the armie distaunt frō the place where Antigone laye by the maineured lande xxv iorneys but through the desertes where is neither victuals nor water .ix. or thereabouts In this sorte lodged Eumenes and Antigone their armies to winter exercisyng and refreshyng their Souldiours one farre inough from an other ¶ Cassander vnderstanding of that Queene Olympias had done with his armie commeth into Macedone and besiegeth the said Olimpias within the citie of Pidue where the Queene in short time is cleane voide of hope of all succours she loketh for The .xiij. Chapter IN the meane time that Antigone and Eumenes warred in Asie as aforesaid Cassander who besieged the Citie of Tege in the Countrey of Peloponese in Europe vnderstanding of Olympias comming into Macedone and the death of Euridice and Phillip hir husband and of the defacing the tombe of Iolas his brother concluded with the Tegeans a peace and with his armie marched towardes Macedone whereby he leaft his friendes and allies in great perplexitie For Alexander Polispercon his sonne hauing a great armie alwayes had an eye to the Cities of Peloponese And the Etholians minding to gratify Quéene Olympias and Polispercon toke and furnished the passage of the piles by whiche Cassander should passe wherefore he was forced to leaue that passage and to get together a number of Passengers out of the countrey of Eube and Locres in which he put ouer his armie into Thessalie where he was aduertised that Polispercon besieged the Citie of Perrhebie So he sent Calas one of his Captaynes with parte of his armie to maintaine the warres against Polispercon and Dynias an other of his Captaynes to win the passages of Macedon which he diligently exploited and wanne before the Souldiers of Olympias whome she had for that purpose thether sent were come But after she vnderstood that Cassander with a power royall was approched Macedone she constituted Aristone Generall to fight against him and hir self accompanied with the yong sonne of Alexander Roxanne his mother Thessalonique the daughter of Philip and sister to the saide Alexander Deidamie the daughter of Eacle King of Epire sister to Pyrrhe who after warred on the Romaines the daughters of Attale and many other of the principall Ladies of the countrey w t a great number of their kinsfolkes and friends retired into the Citie of Pidue the more parte of which people were vnméete for the warres and the towne vnprouided of victuals to maintaine the siege long And notwithstanding that she see she was in some daunger yet determined she to tarry there trusting that the greater parte of the Grekes and Macedonians wold come ayde hir She had aboute hir a certain numbre of footemen and horse whiche accustomably were restaūt in the court besides a fewe Elephants which Polispercon had least in the Countrey For Cassander at his first entry into the countrey had taken the greater number and after he had passed the straights of Perrheby he came and besieged the Citie of Pidue and with a trench enclosed it from the one side of the sea to the other For it stood in a gulfe of the Sea on eche side enuironed with water except the entrie wherein he made a crosse trench sent to them whiche would be his friends and allies for ships artillary and all other hablements of warre to besiege the same by sea and land And when he vnderstood that Eacke King of Epyre was with a great army comming to ayde Olympias his sister he sent Attarye with one parte of hys army out against him who made suche spéede that he wan and kept the straight passages betwene the countrey of Epyre and Macedone so that he put Eacle from his enterprise by which meane and also for that the greater parte of his subiects which with euill wil came against the Macedonians made in his camp such a muteny that he was fayne notwithstanding his meaning to succoure his sister to sende backe all those whome he sée euill willing and with the rest which determined the aduenture with him continued his iourney howbeit he was very weakely accompanied and whiche was worse they that forsooke him after their returne home brought all the rest of the people of the countrey into such a mutenie that by a common and publique decrée they bannished their King Eacke and allied with Cassander which thing in the countrey of Epyre was neuer séene since Neoptoleme the sonne of Achilles first gouerned there For that Realme always went by discēt from the father to sonne and the Kings vntill that daye died within the Countrey After that rebellion when Cassander had sent into Epyre Lisiske to be gouernour and ruler of the same they which stoode in doubt whether to take Olympias parte or no seing all things out of hope turned to Cassander whereby remayned no more for Olympias but one expectation and hope of aide to wete of Polispercon who not withstanding soone failed hir For Callas whome Cassander hadde sent to warre vppon Polispercon being verie néere encamped the said Polispercon as he besieged the Citie of Perrheby founde the meane so to suborne his men of warre that the more parte forsoke him and rendred to Callas Thus and by these meanes in short tyme lost Olympias all hir hope of aide ¶ Antigone thinking to surprise and discomfit Eumenes and his armie the said Eumenes throughe his wisedome and diligence frustrateth his enterprise by that meane saueth both his Elephants and baggage The .xiiij. Chapter WHile Antigone aboade in the Countrey of Gamarge in the Region of Mede as we haue before declared had considered y t he was much weaker than the enimie he imagined and enterprised at vnwares to assaile them by skil and policie martiall to conquer them and the rather forasmuche as they were so dispersed in diuerse villages to winter that some of them were six daies iorneis one from another Notwithstanding his enterprise was very difficulte hard to bring to good purpose bycause to passe throughe the maneured countrey was a very long iourney and neuer able to do it without knowledge of the enimie and he coulde not wel passe his armie the shorter way without great trauaill and want of all things in so much as it was through the desertes and the countrey very drie Neuerthelesse bycause it was the nearest waye and méetest to bring his purpose to passe he fully resolued to take it whereby he thought he might beste so surprise the enimie being all dispersed deuided and ydle Wherevpon he commaunded his Souldiours to be in redinesse to departe and to make prouision of victuals readie to eat for .x. dayes causing it to be noysed that he would into Armenie But sodenly beyond all mens expectation he tooke his iourney through the deserts in the winter when the dayes are at the shortest And as he passed he gaue commaundement to his souldiers on the daye to make so great fires as they would but
this present historie ¶ Of the Lake Asphalte and the meruelous nature thereof also the discomfiture of Antigone his people there by the Arabians The .xliiij. Chapter THis Lake surnamed Asphalte is as it were in the middest of the Satrapie of Arabie about .v. hundred furlongs long and .lx. broode the water thereof is meruelous foule and stinking so that no fish can lyue therein nor any other thing accustomed to lyue in the water And albeit there entreth and runneth into it many great ryuers of fresh and swéete waters neuerthelesse they are through the great and maruelous stenche of the water of the Lake incontinent infected which of it selfe yéerely casteth a great quantitie of plastry all hoale as bigge and great oftentimes as thrée Arpentes and many times not passing as great as one Arpent And when there is great store and abundaunce the inhabitaunts cal it the Bull and when lesse the Bulchin This amasse and heap of plaistry in such sorte riseth and swimmeth aboue the water that they which sée it farre of thinke it to be some Island And when it beginneth to arise as we haue before saide they may perceyue it xx daies before bycause there issueth oute of the Lake such a vapoure smelling like plaistre many furlonges round about and of such efficacie and strength that all the golde siluer and all other metall within the limites and compasse thereof lose their colour But after the plaistre is once risen aboue the water it getteth it agayne Whiche vapoure scaldeth all the Regions thereabouts and drieth them as if they were half burnt and maketh the people verie pale and wanne also sicklie so that they are not long lyued Notwithstanding the land round about is fruitfull for Date trées whereas is any ryuer or fountayne to moyst them And in a place lying in a valley néere thereto groweth the swéete and odoriferous Baulme whiche is of great price bycause there is none in the whole worlde but there whiche the Phisicions vse in their receytes as an excellent and singular thing And as touching the plaistre rising oute of the Lake the people of the Countrey runne thyther to spoile and gather it as it were the butine of the enimie The boats which they row in are made of great réedes and in euery boat but thrée men whereof two rowe the third hath bowe and arrowes to defende them against those which would let them from gathering And when they are come to that amasse or heape with their axes and hatchets they cut thereof as a man shoulde do on a Tuph or softe stone and therewith fraught their boats and then returne And if it happen at any tyme that the boats breake that they fall into the water yet thoughe they cannot swymme they sinke not to the grounde as in other waters but remayne aboue as if they swam For the nature of the water is to beare and hold vp the bodyes of any thing whiche hath humiditie and breath And such things as are whole and massife as golde siluer lead and such other mettals sinke not so soone to the ground as they do in other waters With the same plaistre the Paisaunts gather get great store of siluer for they carry it into Egipt where they sell it very déere bycause it is verie excellent and soueraine to preserue dead bodies from steach and putriture and if the other dredges be not mingled with that they can not long preserue and keepe them When Demetre was returned to his Father in Sirie he recompted all he had done against the Arabians and also the nature of the Lake whereof we haue spoken Howbeit his father was no deale contented with the league and amitie made with the Arabians saying they would hereafter become more cruell and fierce seing they hadde not now bene chastised and brought vnder and farther they woulde thinke that the same conclusion of peace was made not for anie pitie or compassion he tooke of them but bycause he was not able to correct and punishe them Notwithstanding he much commended hym for fynding oute the Lake by which he trusted the better to encrease hys reuenue and possessions Wherefore he charged Ierome the Historian to assemble and get togyther a numbre of shippes and to fraught them all with the plaistre he coulde there finde and to carrie it into some place to be safely kept But the matter happened all other wayes For the Arabians who were therof aduertised had assembled to the numbre of vj. thousand or thereabouts and with their boats with shot of arrowes so charged Antigone his people vppon the saide Lake in their ships that they had almost slain them all Whereof Antigone aduertised losse all hys hope of gayning by the said Lake and chieftie bycause newes were brought him out of Mede of greater and weightier affaires which aunswered him as hereafter shall be declared ¶ Demetre Antigone his sonne at his fathers commaundement goeth to Babylon to make thereof a conquest and after returneth to his Father The .xlv. Chapter AS Antigone laye in Syrie and thought a freshe to commence warres against the Arabians sodenlie came a messanger to him with letters from Nycanor Gouernour of Mede and the other Satrapes néere thereabouts by which he was aduertised of Seleuke hys arriuall in Babylon and of the things he hadde already done togyther of Nycanor his discomfiture with which newes he was greatly astonied Wherefore he incontinent dispatched Demetre his sonne with .v. thousand Macedonian footemen .x. thousande Mercenaries and iiij thousand horsse commaunding him with al celeritie to go and recouer the Satrapie of Babylon and after to returne to Sea towardes him For execution of whiche commaundement Demetre departed from the Citie of Damas in Syrie sped him to Babilon Whē Patrocles Seleuke hys Lieutenaunt there vnderstoode that Demetre was alreadie entred Mesopotamia and séeing his smal number not able to resist kept with him self one parte and commaunded an other companie to depart the citie and passe the ryuer Euphrate to saue thē selues through the desertes and appointed the rest to passe the Ryuer Tigre and to go into Susiane into the citie of Eutele ouer against the red Sea And him selfe with the souldiours he deteyned remayned in the Countrey of Babylon hauing an eye to the passages and fourdes of the Ryuers and other difficile places that he might know when and what waye the enimy came He also gaue notice with all spéede to Seleuke abyding in the countrey of Mede of their comming and from day to day signified vnto hym what was done exhorting hym to bring with all diligence ayde and succoure When Demetre was come to Babilon and founde the Citie left alone he mynded to take the castles The one of which he forcibly tooke and gaue the spoyle to hys men of warre And seing it impossible for him out of hande to take the other and that the terme appointed to méete his Father approched he left behind at
He also slewe Eudame captaine of the Indian Elephantes diuers other captaines his vtter enimies And for Eumenes he coÌ„mitted the garding of him to certayn of his men vntil he had determined what to do with him For gladly he would haue reteyned him if eyther by good or geÌ„tle entreatie he thought he might win him bicause he knewe him to be a noble warriour and stout man Notwithstanding he had no great confidence in his premis by reason of the maruellous loue and singular affection that he did beare Olympias the Kings which he before had well declared For although he was by his meane from the siege of Nore deliuered yet after in the quarel of the Kings he warred vpoÌ„ him with his whole power Moreouer seing the mortall hate of the Macedonians against him he determined to put him to death Howebeit for the loue and fauoure he before bare him he caused him to be burnt and in a faire vessell sent his bones to his kinsfolkes and friends He found likewise among the hurte men Ierome Cardian a wise and politike man whome Eumenes greatly honoured and familiarly vsed and therefore Antigone in like sorte after Eumenes hys death honoured and well entreated him ¶ Antigone retireth to winter in the countrey of Mede and of the deluge or floud which that time chaunceth in the countrey of Rhodes The .xvj. Chapter AFter Antigone had brought backe al his armie into the countrey of Mede he wintred in a village of the Ecbathanes harde by wherin is the Kings Palace of that quarter and deuided his men of warre through the whole countrey of Mede and chiefly in the waste country so called bicause of diuers mysfortunes which there sometime happened For in olde time about those quarters had bene the richest and gretest number of townes within al that Prouince and by reason of so many terrible and continuall earthquakes all the sayde townes together with their inhabitantes perished and were vtterly lost wherby the whole region was maruellously altered and chaunged for there were such new riuers and lakes séene as had not customably bene The same time that Antigone lay in Mede the citie of Rhodes was the thirde time by deluge or floude ouercome by reason wherof a great many Citizens a new were at that present drowned more thaÌ„ at the other two times For the first bycause the towne was newly buylt and little enhabited dyd no great hurt The second was much greater and did more domage for that there were more enhabitaunts But the third came about the spring and began through great raines showres whiche fel sodenly w t mightie maruellous hayle stones for they fel hole and bigge and waightie as a myne but some much bigger and heauier so that they beate downe the toppes of many weake built houses and kild a great number of people and bycause the Citie was round stepest and hiest in the middest in maner of a Theatre the waters on euery side so aboundauntlie flowed that the lower partes were incontinent filled vp and coulde no waye passe nor fall bicause the Citizens seeing winter paste tooke no great hâ— de to the clensing of their sinks vnder the earth And the more part of the sinks and chanels about the wals were so choked that the water in short time grew so â— ie strong that it flowed vp to the market place called Digma and the temple of Dionisie and in the end grew and arose vp like a lake euen to the temple of Esculape Whereuppon the Citizens seeing so great and sodayne a deluge sought euery man to saue him selfe Some ranne to the shippes some to the theatre and they whiche were most oppressed sâ— aled the tops of the churches and clymbed the pillers on whiche the statues and ymages stood And as the Citizens were in this terrour and perplexitie chaunced them a sodain remedy For one of the panes of the wall through the violence of the water fell downe and so by that means it voided and ranne into the sea It was also a happy tourne that the deluge chaunced on the daye bycause that when the Citizens see the imminent daunger they had leysure to get out of their houses and withdrawe them to the hiest places of the towne It was good happe lykewyse that the wals of their houses were stronglie buylt of stoane and not of bricke and therefore they which got vp to the toppes were safe Howbeit there died aboue .v. hundred and many houses ouerthrowen wholy beateÌ„ downe besides diuerse that were sore shaken and quashed In this daunger and inconuenience was the Citie of Rhodes ¶ Antigone by craft putteth to death Pithon who beginneth to rebell and gyueth the Satrapie of Mede to Orondonate and likewise vanquisheth certen other Median rebelles The .xvij. Chapter AS Antigone wintered in the countrey of Mede he was aduertised that Python practised with the soldiers in garrison about some enterprise Notwithstanding he made semblant that he beléeued not the report reprouing the reporters before the people saying that to set controuersie betwene him and Python they had fained and deuised it in their own heads He caused it also to be openly diuulged that he would leaue the said Python Satrapa and gouernour of al the Prouinces and Satrapes of the hye countrey together one parte of his armie so that he might rule the better and hold and kéepe him selfe in sauetie He writte also vnto him gentle and gracious letters praying hym to repaire ouer so soone as was possible to communicate and deuise of the affaires in those quarters to the ende Antigone might with more spéede returne to Sea This dyd he w t a crafty and painted contenaunce clerely to put him out of suspicioÌ„ thinking he would in hope of obtayning that Seignorie come to him For well he knew it was not hiâ—â— ase forcibly to take him bicause he was a valiaunt and couragious man and such one that Alexander when he lyued by reason of his vertue had gyuen hym the gouernement of the same countrey of Mede whiche to that day he held and enioyed And to be short he through corruption and other ways greatly got the good willes of the men of warre that the more numbre promised to forsake Antigone and follow him Notwithstanding although he for this cause somwhat mistrusted his crafty cloyning yet through the hope which certen of his familiars and friends with Antigone put him in he came at his commaundement And so soone as he was come Antigone caused him to be apprehended and the chiefe and principall Captaynes of the armie being there in maner of a Senate assembled accused him Before whome he was lightly conuict incontinent condemned to death and with greater spéede executed Whiche done he assembled the whole army in their presence proclaimed Orondonate the Median Satrapa of the said Countrey of Mede hauing for his assistaunce and ayde Captayne Hypostrate with foure thousand Mercenarie footemen