+33.+ The beginning of actual bloodshed, however, was this. One of
the servants and flatterers of Agathocles, whose name was Philo, came
out to the stadium still flustered with wine. Seeing the fury of the
multitude, he said to some bystanders that they would have cause to
repent it again, as they had only the other day, if Agathocles were
to come there. Of those who heard him some began to abuse him, while
others pushed him about; and on his attempting to defend himself, some
tore his cloak off his back, while others thrust their spears into him
and wounded him mortally. He was dragged into the middle of the crowd
breathing his last gasp; and, having thus tasted blood, the multitude
began to look impatiently for the coming of the other victims. They
had not to wait long. First appeared Agathocles dragged along bound
hand and foot. No sooner had he entered than some soldiers rushed at
him and struck him dead. And in doing so they were his friends rather
than enemies, for they saved him from the horrible death which he
deserved. Nicon was brought next, and after him Agathocleia stripped
naked, with her two sisters; and following them the whole family. Last
of all some men came bringing Oenanthe, whom they had torn from the
temple of Demeter and Persephone, riding stripped naked upon a horse.
They were all given up to the populace, who bit, and stabbed them, and
knocked out their eyes, and, as soon as any one of them fell, tore him
limb from limb, until they had utterly annihilated them all: for the
savagery of the Egyptians when their passions are roused is indeed
terrible. At the same time some young girls who had been brought up
with Arsinoe, having learnt that Philammon, the chief agent in the
murder of that Queen, had arrived three days before from Cyrene, rushed
to his house; forced their way in; killed Philammon with stones and
sticks; strangled his infant son; and, not content with this, dragged
his wife naked into the street and put her to death.
Such was the end of Agathocles and Agathocleia and their kinsfolk.
[Sidenote: The contemptible character of Agathocles.]
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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