¶ A RIGHTE noble and pleasant History of the Successors of Alexander surnamed the Great taken out of Diodorus Siculus and some of their liues written by the wise Plutarch Translated out of French into Englysh by Thomas Stocker Imprinted at London by Henrie Bynneman dwelling in Knightrider streat at the signe of the Mermayd for Humfrie Toy ANNO DOMINI 1569. TO THE RIGHT honourable his verie good Lord Lord Ambrose Dudley Earle of Warwyck Baron Lisle of the right honorable order of the garter Knight and M. of the ordinaunce to the Queenes most excellent Maiestie AS of late came vnto my handes right honourable and my very good Lord this Booke entituled the Historie of the successors of AlexaÌ„der surnamed the great written in the Greeke tong by Diodore the Sicilian and translated into Frenche by M. Claude of Seissell sometime M. of the Requestes to the most Christian King Lewis the xij of that name and to him addressed I was when I had ouer read and well considered the same maruellously rauished and earnestly wished it hadde bene published in our vulgare tong that many others might vnderstand it Bycause as me thinketh it is both noble and pleasaunt as well for the noueltie of the Historie as also for the varietie and stile which is right propre and such one as apperteyneth and chiefly belongeth to a very good Historian wherein is shewed the vncerteintie of fortune whiche maruellously may serue and helpe to read and consider the worldly happes heretofore to great Kings Princes and Nobles chaunced who sometime were in great dignitie and had high authoritie and wonderful prosperitie Wherby in seeing after great felicitie and maruellous prosperitie the straunge aduersitie and miserie whiche happened them and the continual chaunge of their estates and aduentures may more and more be vnderstood the instabilitie and imperfection of wordly matters And chiefly in those great and honorable personages the successors of Alexander the great by whome is most declared the inconstancie of all things subiect to alteration and chaunge and where Fortune to speake after the vulgare opinion hath best shewed the power and auctoritie Whiche Booke when I hadde finished I aduised me to what honorable and Martiall personage I might fitliest addresse it And as I aboade in this imagination I at last called to remembrance your late noble progenitor who in facts of warre and Martiall pollicies surmounted in these our dayes the more parte of this noble Realme of Englande And forthwith considering that your honoure is he who in those noble vertues rightly representeth the very liuely Image of your most noble progenitor and also vnderstanding your affabilitie and naturall inclination to all suche as haue delight therein I am therefore all these things considered the rather enboldened to take on hande to dedicate this the firste fruite of my trauell vnto your honour Most humbly beseching the same that it woulde vouchsafe to take in worth thys small present and gifte and to consider rather the harte and good will of the giuer who desireth nothing more than to do you seruice agreable than the value or qualitie of the present very small and in a rude stile to dedicate vnto so Noble a personage And bycause the sayd Claude of Seissell would not that this sayde Historie shoulde remayne imperfect to leaue the Reader in doubt of the ende and issue of the warres begonne by Antigone the great and Demetre his sonne against al the rest of the Kings and Princes successors of Alexander in those dayes somewhat touched in the beginning of the third Boke by the sayd Diodore he hath therefore taken out of the wise Plutarche the remnaunte in the life of Demetre vnto his death in whose tyme were almoste all the great and notable factes of warre worthie memorie exployted and done Wherefore in reuoluing the sayd Historie with iudgement and to the ende it is translated there may in my opinion some commoditie and profit be receyued For as touching the course of worldly things may be sene the Stratagemes and pollicies in the facts of war togither many sundry and diuerse battailles sieges and enterprises verie pleasaunt to read and heare wherein may also be lerned many things apperteyning to that arte And farther as concerning the morall direction of mannes life there may besides be founde both by learning and examples manie goodly documentes And chiefely that whiche is moste meete and becomming a noble personage whereof he is called Magnanimus that he shoulde not for any prosperitie whiche happeneth him be ouer high minded nor yet for any aduersitie he hath or might chaunce him lose hys harte courage or hope whiche things wholly seruing to the perfection of man in this present life and consisteth in the habitude and operation of Morall vertues and also to the perfection of the soule ordering and appointing the latter ende and intentioÌ„ to the euerlasting blisse which god of hys infinite goodnesse and grace graunt your honour and vs al after the course of this present life Your honours most humble at commaundement Tho. Stocker ¶ The first Booke of the successours of Alexander surnamed the great wrytten by Diodore the Sicilian in the Greeke tongue and after Translated into the French by Claude of Seisel sometime a Counsailour and maister of the Requests to IEWES the twelfth of that name then the FRENCH King And now Englished from the FRENCH By THOMAS STOCKER The Prologe PYTHAGORAS the Samian and diuers other graue and wise Philosophers haue taught lefte in writing that the soules of men are immortal and the more strongly to approue and verify their opion and iudgement therin they affirme that wheÌ„ the soules depart the bodyes that they haue the prescience and foreknowledge of things to come Thereunto also accordeth the famous Poet Homer as appeareth by his introducing of Hector who a little before he died prognosticated the death of Achilles which shortly after ensued The like also of later dayes hath bene wel noted knowne in many that died who at the hour of their deathes prophecied what should happen and chiefly confirmed in Alexander surnamed the greatâ— his death King of Macedone For he lying at Babilon vpon his death bed being by his friends asked in the very extréeme and laste article of death to whom he would leaue his Realme and royal dignities answered to the most worthy the gouernement thereof For I ê™ he foresée that in stead of my sepulture and funeral my friends are determined to moue open hostilitie warrs which in déede soone after came to passe For the greatest most honorable his friends striuing for the principalitie and gouernment were the causes of many great conflicts Al which matters together with the deedes and gestes of hys said successours shall be contained in this present Booke and be made manifest and plain to al studious learned which wil read and desire to vnderstand the same For the booke precedent treateth of the Noble and worthy déedes of Alexander
ioyed and gladded Antigone bycause he thought y e would be such a colour for him that no man shoulde be able to reproche him and saye he had layde hands on Seleuke his great friend who had with his power always ayded him but that of his owne mynde he voluntarily fled and by that meane left him withoute questiō or difficultie the said Satrapie But after he was by the Chaldees aduertized and admonished that if Seleuke escaped his hands he should be Lorde and King of the whole Empire of Asie and s◠ea hym in battaill he thē maruellous sorie repented him of his escape Wherfore he sent out in all possible post certen horsse after him who in long pursuite and doing lesse good returned And although Antigone gaue no great faith or credit to such diuinations yet by reason of the aucthoritie of the said Chaldees and their great and long knowledge and experience in the course and influēce of the starres he was meruellouslie troubled For the people of that countrey and sect had alone a thousande yeares wholie applied them selues to that kind of studie and knowledge Which thing by their great experiences well appeared and chieflie by Alexander his death of whome they presaged that if he entred Babylon he shoulde there lose his life And as that prediction proued true in Alexander euen so according to their diuination of Antigone happened him as hereafter when we come to the time wherein it chaunced shall at large be declared But for this time let vs out of hand treat of the armie of Seleuke in Egipt ¶ Of Seleuke his practize and deuise touching the alliaunce and confederacie betwixt Ptolome Cassander Lysimache against Antigone◠of their defiaūce they send him and of his preparation against them Also of his siege aginst the Citie of Tyre in Phenice The .xxiiij. Chapter WHen Seleuke was come into Egipt Ptolome right honorablie and curteouslie receyued him To whom he recompted the vngentle and disloyall dealing of Antigone against him declaring farther that Antigone his meaning was to expulse and vanquish all the Satrapes which had any rule or dominion and especiallie all those which had ben in houshold with Alexander And the more to asserten him of the trueth that it was so he recompted how he had put to death Python expulsed Penceste Perse and all he had done to him selfe where neyther he nor they had once offended him but had employed and bestowed all their trauaill and seruice as his deare friends and complices He farther shewed him the mightie power he had of men and hys innumerable treasure togyther the great victories and prosperitie he had in short time atchieued whereby he beganne to waxe so proude and arrogaunt that he affected the whole Empire of Macedone By these tales reports had he persuaded Ptolome to prepare and resist him And agayne sent certen of his friends into Europe towards Cassander and Lysimache to perusade them to do the like who diligentlie performed their charge By reason whereof they forged manie practizes whiche were the originall and beginning of great dissention warres For Antigone who doubted not without good cause the euill will of Seleuke against him and the practizes he would deuise sent his Ambassadours towardes Ptolome Cassander and Lysimache to exhorte and desire them to continue and remayne his olde and auncient friends Neuerthelesse after he had created Python who descended from the Indians Gouernour of Babylon and left him there he tooke his iourney with the whole armie and marched towardes Cilicie And after he was come to Maley he diuided his armie into diuerse places to winter He tooke also all the money he could gette in the Citie of Quint amounting to .x. thousand Talents with the rest he brought w t him he was maruelouslie prouided of gold and siluer besides his cleare yerely reuenue of .xj. thousand Talents By reason whereof as also for his mightie puissaunce of Souldiours and men of warre he was much to be feared When winter was past as Antigone with his whole power had taken hys iourney to come into the hier Syrie the Ambassadours of Ptolome Cassander and Lysimache came vnto him who hauing open audience to tell their Ambassade demaunded of him to restore to Cassander the countreys of Cappadoce and Lycie to rendre Lysimache Phrygie and Hellespont to yeld vp to Ptolome all Sirie and to deliuer to Seleuke Babilon And that he would also make an egall deuision with them of all the treasure he had gotten and taken since the warres commenced against Eumenes bycause they had ben pertakers with him and companions in the said warres And in case he refused this to do they denounced to him in the names of them all that they would allie and ioyne togyther to arrere mortall hostilitie against him When Antigone had heard this their Ambassade he with arrogaunt insolent wordes aunswered and amongs other things willed and charged them to tell Ptolome that he made good and strong preparation to stand to his defence When the Ambassadoures were returned and had made reporte of their aunswer the saide Ptolome Cassander and Lysimache reallied togyther and made the greatest preparation of men armoure and all other things necessarie for the warres they possiblie could When Antigone vnderstood thereof and considered the noblenesse puissaunce and aucthoritie of those against whome he tooke on hande warres he drew to his amitie and alliaunce all the Princes Nations and Cities he could get For accomplishing wherof he sent Ageselaye towardes the Kings of Cypres and to the Rhodians Idonome and Moschion He sent also into Cappadoce an armie with his Nephew Ptolome to raise the siege before the citie of Amisse and to expulse all Cassanders Souldiours that countrey gyuing him farther in charge to haue a vigilaunt eye and take good heede y e Cassander passed not into Asie through Hellespont Moreouer he sent Aristodeme the Milesian w t a thousand Talents to Pelopōnese to make alliaunce w t Polispercon Alexander his sonne and to get togyther there so many men as they could and forthwith warre vpon Cassander That done he sent to make readie hys posts Beacons throughout al the countrey of Asie vnder his obeissance by which he might in all his affaires haue spéedie aduertisement These things set in order he sped him towards the countrey of Phenice meaning there to prepare and make readie a Nauie to send to Sea bycause the enimie was yet strongest at Sea by reason of their great Nauie and himselfe altogyther disfurnished And when he was come into Phenice he encamped before the Citie of Tyre meaning to besiege it Neuerthelesse he sent towards the Kings of the Countrey and Gouernours of Syrie exhorting and requiring their ayde and helpe for the addressing his Nauie to sea bycause all the ships which had ben before in the countrey Ptolome had sent into Egipt He commaunded also the Lieutenaunts of Syrie to furnish him with so
thanked thē but vtterlie refused the receipt thereof saying he néeded not so great a reward and gift since he affected neyther Empire or dominion nor to haue any suche charge was his desire but that by the letters of the kings he was commaunded to do it neyther was he able any longer to abide the labors trauails of warre bycause he was now sore broosed and lame doing them farther to wete that he looked not therby to attayne to any principalitie considering he was a straunger and not a Macedonian He also affirmed that in his sléepe he see such a vision that him thought necessarie to be manifested to them forasmuch as in his iudgemēt it might be an helpe to vnitie and concord and also very profitable to the common wealth He thought in his sléepe that Alexander appeared to him as if he had bene alyue and in the same robes which he commaunded all his princes and Captaynes and ministred the Lawes apperteyning to the Empire Wherefore quod he I thinke it good that of the kings treasure a Throne imperiall be forged made of golde and thereupon to be placed and set the statue or image of Alexander crouned holding a Scepter as he did in his life time And that all the Princes and Captaynes shall euery morning assemble there and after the sacrifice finished to sit in counsaill of the affaires of the warres and whatsoeuer is concluded on to take it as frō the mouth of y e said Alexander which thing was thought good by all the assistauntes and they all out of hand caused the said deliberacion to be executed and forged a statue or ymage bycause in the treasurie of the kings was great stoare of golde and siluer Whereupon within few dayes after an image was enstalled in a Throne Imperial with a Diademe Scepter and other kinglie robes About the same was an Aulter rered vp and fire layed thereon of which all the Captaynes tooke coales and put them in Censures of golde wherewith they encensed the Statue with swéete and precious smelles making sacrifice thereto as vnto God After the sacrifice was done stooles and formes were brought whereon sat all the noble Princes and valiaunt Captaynes consulting of the incident affaires In doing whereof Eumenes tooke vpon him no authoritie or title of Gouernour but shewed him in all points egall to them and through curteons and gentle language was voide of all grudge and hatred and gotte the good willes of all the Captaynes Moreouer bycause of the superstition they vsed towardes the statue of Alexander they hoped to prosper as if some God had gouerned and guyded them And vsing the same humanitie towards the Argiraspides Macedonians they highly estéemed him and accomted him worthie the charge and gouernement of the affaires of the kings This done he sent his principall and wisest friends to assemble and wage other Mercenarie Souldiers appointing large sallarie and entretainement Of whiche Cōmissioners some departed into Piside Lycie and other Regions néereby other into Celosirie and Phenice the rest into Cypres so that amongest them they leuied a great numbre of men But after it was noysed that they tooke vp Souldiers and gaue good entretainement a numbre of good fellowes of the Cities of Grece offered their seruice and were enrolled so that in short time as besides the Argiraspides and other whom Eumenes brought with him they had gottē together aboue ten thousand footemen and two thousand horse ¶ Ptolome goeth about to cause the Argiraspides to kil Eumenes whome he by his wisedome appaised and after sendeth an army by Sea into Phenice The .xxvij. Chapter WHen Eumenes in short time was sodenly became puyssant Ptolome arriuing with his Nauie at the Citie of Zephire in the countrey of Cilice sent letters to the Argiraspides signifying to them that they ought not of right to obey Eumenes considering he had ben by the Macedonians already condemned to dye He sent also straight admonition to all the townes in Cilice not to deliuer him any money promising to saue thē harmelesse against him Howbeit there were none that made any accompt of his letters bycause the kings Polispercon their gouernour and Olympias Alexander his mother had writen to the contrarie that they shoulde obey Eumenes and to whome they shoulde gyue whatsoeuer he demaunded as to the Lieutenaunt generall of the kings hauing full power and authoritie Now waxed Antigone maruelous angry by reason of Eumenes his authoritie For he knew it was Polispercon who had so aduaunced and set him in such rowme to plague the rebelles against the kings Wherefore he determined eyther by treason or some other villanous meane to bring him to his ende And therfore sent he Philote one of his chief friends with letters to the Argiraspides and the rest of the Macedonians Whereupon he incontinent appointed thirtie Macedonians both wise and well spoken to accompany him commaunding them to prease and talke with the Captaynes of the Argiraspides to saye Antigone and Teutane and to promise that if they would kill Eumenes to rewarde them largely and besides bestowe on them greater Dominions than before they enioyed and make the like promisses to all the Argiraspides with whome they had any acquaintaunce or familiaritie Howbeit they founde few or none agréeing thereto but Teutane onely who in all he might labored to winne Antigone his companion But he as one that estéemed his faith and honour did not only gainesay so wicked and villanous an act but in the ende conuerted his corrupted friend saying that it were much better for them that Eumenes dyd lyue and beare rule than Antigone For y t if Antigone attained the greatest dignitie and authoritie he woulde expulse them their Satrapies and gyue them to his friends where Eumenes being a straunger durst not affect the principalitie but continuing Chieftayne and Lieutenaunt would alwayes gently and fauourably entreat them as his special friends and companions and in taking his parte woulde suffer them to enioye and possesse their Satrapies and paraduenture bestowe some better vpon them By this meane and persuasion they whiche came to betraye Eumenes were frustrate of their enterprise Notwithstanding Philote assembled the Argiraspides and the other Macedonians to whom they presented their letters writen by Antigone wherein he greatly accused and charged Eumenes commaunding them incontinent vpon the sight of the letters to apprehend and put him to death And in case they would not he threatned and ment with his whole power to come against them for their disobedience sharply to punish thē When the letters were séene and read both Captaynes and Souldiers stood in great perplexitie and doubt◠for they sée that they by no meane could escape the daunger bycause if they tooke parte with the kings Antigone would ouerthrow them and if they obeyed Antigone the kings then would plague them And as they were in this trouble of mind Eumenes boldly entred the assemblie after he had read the letters he pronounced vnto them that
Souldioures with verie great plentie of shotte or slings who stoutly fought with them which manned the walles toures bulwarkes He vndermined likewise thrée of their toures and one parte of the curte◠and after gaue fire to the mynes and ouerthrew them When the Macedonians see the ouerthrowe of them they made a great outcrie wherat the townesmen were maruellously dismayed to see their curten layde on grounde Neuerthelesse when they see the Macedonian◠force to enter the breache of the toures and walles they deuided themselues into two bands wherof one band stode to the defence and through the aduaunting and difficultie of the passages where the enimie wold haue entred they valiātly repulsed them The other band made new rampiers and bulwarks more within the towne so that bisides the wall or curten which was ouerthrown they did make an other curten and trenche a good distaunce from the first workyng day and night vntill they had ended and finished it furnishing the same wyth shotte and engines of artillerie wherwith they sore hurt and galled the enimie vpon the toures of woode so that on eche side were many hurte and slayne vntill nyght approched and then Polyspercon cau◠ed to sounde the retraite and retired into his campe The next day in the morning he gaue a freshe assault and wanne the breache◠commaundyng hys Pyoners to cast abroade the rubbishe and greate stones whyche lay on heapes into the dytches and trenches for smoothing and playnyng the grounde that hys Elephauntes myght come neere bycause then they woulde greately helpe to winne and take the towne But the Megalopolitains through the wisedome and conducte of Damides who had long serued with Alexander in Asie knewe the nature of Elephantes founde an excellent remedie against them and through his policie and trauail made those monstrous and terrible beasts vnprofitable and able to do nothing in maner as foloweth First he caused many doores and gates to be made thrust them full of great pinnes and layde them within the little shallowe ditches wyth the poyntes of the pynnes vpwarde and couered them with mouldes of earth and suche lyght stuffe that they mighte not bée seene and when the enimie came to assaile to place on euery syde a strong companie of shot of all sortes and none before so y e Polyspercon séeing none to resist at the front of the entrie brought on hys Elephantes through the breache into the towne But as soone as they came to the place where the ditches were they by reason of their heauinesse so hurt their féete that they could neither go forwarde nor backwarde chiefly bicause of the violence of the shotte whiche came so thicke agaynste them on the side that the greater parte of the Ind◠ans their leaders were sore hurt or slaine not able to gouerne them and the beastes f◠lyng them selues hurte returned in great disorder against theyr owne people and maruellously hurt them and in the end the mightiest and fiercest fell downe deade and the rest able to doe no good ouerthrewe theyr owne companie When the Megalopolitanes sée that they hadde thus repulsed the enimie they were delyuered from al feare and waxed very proude After Clyte hath ouerthrowne at sea Cassander he is through the wisedome of Antigone soone after discomfited and finally slaine in his flight The .xxx. Chapter AFter this repulse Polyspercon repented hym that he had besieged the Citie before it was néedefull And bicause he would lose no time he left one part of his armie at the siege and with the rest he intended some greater and more necessarie exploites Wherfore he sente Clyte Admirall wyth hys whole Armie into Hellespont to stoppe his enimies for passing oute of Asie into Europe commaunding him to call vppon Aride to accompanie him abyding with hys armie in the Citie of Cyane for feare of Antigone his enimie When Clyte had sayled and was come to the passage of Hellespont and had taken in Aride and hys menne of warre and wonne to be his confederates the Cities of Proponetie Nicanor capitaine of Munychie was sent by Cassander with all the shippes there with a certaine companie of other Souldiers whych Antigone had also sente to the numbre of one hundreth and encountred Clyte about Bizance So he gaue him battaile but Clyte wonne the victorie in which he soonke .xvij. sayle of Nicanors and prized fortie and the men within them The rest packt on sayles and fledde into the porte of Calcedone After whyche ouerthrowe Clyte thought that hys ennimies durst no more encounter him at sea by reason of theyr greate losse Notwithstandyng Antigone aduertized of the sayde conflict shortly after thorough his wisedome and diligence amended and requited the same For be founde a meane to gette from the Bizances a certaine numbre of small ships which he furnyshed and charged with stoare of shotte and nimble and quicke footemen and sent them into Enrope who being landed before the daunyng of the day gaue the alarme to Clyte and hys Souldiers encamped on the lande whome they so disordered that they retired to theyr shyppes out of aray leauyng the greater parte of theyr baggage behynde them and many that did tarrie for the sauyng thereof were slaine or taken prisoners In the meane while Antigone furnished hys greatest shyppes wyth his best and most trained Souldiers and also a greate numbre of Maryners declaryng vnto them that if they would lustyly assayle and boorde the ennimie he would warrante them bothe great honoure and also victorie In pursuing which commaundement Nicanor departed that night and sped him with such diligence that about the day breake he wyth suche deuoire assayled and boorded the enimie that findyng them at his arriuall oute of order he put them to flight In whiche flight some of the ennimies shippes were sore shaken and broosed and the reste wholly rendred and became subiecte to Nicanor excepte the Admirall in whyche Clyte escaped Neuerthelesse after he was sette on lande and hoped safely to passe thorough the countrey of Thrace into Macedone he was by certayne of Lysimache his Souldiers encountred on the way and slaine ¶ Eumenes vnderstanding that Antigone is commyng against him departeth out of the countrey of Cilice And when he hath by his wysedome and industrie escaped in the way the handes and ambushes of Seleuke he commeth into Perse. The .xxxj. Chapter FOr this noble and honorable victorie Antigone was greatly esteemed wan thereby much glory reputation therfore fully minded to be lord of the seas and emperor of Asie wherfore he chose out of his whole armie .2000 footmen .4000 horse with whō he spéedily marched into Cilice against Eumenes thinking to ouerthrow him before such time as he might assemble a greter army But Eumenes being aduertised of his commyng albeit he was willing to recouer in the name of the Kings the Countrey of Phenicie whiche Ptolome vniustly enioyed séeing that the time then serued not and especially bicause he
Momme except which Aristone kept the Citie of Amphipolis and Monime the Citie of Polle When Olympias see that one parte of the Macedonians had quite forsaken hir that y e rest were vnable to mainteyn help hir she went about to saue hir self hir friends in a Gally by sea which she caused to be sent for and brought to the Port. But Cassander being therof aduertised by one that fled out of the town tooke the sayd Gallie Whereupō the Queene despayring in hir affaires businesse sent Ambassadours to Cassāder to treat a peace But he séeing the necessitie wherein she stood and therfore meaning that she should yeld hir self to his curtesie he hardly graūted hir safe cōduct for hir owne person When Cassander had the citie rendred to him he incontinent sent certen of his men of warre to take Amphipolis and Polle Whereupon Monime Captayne of Polle vnderstanding the state of Olympias yelded without resistaunce But Aristone who was extréeme proude both of his great hande of men of warre as also for that he had a little before vanquished and ouercome Cratebas one of Cassanders Captaynes in battaill slayne a great parte of his armie subsecuted chased him through the countrey of Busalcie hard to the Citie of Bedine it besieged tooke by cōposition whom he after with .ij. thousand of his men besides sent away w t white roddes in their hands supposing that Eumenes had not ben yet dead and hoping that Polispercō and Alexander his sonne would come to ayde hym vtterly refused the yelding vp of the Citie of Amphipolis But after Olympias had written to him to render the Towne summoning him of his faith and allegiaunce he thought it best so to do and taking suertie for his persone gaue vp the same Notwithstanding Cassander cōsidering the great aucthoritie of Aristone by reason of Alexanders aduauncing him in his life and meaning to make quicke dispatch of so many as would or might any way let or hinder his affaires and doings caused Cratebas owne kinsfolkes to kill him He persuaded likewise all their friends which Olympias had put to death to accuse hir in the place of iudgement before the assemblie of the Macedonians which thing they did where the Macedonians in hir absence without patrone or Aduocate there to defend hir cause condemned hir to death wherupon after sentence and iudgement gyuen Cassander sent to hir certen of his friends persuading hir to flie promising to enbarque hir in a Gallie which should bring hir to the citie of Athens And this did he not for anie good will to saue hir but to the end she might by that meane voluntarily runne in exile and be drenched in the Sea so y t it might after haue ben said how by fortune of the sea and iudgemēt of the Goddes she was for hir cruell mischeuous and wicked déedes iustly punished Neuerthelesse she aunswered y t messangers that flie she would not nor yet refuse the iudgement of the Macedonians Which thing Cassander perceyuing he for feare that the people and assemblie of the men of warre would alter their determinations and minds when they vnderstood she was well able to purge hir of euery offence wherewith they would charge hir and should likewise reduce and call to memory the great good turnes and honour◠by them long before at the hands of Phillip and Alexander receiued sent CC. of his trustiest soldiers about him to kill hir Who with great violence entring the Palaice where she was were at the first sight so abashed with the Maiestie of hir face that they returned without doing hir any hurte But their kinsfolkes whom she caused to be slayne thinking to reuenge their deaths also to gratifie Cassander out of hande slew hir who neuer made woords or shewed any countenaunce of a woman dismayed or yet fainte harted In this sorte Olympias whiche in hir time hadde bene the most honorable Dame of the world Neoptoleme his daughter King of Epire Alexander his sister King of Epire who warred in Italy King Phillip his wyfe of Macedone the most puissaunt of all other which before him in Europe raigned Alexander his mother surnamed the great which hadde exployted the most notable and honorable warres that euer were worthie the writing and talke miserablie ended hir life ¶ After the death of Olympias Cassander espouseth Thessalonice Alexander the great his sister foundeth the Citie of Cassander And after he hath put in safe keeping Roxanne and Alexāder his sonne he goeth into the countrey of Beote and reedifieth the Citie of Thebes The .xx. Chapter WHen Cassander thus gloriously prosperously raigned he affected the realme of Macedon and the better to bring his purpose to passe espoused Thessalonice Phillip his daughter and Alexander his sister both by father and mother being always desirous to insinuate him selfe with the ligne royall He likewise in the countrey of Palene within the Region of Macedone found and built a citie named Cassandria and peopled it with inhabitaunts of the Cities of Cheronese and Potede and diuerse other villages about the same Citie and the remnaunt of the Olinthians By whiche meane also bycause of the great fertile territorie he laid and gaue thereto and by other ways he tooke wherewith on hand to enlarge and make it great The Citie in short time became so mightie and riche that it was named to be the greatest and worshipfullest amongs all the Cities of Macedone Nowe had Cassander purposed to put to death Alexander his sonne and Roxanne his mother to the end there shoulde no more of Alexanders ligne remayne on liue But before he would execute this execrable murder he stayed first to vnderstand what the Macedonians thought of the death of Olympias what talke was emongs them togither what Antigone did in Asie Wherefore he all that while caused Roxanne and hir sonne to be brought into the Castle of Amphipolis and charged Glaucias Captayne thereof and one whome he greatly trusted with the kéeping of them commaunding him to vse and treat them no other wayes but as common persones laying al princilie honours and dignities towardes them aparte and to put away all the children which had ben brought vp with the said Sonne of Alexander as his playe fellowes After that he tooke vppon him the aucthoritie and gouernement as King and caused solemne exequies for Euridice and Phillip whome Olympias had made be murdred to be celebrated with great pompe and solemnitie entombed them in a tombe royall with y e Kings their predecessours making sports and pastimes at those dayes accustomed That done he leuied a great numbre of men of warre in the countrey of Macedone to go into Peloponese While Cassander was thus occupied and that Polispercon who laye besieged in the Citie of Naxe in the Region of Perrheby vnderstood of Olympias death apperceyuing no lōger hope for him to take in hand to rule the affaires of Macedone priuilie
deliueraunce and not to mistrust the bountie and liberalitie of Seleuke They farther declared vnto him for certen that Seleuke looked for the comming of Antioche his sonne and Stratonice his wife daughter to the sayd Demetre whom he had sent for to the ende they should haue the honour and thanke for his deliueraunce and that after their cōming he shoulde be set at libertie to go whyther it pleased him Notwithstanding Demetre séeing him selfe in this captiuitie and voyde of all hope of deliueraunce sent certen messangers to the Gouernours of Athens and Corinth his subiects to signifie vnto them that they neuer after that time should giue any credit to his seale or letters but hold and take him for dead He moreouer willed them as they had alwayes loued him and kepte their faith to him that they would in the best sorte they might conserue the Realme and estate to Antigone hys sonne Whiche Antigone after he had heard the pitifull newes of his fathers captiuitie in the citie of Patras became thereof so sorowful as he could not be more And incontinent when he had made him his mourning gown to mourne he sent letters and Ambassadours into euery countrey towardes the other Kings praying and requiring them to make intercession to Seleuke for deliuerie of his Father He sent also Ambassadoures to Seleuke praying him to take all such goods as Fortune hadde left him for the ransome of his father and besides offred if it so liked him to come him self to be an hostage or pledge for his sayd father He farther desired him presently to shewe and declare his humanitie and curtesie wherein he had euer surmounted all the rest of the Kings The like request made al the other Kings except Lysimache who was so cruell that where the reste entreated for his deliueraunce he not onely refused to make that request but contrariwise offered Seleuke a great summe of money to put him to death Whereunto Seleuke gaue no eare but blaming and detesting his crueltie and inhumanitie refused his request and money Neuerthelesse he still looked for the cōming of Antioche his sonne and Stratonice bycause he would at their requestes and pleasure deliuer him to the ende they shoulde for that deliueraunce receyue all the thanke fauoure and good will at his handes Howbeit the matter vnder colour of long looking for them was so procrastinate that Demetre in the end had no néed of their helpe For although he see y t miserie ineuitable which happened him yet determined he paciently to endure and abide it and after hir comming he made semblaunce that he méekely bare it And although from the first houre he was brought in to that place he in hunting running and exercising his persone aswell on foote as on horsbacke passed the time yet neuerthelesse after a while he helde and kepte an other kind of life For where before he tooke pleasure in trauell he nowe gaue him selfe wholy to reste and desired nothing but banquets feastes and other suche like pleasures done without trauell of the body were it by that meane to passe awaye hys melancolie humour or else bycause it séemed he had founde out the right order of life which he alwayes desired detesting and abhorring his labours and trauels heretofore taken and the daungers and miseries which he through ambition and vaine glorie had oftentimes aduentured For to that only ende had he beaten and trauelled the Seas and all Countreys hoping euer after to take his rest and ease whereby he might vse the remnaunt of his life in pleasures and delightes which ease and rest he there found vnlooked for And surely these are the endes and issues of the warres which vicious couetous Princes so excessiuely desire and with great laboure and trauell follow placing their whole pleasure and felicitie in them wherein after my iudgement they not onely greatly erre in reputing vices for vertues but also in desiring to liue an idle and voluptuous life séeke after and follow those things which are quite contrarie to pleasure But after Demetre had about thrée yeares bene at Cheronnese what with banquets rest and ease pleasures and ydlenesse he fel into so gréeuous a maladie that in the ende he died thereof when he hadde liued lxiiij yeares Whereupō the news soone after were throughout the whole worlde diuulged and spread abroade and so many as vnderstood it greatly blamed Seleuke for being so vngentle towardes his Allie Him selfe also was very pensiue and heauie in that he had greater suspicion of his friend and Allie than néeded and shewed him selfe more wretched and fearefull than Dronichete the Thracian a barbarous and vnciuill man who after he had taken Lysimache frankly and fréelie set him ageyne at libertie Howbeit he commaunded that for his sepulture and buriall al the honours ceremonies and solemnities that were possible should be made whiche woulde be to tedious to recite and séeme rather a Tragedie than an Historie In so much that when his sonne Antigone was aduertised of his death he with his whole Nauie went to Sea and sailed into Syrie to get togyther his Fathers Ashes But being about the Isles he mette certen messangers which brought them of whō he receyued them enclosed it in a box of massiue gold and sette it in the Poupe of his ship Royall making his course directly to sayle to Corinthe And as he sailed alongest the Cities of the countrey of Cheronnese the Citizens with solempne processions came oute some bearing Crownes of gold other brought Mourners to accompanie the dead body In this sorte was borne and accompanied Demetre hys body in the very top of the poupe of the ship which was couered with purple and crowned with golde hauing also about it a great numbre of lustie yong Souldiours all armed in white which renued the remembraunce of the dead He had also an excellent Musician named Xenophante who in all swéetnesse and hermonie soong the Psalmes and songs accustomed in suche a case and the Gallie sclaues with so great consonance haled their ores that they aunswered Xenophante his song and al with one voyce made dolorons and lamentable noyse very pitifull to heare Finallie when he was arriued at the Porte of Corinth the townes men came out to mete it and séeing the yong Antigone in mourning apparell al sadde and besprent with teares were so moued with pitie that they all at one present gaue a maruelous lamentable dolorous shoute and crie From thence was the body carried into the Citie of Demetriade whiche he him self founded and called after his owne name and it peopled with the places néere about as if it had bene in his owne propre domicile Of the sayde King Demetre descended a right noble and honorable ligne or steme For he left behind him by hys wife Phile Antigone and Stratonice and by Deidame Alexāder who liued in Egipt Ouer and besides these he left two other yong mē both named Demetre whereof the one named Demetre