a smaller history of greece-第53部分

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Perdiccas　possessed　more　power　than　any　of　Alexander's　generals；　and　he　now　aspired　to　the　Macedonian　throne。　　His　designs；　however；　were　not　unknown　to　Antigonus　and　Ptolemy　；　and　when　he　attempted　to　bring　Antigonus　to　trial　for　some　offence　in　the　government　of　his　satrapy；　that　general　made　his　escape　to　Macedonia；　where　he　revealed　to　Antipater　the　full　extent　of　the　ambitious　schemes　of　Perdiccas；　and　thus　at　once　induced　Antipater　and　Craterus　to　unite　in　a　league　with　him　and　Ptolemy；　and　openly　declare　war　against　the　regent。　　Thus　assailed　on　all　sides；　Perdiccas　resolved　to　direct　his　arms　in　the　first　instance　against　Ptolemy。　　In　the　spring　of　B。C。　321　he　accordingly　set　out　on　his　march　against　Egypt；　at　the　head　of　a　formidable　army；　and　accompanied　by　Philip　Arrhidaeus；　and　Roxana　and　her　infant　son。　　He　advanced　without　opposition　as　far　as　Pelusium；　but　he　found　the　banks　of　the　Nile　strongly　fortified　and　guarded　by　Ptolemy；　and　was　repulsed　in　repeated　attempts　to　force　the　passage　of　the　river；　in　the　last　of　which；　near　Memphis；　he　lost　great　numbers　of　men　by　the　depth　and　rapidity　of　the　current。　　Perdiccas　had　never　been　popular　with　the　soldiery；　and　these　disasters　completely　alienated　their　affections。　　A　conspiracy　was　formed　against　him；　and　some　of　his　chief　officers　murdered　him　in　his　tent。

The　death　of　Perdiccas　was　followed　by　a　fresh　distribution　of　the　provinces　of　the　empire。　　At　a　meeting　of　the　generals　held　at　Triparadisus　in　Syria；　towards　the　end　of　the　year　321　B。C。；　Antipater　was　declared　regent；　retaining　the　government　of　Macedonia　and　Greece；　Ptolemy　was　continued　in　the　government　of　Egypt；　Seleucus　received　the　satrapy　of　Babylon；　whilst　Antigonus　not　only　retained　his　old　province；　but　was　rewarded　with　that　of　Susiana。

Antipater　did　not　long　survive　these　events。　　He　died　in　the　year　318；　at　the　advanced　age　of　80；　leaving　Polysperchon；　one　of　Alexander's　oldest　generals；　regent；　much　to　the　surprise　and　mortification　of　his　son　Cassander；　who　received　only　the　secondary　dignity　of　Chiliarch；　or　commander　of　the　cavalry。　Cassander　was　now　bent　on　obtaining　the　regency；　but　seeing　no　hope　of　success　in　Macedonia；　he　went　over　to　Asia　to　solicit　the　assistance　of　Antigonus。

Polysperchon；　on　his　side；　sought　to　conciliate　the　friendship　of　the　Grecian　states；　by　proclaiming　them　all　free　and　independent；　and　by　abolishing　the　oligarchies　which　had　been　set　up　by　Antipater。　　In　order　to　enforce　these　measures；　Polysperchon　prepared　to　march　into　Greece；　whilst　his　son　Alexander　was　despatched　beforehand　with　an　army　towards　Athens　to　compel　the　Macedonian　garrison　under　the　command　of　Nicanor　to　evacuate　Munychia。　　Nicanor；　however；　refused　to　move　without　orders　from　Cassander；　whose　general　he　declared　himself　to　be。　　Phocion　was　suspected　of　intriguing　in　favour　of　Nicanor；　and　being　accused　of　treason；　fled　to　Alexander；　now　encamped　before　the　walls　of　Athens。　　Alexander　sent　Phocion　to　his　father；　who　sent　him　back　to　Athens　in　chains；　to　be　tried　by　the　Athenian　people。　　The　theatre；　where　his　trial　was　to　take　place；　was　soon　full　to　overflowing。　　Phocion　was　assailed　on　every　side　by　the　clamours　of　his　enemies；　which　prevented　his　defence；　from　being　heard；　and　he　was　condemned　to　death　by　a　show　of　hands。　　To　the　last　Phocion　maintained　his　calm　and　dignified；　but　somewhat　contemptuous　bearing。　　When　some　wretched　man　spat　upon　him　as　he　passed　to　the　prison；　〃Will　no　one；〃　said　he；　〃check　this　fellow's　indecency？〃　　To　one　who　asked　him　whether　he　had　any　message　to　leave　for　his　son　Phocus；　he　answered；　〃Only　that　he　bear　no　grudge　against　the　Athenians。〃　　And　when　the　hemlock　which　had　been　prepared　was　found　insufficient　for　all　the　condemned；　and　the　jailer　would　not　furnish　more　unless　he　was　paid　for　it；　〃Give　the　man　his　money；〃　said　Phocion　to　one　of　his　friends；　〃since　at　Athens　one　cannot　even　die　for　nothing。〃　　He　died　in　B。C。　317；　at　the　age　of　85。　　The　Athenians　afterwards　repented　of　their　conduct　towards　Phocion。　　His　bones；　which　had　been　cast　out　on　the　frontiers　of　Megara；　were　brought　back　to　Athens；　and　a　bronze　statue　was　erected　to　his　memory。

Whilst　Alexander　was　negotiating　with　Nicanor　about　the　surrender　of　Munychia；　Cassander　arrived　in　the　Piraeus　with　a　considerable　army；　with　which　Antigonus　had　supplied　him。　　Polysperchon　was　obliged　to　retire　from　Athens；　and　Cassander　established　an　oligarchical　government　in　the　city　under　the　presidency　of　Demetrius　of　Phalerus。

Although　Polysperchon　was　supported　by　Olympias；　the　mother　of　Alexander　the　Great；　he　proved　no　match　for　Cassander；　who　became　master　of　Macedonia　after　the　fall　of　Pydna　in　B。C。　316。　　In　this　city　Olympias　had　taken　refuge　together　with　Roxana　and　her　son；　but　after　a　blockade　of　some　months　it　was　obliged　to　surrender。　Olympias　had　stipulated　that　her　life　should　be　spared；　but　Cassander　soon　afterwards　caused　her　to　be　murdered；　and　kept　Roxana　and　her　son　in　custody　in　the　citadel　of　Amphipolis。　Shortly　afterwards　Cassander　began　the　restoration　of　Thebes　（B。C。　315）；　in　the　twentieth　year　after　its　destruction　by　Alexander；　a　measure　highly　popular　with　the　Greeks。

A　new　war　now　broke　out　in　the　East。　　Antigonus　had　become　the　most　powerful　of　Alexander's　successors。　　He　had　conquered　Eumenes；　who　had　long　defied　his　arms；　and　he　now　began　to　dispose　of　the　provinces　as　he　thought　fit。　　His　increasing　power　and　ambitious　projects　led　to　a　general　coalition　against　him；　consisting　of　Ptolemy；　Seleucus；　Cassander；　and　Lysimachus；　the　governor　of　Thrace。　　The　war　began　in　the　year　315；　and　was　carried　on　with　great　vehemence　and　alternate　success　in　Syria；　Phoenicia；　Asia　Minor；　and　Greece。　　After　four　years　all　parties　became　exhausted　with　the　struggle；　and　peace　was　accordingly　concluded　in　311；　on　condition　that　the　Greek　cities　should　be　free；　that　Cassander　should　retain　his　authority　in　Europe　till　Alexander　came　of　age；　that　Ptolemy　and　Lysimachus　should　keep　possession　of　Egypt　and　Thrace　respectively；　and　that　Antigonus　should　have　the　government　of　all　Asia。　　This　hollow　peace；　which　had　been　merely　patched　up　for　the　convenience　of　the　parties　concerned；　was　not　of　long　duration。　　It　seems　to　have　been　the　immediate　cause　of　another　of　those　crimes　which　disgrace　the　history　of　Alexander's　successors。　　His　son；　Alexander；　who　had　now　attained　the　age　of　sixteen；　was　still　shut　up　with　his　mother　Roxana　in　Amphipolis；　and　his　partisans；　with　injudicious　zeal；　loudly　expressed　their　wish　that　he　should　be　released　and　placed　upon　the　throne。　　In　order　to　avert　this　event　Cassander　contrived　the　secret　murder　both　of　the　mother　and　the　son。

This　abominable　act；　however；　does　not　appear　to　have　caused　a　breach　of　the　peace。　　Ptolemy　was　the　first　to　break　it　（B。C。　310）；　under　the　pretext　that　Antigonus；　by　keeping　his　garrisons　in　the　Greek　cities　of　Asia　and　the　islands；　had　not　respected　that　article　of　the　treaty　which　guaranteed　Grecian　freedom。　After　the　war　had　lasted　three　years　Antigonus　resolved　to　make　a　vigorous　effort　to　wrest　Greece　from　the　hands　of　Cassander　and　Ptolemy；　who　held　all　the　principal　towns　in　it。　　Accordingly；　in　the　summer　of　307　B。C。　he　despatched　his　son　Demetrius　from　Ephesus　to　Athens；　with　a　fleet　of　250　sail；　and　5000　talents　in　money。　　Demetrius；　who　afterwards　obtained　the　surname　of　〃Poliorcetes；〃　or　〃Besieger　of　Cities；〃　was　a　young　man　of　ardent　temperament　and　great　abilities。　　Upon　arriving　at　the　Piraeus　he　immediately　proclaimed　the　object　of　his　expedition　to　be　the　liberation　of　Athens　and　the　expulsion　of　the　Macedonian　garrison。　　Supported　by　the　Macedonians；　Demetrius　the　Phalerean　had　now　ruled　Athens　for　a　period　of　more　than　ten　years。　　Of　mean　birth；　Demetrius　the　Phalerean　owed　his　elevation　entirely　to　his　talents　and　perseverance。　　His　skill　as　an　orator　raised　him　to　distinction　among　his　countrymen；　and　his　politics；　which　led　him　to　embrace　the　party　of　Phocion；　recommended　him　to　Cassander　and　the　Macedonians。　　He　cultivated　many　branches　of　literature；　and　was　at　once　an　historian；　a　philosopher；　and　a　poet；　but　none　of　his　works　have　come　down　to　us。　　The　Athenians　heard　with　pleasure　the　proclamations　of　the　son　of　Antigonus　his　namesake；　the　Phalerean　was　obliged　to　surrender　the　city　to　him；　and　to　close　his　political　career　by　retiring　to　Thebes。　　The　Macedonian　garrison　in　Munychia　offered　a　slight　resistance；　which　was　soon　overcome；　Demetrius　Poliorcetes　then　formally　announced　to　the　Athenian　assembly　the　restoration　of　their　ancient　constitution；　and　promised　them　a　large　donative　of　corn　and　ship…timber。　　This　munificence　was　repaid　by　the　Athenians　with　the　basest　and　most　abject　flattery。　　Both　Demetrius　and　his　father　were　deified；　and　two　new　tribes；　those　of　Antigonias　and　Demetrias；　were　added　to　the　existing　ten　which　derived　their　names　from　the　ancient　heroes　of　Attica。

Demetrius　Poliorcetes　did　not；　however；　remain　long　at　Athens。　Early　in　306　B。C。　he　was　recalled　by　his　father；　and；　sailing　to　Cyprus；　undertook　the　siege　of　Salamis。　　Ptolemy　hastened　to　its　relief　with　140　vessels　and　10；000　troops。　　The　battle　that　ensued　was　one　of　the　most　memorable　in　the　annals　of