CHAPTER VII.

THE KINGDOM OF MACEDONIA, FROM THE BATTLE OF IPSUS, TO THE ROMAN CONQUEST.

CASSANDER.

ALTHOUGH Cassander had been raised to the throne of Macedonia by the issue of the battle of Ipsus, he did not find it a bed of roses. Demetrius, son of Antigonus, had still some territories in Greece, whence he derived hopes that he might one day be able to restore his fallen fortunes. These hopes of Demetrius filled Cassander with fears, and he was jealous also of the power of Pyrrhus, king of Epirus, whom he had persecuted from his infancy. Under the influence of these feelings, tormenting to the heart notwithstanding the show of outward grandeur which surrounded him, Cassander strengthened the frontiers of his dominions, restored decayed cities, and built or founded others, as Thessalonica, that he might be able to repel either of his foes, should they attack him. He likewise laboured to secure the love of his subjects to his family, being, not without cause, afraid of the inconstancy of the Macedonians. While he was thus employed, a more for midable enemy than any whose power he was providing against appeared in his very palace: that enemy was death, against whose power no mortal arm can prevail. Cassander was seized with a dropsy, which brought him to his end, like Herod, with loathsome circumstances. This was the end of his dark and cruel deeds.

The death of Cassander occurred B. c. 298, after he had held the government of Macedonia nineteen years, and had ruled it three years with the title of king. He left three sons, Philip, Antipater, and Alexander, the eldest of whom succeeded him on the throne.

PHILIP.

The reign of Philip was brief. He died shortly after his accession, upon which his brothers, Antipater and Alexander,

drew the sword to contest the crown, which, as will be seen, was fatal to both.

ANTIPATER AND ALEXANDER.

In the quarrel which ensued between these two sons of Cassander, their mother, Thessalonica, favoured Alexander, who was the youngest, instead of endeavouring to heal the breach. This undue partiality produced the most bitter results: Antipater, enraged thereby, killed her with his own hand, turning a deaf ear to her entreaties by the breasts which had nourished him in infancy to spare her life. In order to avenge this deed, and thereby to advance his own interests, Alexander sought the aid of Pyrrhus and Demetrius Poliorcetes, both of whom obeyed the call, but only with the expectation of being paid. Pyrrhus arrived first, and having made himself master of several cities in Macedonia, part of which he retained as a compensation for his services, and reconciled the two brothers, he returned to his own dominions. Demetrius arrived shortly after his departure, and was displeased to find that his assistance was not required. The semblance of friendship, however, was preserved between him and Alexander, and they entertained each other at reciprocal feasts. But their hearts were false. Demetrius, at length upon some intelligence, either true or fictitious, that Alexander intended to kill him, prevented the execution of that design by destroying him, and Antipater, fearing the same catastrophe, fled into Thrace. B. c. 295.

DEMETRIUS.

The vacant throne of Macedonia was now seized by Demetrius, who possessed in addition, Thessaly, a great portion of Southern Greece, with the provinces of Attica and Megaris, to which, after a fierce resistance, and a twofold capture of Thebes, he added Bootia.

Demetrius might have tranquilly enjoyed this extensive realm, but his restless ambition led to his ruin. He formed a plan for the recovery of his father's power in Asia, upon which Seleucus and Ptolemy roused Lysimachus, king of Thrace, and Pyrrhus, king of Epirus, to attack him at the same time. Alarmed by this confederacy, the Macedonians mutinied, and Demetrius fled, disguised as a common soldier, into the Peloponnesus, which was governed by his son Antigonus. B. c. 287.

PYRRHUS.

On the flight of Demetrius, Pyrrhus ascended the throne of Macedonia; but after a brief reign of seven months, he was reduced to the same necessity to which Demetrius had been before him. He was compelled to take refuge in flight from the power or popularity of Lysimachus, who invaded Macedonia, and to leave him a kingdom which he himself had stolen.

LYSIMACHUS.

In the mean time, Demetrius had sailed into Asia with the hope of capturing the provinces belonging to Lysimachus, B. C. 286. In this he was disappointed. He was driven into Cilicia by Agathocles, son of Lysimachus, and forced to surrender to Seleucus, his father-in-law, who detained him prisoner in the Chersonesus of Syria, near Laodicea, till the day of his death, which occurred B. c. 284.

In consequence of the accession of Lysimachus, Thrace, and, for a brief period, even Asia Minor, were annexed to the Macedonian kingdom. But a worm was at the root of this power, even at its commencement. Lysimachus was unfortunate in his domestic relations. Strife ruled dominant in his court, and at length having, upon the instigation of his queen, the wicked Arsinoe, put his son Agathocles to death, Cassandra, the widow of the young prince, with her brother Ptolemy Ceraunus, fled to the court of Seleucus, and stimulated that prince to war. The two armies met at Corupedion, in Phrygia, and Lysimachus was defeated and slain, leaving his kingdoms to Seleucus by his victory. B. C. 282.

Seleucus Nicator, or, the conqueror, already lord of Asia, now caused himself to be proclaimed king of Macedonia, and there was every prospect of that country becoming again the head seat of monarchy. Such was the victor's intention; but as he was marching into Europe the next year, the shores of which he had already gained, he fell by the murderous hand of Ptolemy Ceraunus, who availing himself of the treasures of his victim, and of the yet remaining troops of Lysimachus, took possession of the throne. B. c. 281.

In the same year that Seleucus fell, Pyrrhus invaded Italy as an ally of the Tarentines; the Achæan league was revived in Southern Greece; and Cappadocia, Armenia, and Pontus,

in the north, and Bactria in the east, became independent kingdoms.

PTOLEMY CERAUNUS.

On usurping the throne of Macedonia, Ptolemy had to treat with three foes: Antiochus, son of Seleucus; Antigonus, son of Demetrius; and Pyrrhus, king of Epirus. Antigonus, who since the death of Demetrius, had maintained himself in the Peloponnesus, in hopes of one day securing the crown of Macedonia, advanced with an army to contest the prize with Ptolemy, but he was defeated; while Antiochus was pacified with fair words, and Pyrrhus with presents, and the hand of Ptolemy's daughter in marriage. After this, Ptolemy fraudulently obtained the hand of Arsinoe, widow of Lysimachus, in marriage, which was followed by the murder of her two sons, Philip and Lysimachus, in her presence, and her own banishment into Samothrace. B. C. 280.

Ptolemy now deemed himself secure on the throne of Macedonia. Providence had, however, marked his crimes, and did not suffer them to remain long unpunished. An innumerable multitude of Gauls, who had been settled in Pannonia about two centuries before, driven by want, or instigated by a restless disposition, poured into Thrace and Macedonia, and desolated the country. Ptolemy lead an army against these ferocious savages, but he was defeated and slain B. c. 279. In this dilemma, the Macedonians knew not what measures to take for the preservation of their country.

MELEAGER.

Meleager, the brother of Ptolemy, was first elected as king; but finding that his hand was too weak to hold the reins of government, they deposed him after he had reigned two months.

ANTIPATER.

The Macedonians next exalted Antipater, the son of Philip, brother of Cassander, to the throne; but he governed only forty-five days, upon which an interregnum followed.

In the mean time, the Gauls wasted the country of Macedonia. At length, however, Sosthenes, a Macedonian noble, assumed the command, and this time liberated his country. But his triumph was short. The next year, в c. 278, the

storm returned with ten fold fury: Sosthenes was defeated and slain; and although the Greeks brought their united forces into the field, the Gauls, under the guidance of their brenn, or chief, burst into Greece on two different sides, and pushed on to Delphi, with intent to plunder it of its immense wealth. Here the success of the invaders ended. Animated by the danger in which their temple was placed, the Greeks charged the Gauls with so much impetuosity, that they were unable to sustain the shock, and were slaughtered in great numbers. Their chief fell by his own hands, and the miserable remnant fell back upon a fresh body of their countrymen established on the Propontis, with whom they passed over into Asia, where, after inflicting many calamities on the states of Antolia, they obtained possession of the provinces, which received from them the denomination of Gallo-Grecia or Galatia.

It was to the descendants of this people, that the epistle of St. Paul to the Galatians was written. See that epistle.

After the death of Sosthenes, who had refused regal honours, Antiochus, son of Seleucus Nicator, and Antigonus, son of Demetrius Poliorcetes, who was now called Gonatas, from Gonni, in Thessaly, where he had been educated, appeared as rivals for the crown of Macedonia, Antigonus Gonatas, however, bought off his competitor by treaty and marriage, he marrying the niece of Antiochus.

ANTIGONUS GONATAS.

The reign of Antigonus commenced B. c. 278. His first noted act was the expulsion of the Gauls, who made another irruption into his territories in hopes of plunder. After this he proceeded to the consolidation of his kingdom; but before he could effect this, he was dethroned by Pyrrhus, who, on his return from Italy, was a second time proclaimed king of Macedonia. B. c. 274.

SECOND NOTICE OF PYRRHUS.

Extraordinary as these revolutions appear, says Heeren, they may be easily accounted for by the mode of warfare in those days. Every thing depended (humanly speaking) on the armies; and these were composed of mercenaries ever willing to fight against him they had defended the day before, if they fancied his rival to be a more valiant or fortunate