wounded. ed, the Confluence of all thofe Rivers causing a very rapid Current there, in acknowledgment of which Deliverance, he railed an Altar to cach River, whercon having facrificed, he went on toward the Country of the Oxidraca, and fetting down before their chief Ciis dangerously ty, was dangerously wounded. No fooner was he cured than he pursued his Voyage down the River Indus to the Ocean, where he built feveral Cities on the Coafts, as Monuments of his Glory. He gave Orders to Nearchus and Oneficritus, who were most skilled fends fome in Navigation, to take the strongest and best built Ships of the Fleet, Perfons to dif- and penetrate as far into the Ocean on that fide as they could with Safety, and then return to him either up the fame River Indus, or the Euphrates; the former of whom (as Plutarch tells us in the Life of Alexander) having coafted along Arabia, Ethiopia, and Lybia, came about to the Pillars of Hercules, and returned through the Mediterranean to Macedonia. cover the In dian Ocean, burns his dus, Early the next Spring fetting fire to most of his Ships which Ships in In- would have been uselefs in his Return, he erected Altars on an Island in the Mouth of the Indus, around which, as the Goal of his Race, and the Limits of his Empire, he caufed himself to be rowed in one of his nimbleft Gallies, when making Libations to Neptune, he threw the golden Cups he made ufe of in that Ceremony into the Sea, and erected an Altar to him and the Goddefs Tethys, praying for a fafe Return: Then having diftributed among his Friends the Governments of India, he fet forwards towards Babylon by Land, receiving Advice in his way that Ambaffadors from Carthage, and the other Cities of Africk, as alfo from Spain, Gaul, Sicily, Sardinia, and fome Cities of Italy, attended his Arrival: But he was no fooner come to Babylon with defign, as one would think, to celebrate the Convention of the whole Univerfe, than at one of his dies at Baby- publick Entertainments, Poifon (as fome have fuppofed) was given lon by Poison. him, of which in few Days he died, in the thirty third Year of his Year of the Age, and thirteenth of his Reign. Thus fell Alexander, not by Before Christ, any hoftile Attempt, but the treafonable Contrivances of his own. Subjects, or, as others have related, of a Debauch. World, 3625. 323. His private It appeared from his private Papers, containing Minutes of what he intended to do, which after his Death were read in a publick Affembly of the principal Officers of the Army, that he defigned to have given Orders to the People of Phenicia, Syria, Cilicia, and Cyprus, to get ready a Fleet of a thousand Gallies, larger than thofe of three Tire of Oars then commonly ufed, for an Expedition against the Carthaginians, and other maritime People of Lybia, Spain, Italy, and Sicily, purpofing to reduce to his Obedience the whole Coast of Africk as far as the Pillars of Hercules, and all the Mediterranean Sea: And for the Reception and Entertainment of fo great a Fleet, he intended to make convenient Harbours, with well furnish'd Naval Arfenals, in the Places moft commodioufly fituate for that purpose. A fit Succeffor was wanting to fo great a King, and so excellent a Captain, but the Weight of Empire was too great for any other fingle Perfon to bear: However, for the prefent, Perdiccas was made י made choice of to manage the Affairs of the Army, who, to remove fuch as might be jealous of his Power, as well as to make the Kingdoms he diftributed pass for free Gifts of his own, divided The Divifion the Provinces of the Empire among the chief Commanders. To of Alexander's Empire. Ptolemy was given Egypt and Africa, and to Laomedon Syria and Phenicia, Antigonus had Lycia and Pamphylia, with the Greater Phrygia; and Leonatus the Leffer Phrygia and Hellefpontus. Caffander was fent to Caria, and Menander to Lydia, and Cappadocia and Paphlagonia fell to Eumenes, as Media did to Pithon. Lyfimachus had the Government of Thrace, and the neighbouring Countries on the Euxine Sea, but in the Eastern Provinces and diftant Indian Acquifitions the former Deputies were still retained. Not long after which, as if fo many Kingdoms, and not Governments, were divided among themselves, they made themselves Kings instead of Governours, and acquired great Wealth and Power, which they left to their Posterity. СНАР. XI. Of the Naval Wars of the Grecians, from the Death of Alexander the Great, to the Reduction of Macedonia to the Obedience of the Romans. WH tolians carry and Antipa WHILE Affairs went thus in the East, the Athenians and Æ- The Athenitolians carried on the War, which they had begun in Alex- ans and Æander's Life-time, with great Vigour and Diligence, the Occafion on a vigorous whereof was this. Alexander, in his Return from India, had dif- War against patched Letters into Greece, commanding all the Cities to recall Alexander their Exiles, except only fuch as were guilty of Murder; which ter. Letters being read in the Prefence of all Greece, then assembled at the Olympick Games, occafioned great Commotions, because feveral had been banished their Country not legally, but by the Factions of the great Men; who now began to apprehend that, if they were restored, they would foon come to have a greater Interest in the Government than themselves. For this Reafon many of these Cities openly murmured, and gave out, that they would defend their Liberty by Force of Arms. The chief Promoters of this Infurrection were the Athenians and Ætolians, which when Alexander came to understand, he ordered his Allies to furnish him with a thousand Gallies to carry on the War in the Weft, resolving with a powerful Army to level Athens with the Ground; whereupon the Athenians raifed an Army of thirty thousand Men, and, with two hundred Ships, made War upon Antipater, to whofe Share the Government of Greece fell; but finding that he declined the Hazard of a Battel, and covered himself within the Walls of the City Heraclea, they clofely befieged him. Leonatus, who had the Govern P ment ment of Hellefpontus and Phrygia Minor, advancing with all Expedition to his Relief, was himself flain; but Antipater, by the Acceffion of these Forces, judging himself a Match for the Enemy, who had now raised the Siege, he left Heraclea, and marched his Antipater Troops into Macedonia, whence he advanced to Athens; which, takes Athens. after a fhort Siege, was furrendered to him, he obliging the Atheni ans to change the Government of the People to that of the Few, and to receive a Garrifon of Macedonians into Munychia. On the Death of Antipater, the Macedonians were divided into two Factions, one of which was for Caffander, the other for Polyperchon, in the Interest of the former of whom were the great Men of Athens, Caffander gets and in that of the latter the Commons; but Caffander prevailed, the Kingdom and poffeffed himself of that Kingdom, having paved his way to the Throne by the Murder of Aridaus, Brother to Alexander the Great, and his Wife Eurydice, and of Olympias, Alexander's Mo of Macedon. War breaks out between Antigonus, Ptolemy, &c. ther. By this time there had fallen of the Succeffors of that Prince PoLyperchon, Craterus, Perdiccas, and Eumenes, the rest taking part either with Antigonus or Ptolemy, the Demands of the latter of whom, and of his Confederates, Caffander, Lyfimachus, and Seleucus, were, that an equal Dividend fhould be made both of the Provinces, and of the Booty taken fince the Death of Eumenes, but Antigonus refused to have any Sharers with himself in the Profits of the War: And that he might have an honourable Pretence on his fide to break with them, he gave out that he was refolved to revenge the Death of Olympias, who was flain by Caffander, and to deliver the Son of his Prince, and his Mother from the Imprisonment they were kept in by him; whereupon Ptolemy and Caffander entered into a League with Lyfimachus and Seleucus, and carried on the War with all imaginable Vigour both by Sea and Land. Ptolemy at this time poffeffed Egypt, with Cyprus and Phenicia, and the greater part of Africk. Macedonia and Greece were under Caffander's Government; and as for Antigonus, he had Afia, with most part of the Eaft, having lately difpoffeffed Seleucus of the Government of Babylon, and the adjacent Provinces he had made himself Master of. After feveral bloody Battels fought with various Success, they came to a Treaty, that each fhould retain the Provinces he had; that Alexander's Son by Roxane, when at Age, fhould be made King; that Caffander fhould be Captain General of Europe, and that the Grecians fhould live after their own Laws: But this Agreement was not long kept, for each of them endeavoured, under any Pretence, to enlarge the Bounds of his Dominions, and this with the less Restraint, for that shortly after Caffander kills Alexan- not only took off that Son of Alexander's, for whom they pretendder's Relati- ed themselves Administrators, with his Mother Roxane, but also his natural Son Hercules, and Arfine the Mother of that Son likewife. Caffander ons. Under Pretence of enforcing the Execution of that Article of the forefaid Treaty, relating to the Freedom of Greece, Antigonus fitted out a formidable Fleet at Ephefus, where were also got ready my to Greece. a confiderable Body of Troops to be embarked, the Command of all which he committed to his Son Demetrius, with Inftructions to Demetrius procure to all the Cities of Greece their ancient Liberties, and first fent with a to begin with Athens, wherein Caffander maintained a strong Gar- Fleet and Ar rifon. When the Land-Forces were all on board, and the Fleet was ready to fail, Demetrius thinking it neceffary, for fome particular Realons, to keep fecret, as long as poffibly might be, the Place he defigned first to repair to, he delivered out to the refpective Captains a fealed Paper, with Orders, if they kept Company together, not to open the fame, but if they fhould happen to be feparated by bad Weather, or any other Accident, then to break it open, and fteer their Courfe to the Place therein directed. This Circumftance we learn from Polyanus in his Book of Stratagems, and is the first Inftance in Hiftory of the Ufe of a fealed Rendezvous, though probably it might have been often enough used before, being what common Reafon must neceffarily dictate on fuch Occafions, however Polyanus happen'd to think it worthy of a Place in his Work. Arriving with the Fleet at the Piraus, he took it by Affault, and in few Days obliged Demetrius Phalereus, who commanded for Caf- Athens refofander in Athens, to withdraw his Troops thence; and having re- red to its Liberty. ftored that Place to its ancient Government and Liberties, and alfo reduced the Fortrefs of Munychia and City of Megara, he received further Inftructions from Antigonus to caufe Deputies to be chofen by the several Cities of Greece, that they might meet together, and tranfact what was neceffary for the publick Peace and Safety, and to repair himself with the Fleet to Cyprus, and use his best Endeavours to reduce that Ifland, where Ptolemy maintained a confiderable Force both by Sea and Land. Cyprus. Demetrius immediately made fail Eastward, and calling in at Demetrius Rhodes, endeavoured to prevail with the People of that Ifland (who proceeds to then made a great Figure in the Mediterranean) to break with Ptolemy; but they defiring to be left at liberty to remain Neuter, it was the Ground of Antigonus's future Refentments against them. From thence Demetrius proceeded to Cilicia, where receiving a Reinforcement of Men and Ships, his Strength now confifted of fifteen thousand Foot, and four hundred Horfe, above a hundred and twenty Gallies, and fifty three large Ships of Burthen, with which paffing over to Cyprus, he landed his Troops not far from Carpafia, a Town on the North-Eaft fide of the Island; and there drawing his Gallies afhore, which, as well as his Camp, he fecured with a strong Retrenchment, he made Incurfions into the adjacent Country, and furprized Carpafia, with Vrania, another neighbouring Town; when leaving a fufficient Body of Troops for the Defence of the Camp and Shipping, he marched toward Salamis, near which Place he was met by Menelaus, Ptolemy's Governour of the Island, with an Army of five and twenty thousand Foot, and eighteen hundred Horse, with whom engaging, he gave him a Signal Ŏverthrow, and obliged him to retire into the City, where Menelaus put himself in the best Posture of Defence he was able, and immediately dispatched Meffengers to Egypt, with Advice of the Lofs he had fuftained P 2 in Antigonus his General beaten in Cyprus. in the late Battel, and defiring fpecdy Succours to be fent to his ReSalamis belief. Demetrius, on the other hand, immediately invefted the fieged. Place, and profecuted the Siege with the utmost Vigour, having brought over with him, in abundance, all neceffary Inftruments and Utenfils for that purpofe; and for the more fpecdy Reduction of the Place, he here invented that Engine called the Helepolis, a Machine of prodigious Bulk, not unlike those battering Rams which were covered with Shrouds, but vaftly bigger, and of far greater force, containing feveral finaller Engines out of which Stones, and other miffive Weapons, were caft. With this, the battering Rams, and other Machines, he had very much ruined the Walls, when the Befieged found means to fet them on fire: However, he was not difcouraged with this Lofs, but carried on the Siege with the utmost Application. Demetrius burnt. Ptolemy with a Fleet comes to the nelaus. Ptolemy, understanding what Straits Menelaus was reduced to, was now arrived at Paphos, where having encreased his Force with all the Ships of the Ifland, he advanced to Citium, about five and Relief of Me- twenty Miles from Salamis, with a hundred and forty well appointed Gallies, the biggest of which had five Tire of Oars, and the leaft four, and was followed by above two hundred Tranfports, which had on board ten thousand Men, From hence Ptolemy difpatched a Courier to Menelaus, with Orders to send out to him with all fpeed, if it could poffibly be done, fixty Gallies which were in the Port of Salamis, by the Acceffion of which his Fleet would be increased to two hundred Sail, and with that Number he doubted not to be able to deal with the Enemy. Demetrius having Intelligence of this Defign, left part of the Army before the Town, and emprepares to en- barked a Body of chofen Troops on board his Gallies, each of counter him, which he furnished with a Machine for throwing miffive Weapons, Demetrius to be fixed on their Prows; and being thus well provided, he came about to the Entrance of the Port of Salamis, where, juft out of Javelin-fhot, he anchored with his whole Fleet, making choice of this Station, as well to prevent the fixty Gallies in the Harbour from coming out, as for that he reckoned it an advantagious Place to wait and engage the Enemy. But as foon as he found Ptolemy's Fleet was nearer approach'd, he left Antifthenes with ten Gallies of five Tire of Oars to keep that Station, and block up the Harbour, on each fide of the Entrance whereof, which was narrow. He also ordered fome Troops to take Poft near thereto, that they might be at hand to affift and receive into their Protection the Seamen, in case they should be obliged, by any ill Succefs, to retire to the Shore. This done, he advanced himfelf to meet the Enemy, having with him a hundred and eight Gallies, the largest whereof were of feven Tire of Oars, and the leaft of four. In the Left Wing were feven Phænician Gallies of feven Tire of Oars, and thirty Ãthenian Gallics of four, commanded by Medius; befides which, he ordered in that Wing, wherein he intended to fight himself, ten Gallies of fix Tire of Oars, and as many of five. In the Centre were difpofed the smallest Ships under the Command of Themifon and Marfias; and the Right Wing was led by Hegefippus of Halicar naffus, |