History for ready reference, Volume 3, Greece to NibelungenLarned, J. N. (Josephus Nelson)
History
History for ready reference, Volume 3, Greece to Nibelungen
Larned, J. N. (Josephus Nelson)
History -- Dictionaries
… The prisoners were condemned and led off to prison,
followed by the tears of their friends and the triumphant
execrations of their mean-spirited enemies. They drank the
fatal hemlock-juice, and their bodies were cast unburied
beyond the confines of Attica. Four days after the death of
Phocion, Cassander arrived at the Piræeus with 35 ships,
carrying 4,000 men, given him by Antigonus. Polysperchon
immediately entered Attica with 20,000 Macedonian foot and
4,000 of those of the allies, 1,000 horse, and 65 elephants,
which he had brought from Asia, and encamped near the Piræeus.
But as the siege was likely to be tedious, and sufficient
provisions for so large an army could not be had, he left a
force such as the country could support with his son
Alexander, and passed with the remainder into Peloponnesus, to
force the Megalopolitans to submit to the Kings; for they
alone sided with Cassander, all the rest having obeyed the
directions to put to death or banish his adherents. The whole
serviceable population of Megalopolis, slaves included,
amounted to 15,000 men; and under the directions of one Damis,
who had served in Asia under Alexander, they prepared for a
vigorous defence. Polysperchon sat down before the town, and
his miners in a short time succeeded in throwing down three
towers and a part of the wall. He attempted a storm, but was
obliged to draw off his men, after an obstinate conflict. …
The Athenians meantime saw themselves excluded from the sea,
and from all their sources of profit and enjoyment, while
little aid was to be expected from Polysperchon, who had been
forced to raise the siege of Megalopolis, and whose fleet had
just now been destroyed by Antigonus in the Hellespont. A
citizen of some consideration ventured at length to propose in
the assembly an arrangement with Cassander. The ordinary
tumult at first was raised, but the sense of interest finally
prevailed. Peace was procured, on the conditions of the
Munychia remaining in Cassander's hands till the end of the
present contest; political privileges being restricted to
those possessed of ten minas and upwards of property, and a
person appointed by Cassander being at the head of the
government. The person selected for this office was Demetrius
of Phaleron, a distinguished Athenian citizen; and under his
mild and equitable rule the people were far happier than they
could have been under a democracy, for which they had proved
themselves no longer fit. Cassander then passed over into
Peloponnesus, and laid siege to Tegea. While here, he heard
that Olympias had put to death several of his friends in
Macedonia; among the rest, Philip Aridæus and his wife
Eurydice, members of the royal family. He at once (Olympiad
116, 1) [B. C. 316] set out for Macedonia; and, as the pass of
Pylæ was occupied by the Ætolians, he embarked his troops in
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