Greece -- Biography -- Early works to 1800; Rome -- Biography -- Early works to 1800
himself, but threw the whole city into a ferment. Kleomedon's fine was
remitted, but the people decreed that no citizen should ever again bring
them a letter from Demetrius. However, as Demetrius was greatly incensed
at this, and did not conceal his displeasure, the Athenians in terror
not only reversed the decree, but put to death some of those who had
advocated it, and banished others. Moreover, they actually decreed that
"the entire people of Athens should regard anything which King Demetrius
might be pleased to command as both righteous in respect of the gods,
and legal as regards men." When one of the better class of citizens
observed that Stratokles must be mad to propose such a decree,
Demochares[303] of Leukonoe answered "He would be mad not to be
mad,"[304] for Stratokles made a great fortune by his flattery of
Demetrius. This speech was reported to Stratokles, and Demochares was
forced to go into exile. Such was the conduct of the Athenians when they
were relieved of their Macedonian garrison and were thought to have
become a free people.
XXV. Demetrius now proceeded to Peloponnesus, where he met with no
resistance, as the enemy fled before him, and surrendered their cities
to him. He made himself master of the district known as Akte, and of the
whole of Arcadia, except Mantinea, while he set free Argos, Sikyon and
Corinth, by bribing their garrisons to evacuate them with a hundred
talents. At Argos he acted as president of the games at the festival of
Hera, which took place whilst he was there. On this occasion he held a
solemn assembly of all the Greeks, and publicly married Deidameia, a
daughter of Æakides, king of the Molossi, and sister of Pyrrhus. He
remarked to the people of Sikyon that they lived out of their proper
city, and prevailed upon them to remove to the spot which they now
inhabit. He changed the name as well as the situation of the city, and
instead of Sikyon named it Demetrias.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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