay in Siege before Sidon, there came a false Rumour to his Ear, that a Battel had been sought, wherein Lysimachus and Seleucus were routed and fled to Heraclea, and that Antigonus thereupon was hasting into Syria with his Victorious Army.

Ptolemy giving overlight credit to this Report, made a Truce with the Sidonians for five Months, and putting Garisons into other Cities which he had taken in those Parts, return'd into Aegypt.

While these things thus pass'd, Two thousand Autariats, and about Eight hundred Lycians and Pamphilians of Lysunachus his Soldiers, fled over to Antigonus out of their Winter-Quarters, and Antigonus entertain'd them very courteously, furnishing them with such Pay, as they said Lysimachus ow'd them, and gave them also for a Reward large Sums of Money over and above.

About the same time also, Seleucus, with a great Army came down out of the Upper Provinces into Cappadocia, and Winter'd his Army in Tents which he brought ready made for them. His Army consisted of Twenty thousand Foot, and about Twelve thousand Horse, (reck'ning in with them his Archers on Horseback) and Four hundred and fourscore Elephants, and an Hundred Iron Chariots: Thus these Kings join'd their Forces, resolving the next Summer to decide the Controversie by the Sword. But we shall give an Account of the Wars among these Princes in the Beginning of the next Book, according as we first design'd.



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