Greece -- Biography -- Early works to 1800; Rome -- Biography -- Early works to 1800
XXXII. Demetrius, when he discovered the intentions of Pleistarchus,
proceeded at once to Quinda, where he found the sum of twelve hundred
talents still remaining. Having made himself master of this, he quickly
reembarked and put to sea. He was now joined by his wife Phila, and met
Seleukus at Rhossas. Here the two princes conversed together in a truly
royal style, without the least suspicion or fear of treachery. First
Seleukus feasted Demetrius in his tent in the midst of his camp, and
afterwards Demetrius entertained him at a banquet on board his great
thirteen-banked ship. They also talked freely together for a long time,
spending several days in friendly intercourse without any bodyguard or
arms, till at length Seleukus took Stratonike, and escorted her with
great pomp to Antiocheia.[310] Demetrius now made himself master of
Cilicia, and sent his wife Phila to her brother, Kassander, to answer
the accusations brought against him by Pleistarchus. During this time
Deidameia sailed from Greece and joined Demetrius, but not long after
her arrival she sickened and died. By the good offices of Seleukus,
Demetrius was now reconciled with Ptolemy, and arranged to take
Ptolemäis, Ptolemy's daughter, for his wife. So far Seleukus behaved
very well; but he could not prevail upon Demetrius to give up Cilicia to
him for a sum of money, and when he angrily demanded the surrender of
Tyre and Sidon, his conduct appears very overbearing and ungenerous, as
though he, who had made himself master of all the country between the
Red Sea and the Mediterranean, were so poor and needy as to be obliged
to squabble with his father-in-law about two cities, at a time, too,
when the latter was suffering from a great reverse of fortune. How
strongly does this bear out the truth of Plato's maxim, that he who
wishes to be really rich ought to lessen his desires rather than
increase his property, because if a man places no bounds to his
covetousness, he never will be free from want and misery.
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