BOOK SIXTEENTH

THE

HISTORY

OF

ALEXANDER'S SUCCESSORS.

PLAN.

THIS chapter contains the competition and wars that subsisted between the generals of Alexander, from the death of that prince to the battle of Ipsus in Phrygia, which decided their several fates. These events include the space of twenty-three years, which coincide with the first twenty-three years of the reign of Ptolemy the son of Lagus, from the year of the world 3681 to the year 3704.

SECTION I.-TROUBLES

ALEXANDER.

CHAPTER I.

WHICH FOLLOWED THE DEATH OF PARTITION OF THE PROVINCES. ARIDEUS IS DECLARED KING. PERDICCAS APPOINTED HIS GUARD1AN.

IN relating the death of Alexander the Great, I mentioned the many troubles and commotions that arose in the army on first receiving the news of that event. All the troops, soldiers as well as officers, had their thoughts entirely taken up, at first, with the loss of a prince whom they loved as a father. and revered almost as a god, and abandoned themselves immoderately to grief and tears. A mournful silence reigned throughout the camp; but this was soon succeeded by dismal sighs and lamentations, which speak the true language of the heart, and never flow from a vain ostentation of sorrow, which is too often paid to custom and decorum on such occasions.*

When the first impressions of grief had given place to reflection, they began to consider, with the utmost consternation, the state in which the death of Alexander had left them. Passim_silentia et gemitus; nihil compositum in ostentationem—altius mærebant.-Tacit.

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They found themselves at an infinite distance from their native country, and among a people lately subdued, so little accustomed to their new yoke, that they were hardly acquainted with their present masters, and had not as yet had sufficient time to forget their ancient laws, and that form of government under which they had always lived. What measures could be taken to keep a country of such vast extent in subjection? How could it be possible to suppress those seditions and revolts which would naturally break out on all sides in that decisive moment? What expedients could be formed to restrain those troops within the limits of their duty, who had so long been habituated to complaints and murmurs, and were commanded by chiefs whose views and pretensions were so different?

The only remedy for these various calamities seemed to consist in a speedy nomination of a successor to Alexander; and the troops, as well as the officers, and the whole Macedonian state, seemed at first to be very desirous of this expedient; and their common interest and security, with the preservation of their new conquests, amid the barbarous nations which surrounded them, made it, indeed, necessary for them to consider this election as their first and most important care, and to turn their thoughts to the choice of a person, qualified to fill so arduous a station, and sustain the weight of it in such a manner as to be capable of supporting the general order and tranquillity. But, it had already been written, "that the kingdom of Alexander should be divided and rent asunder after his death," and that it should not be transmitted, in the usual manner, "to his posterity."* No efforts of human wisdom could establish a sole successor to that prince. In vain did they deliberate, consult, and decide; nothing could be executed contrary to the pre-ordained event, and nothing short of it could possibly subsist. A superior and invincible power had already disposed of the kingdom, and divided it by an inevitable decree, as will be evident in the sequel. The circumstances of this partition had been denounced nearly three centuries before this time; the portions of it had already been assigned to different possessors, and nothing could frustrate that division which was only to be deferred for a few years. Till the arrival of that period, men might indeed raise commotions, and concert a variety of movements; but all their efforts would only tend to the accomplishment of what had been ordained by the

* Dan. xi. 4.

+ Non erit, non stabit, non fiet.-Isa.

sovereign Master of kingdoms, and of what had been foretold by his prophet.

Alexander had a son by Barsina, and had conferred the name of Hercules upon him. Roxana, another of his wives, was advanced in her pregnancy when that prince died. He had likewise a natural brother, called Aridæus; but he would not upon his death-bed dispose of his dominions in favor of any heir; for which reason this vast empire, which no longer had a master to sway it, became a source of competition and wars, as Alexander had plainly foreseen, when he declared that his friends would celebrate his funeral with bloody battles.

The division was augmented by the equality among the generals of the army, none of whom was so superior to his colleagues, either by birth or merit, as to induce them to offer him the empire, and submit to his authority. The cavalry were desirous that Aridæus should succeed Alexander. This prince had discovered but little strength of mind from the time he had been afflicted in his infancy with a violent indisposition, occasioned, as was pretended, by some particular drink, which had been given him by Olympias, and which had disordered his understanding. This ambitious princess being apprehensive that the engaging qualities she discovered in Aridæus, would be so many obstacles to the greatness of her son, Alexander, thought it expedient to have recourse to the criminal precaution already mentioned. The infantry had declared against this prince, and were headed by Ptolemy, and other chiefs of great reputation, who began to think of their own particular establishinent. For, a sudden revolution was working in the minds of these officers, and caused them to contemn the rank of private persons, and all dependency and subordination, with a view of aspiring to sovereign power, which had never employed their thoughts till then, and to which they had never thought themselves qualified to pretend, before this conjuncture of affairs.

These disputes, which engaged the minds of all parties, delayed the interment of Alexander for the space of seven days; and, if we may credit some authors, the body continued uncorrupted all that time. It was afterwards delivered to the Egyptians and Chaldeans, who embalmed it after their manner; and Aridæus (a different person from him I have already mentioned), was charged with the care of conveying it to Alexandria.*

* Q. Curt. 1. x. Justin. 1. xiii. Diod. 1. xviii, VOL. III.-25

After a variety of troubles and agitations had intervened, the principal officers assembled at a conference, where it was unanimously concluded that Aridæus should be king, or rather, that he should be invested with the shadow of royalty. The infirmity of mind, which ought to have excluded him from the throne, was the very motive of their advancing him to it, and united all suffrages in his favor. It favored the hopes and pretensions of all the chiefs, and covered their designs. It was also agreed in this assembly, that if Roxana, who was then in the fifth or sixth month of her pregnancy, should have a son, he should be associated with Aridæus in the throne. Perdiccas, to whom Alexander had left his ring, in the last moments of his life, had the person of the prince consigned to his care as guardian, and was constituted regent of the kingdom.

The same assembly, whatever respect they might bear to the memory of Alexander, thought fit to annul some of his regulations, which had been destructive to the state, and had exhausted his treasury. He had given orders for six temples to be erected in particular cities which he had named, and had fixed the expenses of each of these structures at five huudred talents. He had likewise ordered a pyramid to be raised over the tomb of his father, Philip, which was to be finished with a grandeur and magnificence equal to that in Egypt, esteemed one of the seven wonders of the world. Ile had likewise planned other expenses of the like kind, which were prudently revoked by the assembly.

Within a short time after these proceedings, Roxana was delivered of a son, who was named Alexander, and acknowledged king, jointly with Aridæus. But neither of these princes possessed anything more than the name of royalty, as all authority was entirely lodged in the great lords and generals, who had divided the provinces among themselves. *

In Europe, Thrace and the adjacent regions were consigned to Lysimachus; and Macedonia, Epirus, and Greece, were allotted to Antipater and Craterus.

In Africa, Egypt, and the other conquests of Alexander in Libya, and Cyrenaica, were assigned to Ptolemy the son of Lagus, with that part of Arabia which borders on Egypt. The month of Thoth, in the autumn, is the epoch from whence the years of the empire of the Lagides in Egypt begin to be computed; though Ptolemy did not assume the title of king,

* Diod. 1. xviii. pp. 587, 588.Justin. 1. xiii. c. 4. Q. Curt. 1. x. c. 10.

in conjunction with the other successors of Alexander, till about seventeen years after this event.

In lesser Asia, Lycia, Pamphylia, and the greater Phrygia, were given to Antigonus; Caria to Cassander; Lydia to Menander; the lesser Phrygia to Leonates; Armenia to Neoptolemus; Cappadocia and Paphlagonia to Eumenes. These two provinces had never been subjected by the Macedonians, and Ariarthes, king of Cappadocia, continued to govern them as formerly; Alexander having advanced with so much rapidity to his other conquests, as left him no inclination to amuse himself with the entire reduction of that province, and contented himself with a slight submission.

Syria and Phoenicia fell to Laomedon; one of the two Medias to Atropates; and the other to Perdiccas. Persia was assigned to Peucestes; Babylonia to Archon; Mesopotamia to Arcesilaus; Parthia and Hyrcania, to Phrataphernes; Bactria and Sogdiana to Philip; the other regions were divided among generals whose names are now but little known.

Seleucus, the son of Antiochus, was placed at the head of the cavalry of the allies, which was a post of great importance; and Cassander, the son of Antipater, commanded the companies of guards.

Upper Asia, which extends almost to India, and even India also, were left in the possession of those who had been appointed governors of those countries by Alexander.

The same disposition generally prevailed in all the provinces I have already mentioned: and it is in this sense that most interpreters explain that passage in the Maccabees, which declares that Alexander, having assembled the great men of his court who had been bred up with him, divided his kingdom among them in his life time. It is very probable, that this prince, when he saw his death approaching, and had no inclination to nominate a successor himself, was contented with confirming each of his officers in the governments he had formerly assigned them, which is sufficient to authorize the declaration in the Maccabees, "that he divided his kingdom among them while he was living."*

This partition was only the work of man, and its duration was but short. That being, who reigns alone, and is the only King of ages, had decreed a different distribution. He assigned to each his portion, and marked out its boundaries and extent, and his disposition alone was to subsist.

Maccab. 1. i. n. 6 et 7.