the siege thereof one of his friendes hight Archelaye with .v. thousande footemen and a thousande horsse to continue the siege and him selfe with the reste returned to Sea ¶ The Romaines vnder the coÌ„duct of Quinte Fabie their Dictator winne and take two Cities from the Samnites The .xlvj. Chapter DUring the time that these things aforesaide were done in Asie the warres betwene the Romaines and Samnites in Italy waxed and continued more fierce neuer ceasing besieging of Townes making incursions and robberies one into anothers countrey and running all ouer with rolling campes For these two Nations notable Souldiours and warlike people left nothing vnhazarded for the winning of Empire and Dominion one of another It happened also that y e Romaine Consuls with one part of their armie were come and encamped more néere the campe of the enimie to espie the tyme and aduauntages for them to fight and also to staye the enemie that they might thereby hold kéepe the Cities allied and confederate with them in suertie The other parte of the armie ledde Quinte Fabie Generall of the whole armie and soueraigne Dictator who wonne and forcibly toâ— ke the Citie of Ferent and sent two hundred of the principall Citizens to Rome prisoners whom for their common rebellion against the Romaines they according to the Lawe and maner of the Romane custome were whipt about the Citie and after beheaded in the great market place Shortlie after he entred the territorie of the Nolaines tooke the citie and by the sound of the drumme sold the butine thereof and deuided one parte of their lande amongs the men of warre Wherefore the Romanes séeing their affaires prosper and go forward sent a Colonie of Citizens into the Isle of Potide ¶ After the alliaunce made and confirmed betwene Cassander Ptolome Lysimache and Antigone Cassander putteth to death the yong Alexander and Roxanne his mother The .xlvij. Chapter THe yeare ensuing in which Thesimonide hadde the gouernement of Athens and that Maâ— ke Valerie Publy Dece were at Rome created Consuls Cassander Ptolome and Lysimache treated a league and amitiâ— which was put in writing By which Cassander was declared and named Gouernour and Emperour of Europe Lysimache of Thrace Ptolome of Egipt and the Cities neere there about aswell in Lybie as Arabie And Antigone of all Asie vntil that Alexander Roxanne hir sonne came to his full age It was also concluded and agréed vppon that the Grekes should remayne and be at libertie after their accustomed lawes Neuerthelesse the sayde Princes continued nor remained not in that accord and appointement for euery of them by exquisite meanes went about to enlarge and encrease his Dominion and authoritie But Cassander séeing that Alexander y e sonne of Roxanne waxed and grewe in yeares and bignesse that in Macedon the voices went and men talked that it was néedfull and requisite to take Alexander oute of prison and to restore hym to the authoritie and gouernement of his fathers Realmes and fearing if that should so come to passe it would go awry with him commaunded Glaucye who had charge and kéeping of the infant secretlie to put him his mother to death whiche thing was spéedily done Through which facte both Cassander Ptolome Lysimache and Antigone so soone as they had thereof intelligence were clerely deliuered of the feare they had of the yong King Alexander For after him remayned no succeâ—â— our of Alexander the great but euery of the Gouernours of the Countreys and Prouinces aspired the Kingdomes and principalities and after held and kept them as their owne inheritaunce acquired and gotteÌ„ by the right and conquest of warre And the same tyme in Italy the Romaines with a great number of footemen and horse went to besiege the citie of Spolite in the countrey of Maruce and sent into that countrey a Colonie of their Citizens whom they called Interanneis The ende of the .xix. Booke of Diodorus Siculus the second part of this present volume and here beginneth the .xx. of this volume the third parte A little shorte Prologue wherin the Author declareth in what sorte it is commendable and well beseeming a good and perfect HistoriaÌ„ to vse Rhetoricke Orations Declarations and such other like NOt without iuste cause ought they which vnderstand and knowe the arte of Rhetorick to reproue their order which in Histories do admixt eyther too long or many orations bycause they by such impertinent and superfluous wordes doe not onely interrupt and breake the order of their narration but also do hinder the desire of the Readers for vnderstanding of the things passed And if suche Oratours and Rhetoritians wil by such orations shew their skill and learning and the elegancie of their spéeche and language they may particularly by them selues couch the orations and Ambassades apperteyning to Ambassadours the prayses and disprayses able and méete and other suche like and so vsing their arte and elegancie in such tales and busying them in this and that matter particularlie shall be coÌ„mended therin Howbeit at this day some writers w t vsing the art Oratory reduce the greater part of Histories into Orations tales whiche to the Readers are verie tedious and yrkesome not only for that they haue naughtely written and made them but also bycause they no whit regarded the order and nature of the Historie By reason whereof suche as do read them verie ofte passe ouer vnread the saide orations and declarations which by great arte and cunning had bene composed and made or else for the length impertinencie are so weried that they leaue all vnread And not withoute good reason for the nature of an Historie is to be plaine and continued without interruption like as when the bodye of a man is dismembred it loseth hys kindely vertue but when it is whole ioyned togyther it hath then the full grace and perfect strength And so in like case the narration and setting forth of an History gyueth to the Reader thereof a manifest and delectable pleasure if it be playne and continued Notwithstanding I wil not altogyther reiect and forbidde the vse of Rhetoricke in an Historie for that to make it pleasant it ought with some varietie and copie to be garnished is therfore very requisite that in some corner place thereof be orations and declarations Neyther will I my selfe be altogyther voide of that facultie and arte when I shall come to the talke of any Ambassadoure Counsailour or other such graue personage but I will recite what he hath saide And they whiche haue not the knowledge to do that might find manie excuses and say they had forgotten to put it in which had ben expedient and necessarie in the same place to haue ben interlaced Therefore where things be worthie memory and profitable whereby the Historie should be garnished they ought not negligentlie to be passed ouer as it were vnder colour that they nothing serued to y e purpose not properlie couched and
vnto the time of his death But this which now I am in hand with comprehendeth and setteth forth the renoumed actes of Alexander his successors being an Historie of .vij. whole yeares continuaunce ¶ After the death of Alexander the great Aride his brother is established king and Perdicas appointed to be his gouernoure The first Chapter THE same yeare that the Athenians ordained and chose Celphisodore to be their Prouost and gouernour and the Romaines created Lucie Fury and Dece Iuny theyr Consuls King Alexander deceasing without issue chaunced betwéene the raigne state to arise great dissention and sedition amoÌ„gs the Princes for the principalitie and gouernement For the regiment of his foote men were wholy determined to aduaunce Aride to the kingdom who although soÌ„ne to king Phillip and brother to Alexander yet notwithstaÌ„ding he was attainted with the incurable disease of the mind By reason wherof the rest of the Princes and Nobles in aucthority which garded Alexander his body hauing with them the horse men called the Souldiours condescended and agréed by one whole and common consent to reare warres against the footemen rather than they would suffer and abide their insolent boldnesse But before they enterprised the matter they thought best to send certaine of the chiefest and most honourable personages in their company with an ambassade to the footemen Amongs whom Meleager was appointed chief principal Ambassador to dissuade them to desist and leaue of their atteÌ„pt alleaging that it stode most with reason that they shold obey the Princes But so soone as Meleager was come amongst them he neuer made mention of the Ambassade and charge committed vnto him but contrariwise approuing alowing their attempt and enterprise did al that in him lay to support and maintaine them agaynst the Princes and their confederates so that the footemen hauing great good liking both of his counsaile and corage ordained him forthwith their Coronel and thereupon armed them to giue battail to the aduersary In so muche that the Princes and Nobles in their company issued out of the towne in armes and put them selues in order of battaile How be it certaine of the wisest and most circumspect deepely waying considering the case concluded a finall peace Wherein was agréed that Aride shold be established king And Perdicas chiefe of the Macedonian princes to whom Alexander at the hour of his death gaue his ring deputed his gouernor And to the rest of the Princes and chiefe of the army were diuided and geuen the administrations and gouernmentes of the Prouinces late vnder the subiection of Alexander Which administratioÌ„s or presidentships the Gréekes called Satrapies the gouernors of the same Prouinces Satrapes conditionally that euery of the sayd Princes at all times should be subiect and obedient vnto the King and Perdicas his gouernor ¶ Perdicas taking vpon him the gouernement of the realme deuideth the Satrapies amongs the Princes The second Chapter SHortly after that Perdicas hadde taken vpon him the rule ouer the rest he forthwith assembled all the princes and captains assigned to euery of them certaine Prouinces to gouern And first he bestowed the gouernmeÌ„t of Egipt on Ptolome the sonne of Lage on Laomedon of Mytthilene Syrie on Philote Cilice on Phiton Mede on Eumenes Paphlagone and Cappadoce together the regions to them adioyning in which Alexander by reason of the continuall warres betwixt him and King Darye neuer came on Antigone Pamphilie and Licie together Phrigie the great on Cassander Carie on Meleager Lydie and on Leonate the lesser Phrigie which bordereth aboue Hellespont In this sort were deuided the Prouinces of Asia In Europe was appointed to Lysimache the Countrey of Thrace with the Countreys and people therunto adioyning lying vpon the Sea coast of Euxine to Antipater Macidone with all the rest of the Countreys bordering thereon And for the residue of the Countreys and Satrapies of Asie ouer beside those already named he thought good to leaue to the rule and gouernment of those whom Alexander had deputed in his life time And the rest next to them he left to Taxille and the other Kings and Princes which before enioyed them And the Countreis lying beyond Caucase the Mount which is Paropanisade he left to Osarte King of the Bactrians whose daughter Alexander had espoused named Roxanne He bestowed also on Sebirte Aracose and Gedrose on Stasanor the Solian Arrye and Draucine on Phillip Bactriane and Sogdiane on Frataferne Parthe and Hircane on Lucete Perside on Tlepoleme Carmanie on Atrapes Mede on Archon Babilon on Achesilaye Mesopotame Besides all this be constituted and ordained Seleuck captaine general of the horsse men called the Souldiers being the chiefest Office of charge most honorable within the army which charge Ephestion first had and after him Perdicas Moreouer the Realmes and dominions which Alexander gaue to Taxille Pore they held and enioyed them according as Alexander had lefte them And as touching the transporting of Alexander his body to the Temple of Iupiter Hammone the setting vp of his Toomb the apparelling therof with the furniture and solempnization of the funeralles the whole charge was committed to Aride While Alexander liued he appointed Cratere one of hys chiefe Captaines withâ—â— M. old souldiors to goe into Cilice to whom he gaue certaine ordinaunces and Commissions to execute and performe But assone as Alexander was dead the Princes his successors would in no wise agrée that the sayd ordinaunces should be performed For after Perdicas had seene and red the letters registers of the said Alexander whereby he appointed a great deale of treasure to be leuied for y e buriall of Epheston and that he had farther assigned many other things of great cost and charge to be done he was of the opinion that all the said ordinaunces of Alexander shold be reuoked and adniâ— hilate But to the end it shold not be thought that he weÌ„t about to derogate the aucthority and honor of Alexander he comprimitted the matter to the deliberation of the Macedonians and amongs diuers and sundry things they found great and waightye matters worthy remembraunce appointed by Alexander For first he ordained that a thousande tall Gallies should be built longer and bigger than were in Phenice Sirye Cilice or Cypres to warre against the Carthagians and certaine other Countreis lying and bordering vpon the Lybian and Spanishe seas the regions to them adioyning euen vnto Sicile to the end he wold be Lord and gouernour of all the Libian seas hard to the pillers of Hercules He also ordained that there should be erected .v. royall and honorable Temples to the value of fiue hundred talents euery of them and that there should be cut out a number of large and great harborowes in places méete for the purpose to ride at harborow the said nauie of gallies That done he willed and commaunded diuers mighty and great Cities to be built those to be peopled as
Deicete to execute willing therefore and commaunding you wholly to obey him accordingly as we haue heretofore written vnto you For if any take in hand to doe contrarie to our ordinaunce aforesaid we will by no meanes suffer and abide it When Polispercon had published this edict he cōmaunded the Argiues and other Cities to expulse the Gouernours whome Antipater had authorised and to condemne and put certain of them to death and confiske their goods that Cassander might not be holpen thereby He write also to Olympias to returne into Macedon and take vpon hir the gouernement of Alexander vntill he came to age He write likewise letters in the names of the kings to Eumenes not to reconcile him to Antigone but to take parte w t the kings and returne into Macedone where he should be receyued as a compainon with the said Polispercon to the gouernement of the said kings or else if he would farrie in Asie there should be sent vnto him both men and money to warre vpon Antigone an vtter enimie and rebell against the kings and that he would also render the Satrapies which Antigone had expulsed him together al the rest which he before held and enioyed in Asie Saying farther that it was hée aboue all other which of right ought to be most zelous and vigilant about the affaires and authorite of the ligne Royall by whiche he was altogether preferred and honored following his accustomed care and diligence whiche he before at all times had shewed to the same And if he néeded greater force the saide Polispercon would with the kings and their power come into Asie These matters were done the yeare that Archippe gouerned Athens and Quinte Elye and Lucy Papyre were created Consulles at Rome ¶ Eumenes taking parte with the kings goeth into Cilice and of his practises to gette men of warre The .xxvj. Chapter SOone after that Eumenes was departed the Citie of Nore he receyued letters frō Polispercon wherein were conteyned ouer and besides the things abouesaid how that the kings somewhat to countreuayle his great losse had fréelie gyuē him fiue hundreth Talents and that they had written to the Pretors and receyuers of the countrey of Cilice to deliuer him other fiue hundred Talents and so much money besides as was sufficient to paye his Souldiers wages and for the buying of all other his prouision for the warres and that the Captaines of the Argiraspides who had about sixe thousand men should serue vnder the said Eumenes as Lieutenaunt to the kings and Lord and Gouernour of all A◠ie Anon were brought letters from Olympias to him praying and requiring his aide in the behalfe of the kings and hir For that he alone had bene alwayes iust and faithfull to the kings and was presentlie able to deliuer them from the troubles which grew dayly vpon them And farther she desired his counsail whether it were hir best to remayne in Epyre and not to gyue credit to them which séemed but protectors and gouernours and in déede affected the onely kingdome or to returne into Macedone Whome Eumenes agayne aunswered by letters y t he thought it the surest waye for hir to remaine still in Epire vntill she sée some ende of the warres But Eumenes euermore trustie and faithfull to the kings purposed not to take parte with Antigone affecting the kingdome but rather to serue the Sonne of Alexander yet a boy who through the wickednesse of his Captaynes seruitours wanted ayde and to aduenture him selfe for his cause in al daungers Wherefore he departed incontinent out of Cappadoce with eight hundred horse and two thousand footemen hauing no time to tarrie and abide for all those which promised to ioyne with him bicause Antigone vnderstanding that he was his enimie had in all haste sent Menander w t a mightie armie to expulse him Cappadoce When Menander came thether and found Eumenes gone thrée dayes before he determined to pursue him but seing he could not ouer reach him he retired into Cappadoce Shortlie after Eumenes through his great spéed passing the mount Thaure got to Cilice As soone as Antigene and Teutame Captaynes of the Argiraspides who serued the kings vnderstood of his comming they mette him on the waye with a numbre of their friendes who after they had reioyced together with him in that he had escaped from so manie daungers they fréelie and redilie offered him their seruice In like case also did the Argiraspides Macedonians greatlie wondering at the varietie of his fortune considering that not long before he was adiudged a rebell to the kings he and all his friends condemned to death and now reuersing their iudgement they had not only pardoned him but also had gyuen him the gouernement of their whole Empire Notwithstanding suche as considered Eumenes straunge Fortune little or nothing maruelled thereat For what is he whiche marketh and noteth the instabilitie of our life that knoweth not the chaunge and mutabilitie of fortune Or who is he which ouermuch trusteth to the honor and prosperitie whiche in this world happeneth him that is not subiect to fleshly britlenesse For the common and ordinarie life of men gouerned and ruled by some secret ordinaunce of God is without any stabilitie continually turned to good and euill Wherefore let no man meruaill if any thing chaunce to him sodenlie but rather if whatsoeuer commeth commeth not vnlooked for And therefore by good reason ought all men to cōmend histories For the varietie and instabilite which men in worldly matters find by experience abateth the pride and ambicion of those whiche haue in them any felicitie and enboldeneth and gyueth hope to such as are in aduersitie as to Eumenes chaunced who knowing the slippernesse of worldly Fortune constantly endured his infelicitie hoping and looking for better And then seing him selfe preferred and aduaunced to great authoritie foreséeing the inconstancie of Fortune verie wiselie and circumspectlie ordered his affaires and businesse For first he considered that he being a straunger the gouernement of a realme and so princelie an astate was vnméete not apperteyning vnto him and that those whome he should gouerne were Macedonians and had condempned him to death and that al the Captaynes and Gouernours of the Prouinces were honorable personages and of hie courages and pretended great and waightie enterprises Wherefore he suspected that if he shoulde take vpon him so great a charge they woulde contemne him being a straunger and thereby he shoulde get great enimitie and alwayes stand in daunger of losing his life For he knew well that the Macedonians woulde in no wyse be at his commaundement bicause they reputed him a meane man and much inferior to them and therefore rather thought that he should be subiect to them than they to him Wherfore all these things considered he declared to the Captaynes and Souldiers that first where it had pleased the Kings by their letters to graūt him for his reliefe .v. hundred Talents he highlie