vnto the time of his death But this which now I am in hand with comprehendeth and setteth forth the renoumed actes of Alexander his successors being an Historie of .vij. whole yeares continuaunce ¶ After the death of Alexander the great Aride his brother is established king and Perdicas appointed to be his gouernoure The first Chapter THE same yeare that the Athenians ordained and chose Celphisodore to be their Prouost and gouernour and the Romaines created Lucie Fury and Dece Iuny theyr Consuls King Alexander deceasing without issue chaunced betwéene the raigne state to arise great dissention and sedition amoÌ„gs the Princes for the principalitie and gouernement For the regiment of his foote men were wholy determined to aduaunce Aride to the kingdom who although soÌ„ne to king Phillip and brother to Alexander yet notwithstaÌ„ding he was attainted with the incurable disease of the mind By reason wherof the rest of the Princes and Nobles in aucthority which garded Alexander his body hauing with them the horse men called the Souldiours condescended and agréed by one whole and common consent to reare warres against the footemen rather than they would suffer and abide their insolent boldnesse But before they enterprised the matter they thought best to send certaine of the chiefest and most honourable personages in their company with an ambassade to the footemen Amongs whom Meleager was appointed chief principal Ambassador to dissuade them to desist and leaue of their atteÌ„pt alleaging that it stode most with reason that they shold obey the Princes But so soone as Meleager was come amongst them he neuer made mention of the Ambassade and charge committed vnto him but contrariwise approuing alowing their attempt and enterprise did al that in him lay to support and maintaine them agaynst the Princes and their confederates so that the footemen hauing great good liking both of his counsaile and corage ordained him forthwith their Coronel and thereupon armed them to giue battail to the aduersary In so muche that the Princes and Nobles in their company issued out of the towne in armes and put them selues in order of battaile How be it certaine of the wisest and most circumspect deepely waying considering the case concluded a finall peace Wherein was agréed that Aride shold be established king And Perdicas chiefe of the Macedonian princes to whom Alexander at the hour of his death gaue his ring deputed his gouernor And to the rest of the Princes and chiefe of the army were diuided and geuen the administrations and gouernmentes of the Prouinces late vnder the subiection of Alexander Which administratioÌ„s or presidentships the Gréekes called Satrapies the gouernors of the same Prouinces Satrapes conditionally that euery of the sayd Princes at all times should be subiect and obedient vnto the King and Perdicas his gouernor ¶ Perdicas taking vpon him the gouernement of the realme deuideth the Satrapies amongs the Princes The second Chapter SHortly after that Perdicas hadde taken vpon him the rule ouer the rest he forthwith assembled all the princes and captains assigned to euery of them certaine Prouinces to gouern And first he bestowed the gouernmeÌ„t of Egipt on Ptolome the sonne of Lage on Laomedon of Mytthilene Syrie on Philote Cilice on Phiton Mede on Eumenes Paphlagone and Cappadoce together the regions to them adioyning in which Alexander by reason of the continuall warres betwixt him and King Darye neuer came on Antigone Pamphilie and Licie together Phrigie the great on Cassander Carie on Meleager Lydie and on Leonate the lesser Phrigie which bordereth aboue Hellespont In this sort were deuided the Prouinces of Asia In Europe was appointed to Lysimache the Countrey of Thrace with the Countreys and people therunto adioyning lying vpon the Sea coast of Euxine to Antipater Macidone with all the rest of the Countreys bordering thereon And for the residue of the Countreys and Satrapies of Asie ouer beside those already named he thought good to leaue to the rule and gouernment of those whom Alexander had deputed in his life time And the rest next to them he left to Taxille and the other Kings and Princes which before enioyed them And the Countreis lying beyond Caucase the Mount which is Paropanisade he left to Osarte King of the Bactrians whose daughter Alexander had espoused named Roxanne He bestowed also on Sebirte Aracose and Gedrose on Stasanor the Solian Arrye and Draucine on Phillip Bactriane and Sogdiane on Frataferne Parthe and Hircane on Lucete Perside on Tlepoleme Carmanie on Atrapes Mede on Archon Babilon on Achesilaye Mesopotame Besides all this be constituted and ordained Seleuck captaine general of the horsse men called the Souldiers being the chiefest Office of charge most honorable within the army which charge Ephestion first had and after him Perdicas Moreouer the Realmes and dominions which Alexander gaue to Taxille Pore they held and enioyed them according as Alexander had lefte them And as touching the transporting of Alexander his body to the Temple of Iupiter Hammone the setting vp of his Toomb the apparelling therof with the furniture and solempnization of the funeralles the whole charge was committed to Aride While Alexander liued he appointed Cratere one of hys chiefe Captaines withâ—â— M. old souldiors to goe into Cilice to whom he gaue certaine ordinaunces and Commissions to execute and performe But assone as Alexander was dead the Princes his successors would in no wise agrée that the sayd ordinaunces should be performed For after Perdicas had seene and red the letters registers of the said Alexander whereby he appointed a great deale of treasure to be leuied for y e buriall of Epheston and that he had farther assigned many other things of great cost and charge to be done he was of the opinion that all the said ordinaunces of Alexander shold be reuoked and adniâ— hilate But to the end it shold not be thought that he weÌ„t about to derogate the aucthority and honor of Alexander he comprimitted the matter to the deliberation of the Macedonians and amongs diuers and sundry things they found great and waightye matters worthy remembraunce appointed by Alexander For first he ordained that a thousande tall Gallies should be built longer and bigger than were in Phenice Sirye Cilice or Cypres to warre against the Carthagians and certaine other Countreis lying and bordering vpon the Lybian and Spanishe seas the regions to them adioyning euen vnto Sicile to the end he wold be Lord and gouernour of all the Libian seas hard to the pillers of Hercules He also ordained that there should be erected .v. royall and honorable Temples to the value of fiue hundred talents euery of them and that there should be cut out a number of large and great harborowes in places méete for the purpose to ride at harborow the said nauie of gallies That done he willed and commaunded diuers mighty and great Cities to be built those to be peopled as
the Libians one daye among the rest finding abrode disordered discomfited ouerthrew of which some were slaine other were taken prisoners the rest recouered thire shippes and went to sea meaning to arriue at some Port where they might finde friendship But sodenly arose so gréeuous and vehement a tempest y t it perished and drowned manie of their shippes and such as escaped were driuen with winde and weather into Cypers and vpon the coast of Egypt Yet for all this ill fortune he neuer desisted his purpose and attempt but without stoppe sent certeyn of his chiefe and assured friēds into Peloponese to mustre and take vp Souldiers willing them also to entertaine the two thousand men of warre straungérs lying and abyding in the Countrey of Tenare and to bring them also into Libie All this time the Cirenians by reason of the late ouerthrowes by them gyuen trusting in their owne courages and hoping well of better successe boldly attempted Thymbron with battaill wherein they vanquished kild a great numbre of his people which conflict made him almost despaire of the conquering and subduing the Cyrenians But sodenly came in his ayde the Souldiers of Tenare wherewith he tooke such harte that he a fresh assembled an other great numbre to commence and beginne his warres But when the Cyrenians sée that they by and by sent to the Libians Chartagians their neighbours requiring ayde so that with them and of their owne Citie they had gotten together about xxx thousand men with whom they arrered an other great army wherein on eyther side cōsisted and depended the whole and totall victorie And although the fight endured long yet in the end Thymbron obtayned victorie whereof he was right ioyous hoping then in short time to conquere and subdue all the Cities thereabout In whiche conflict the Cirenians lost al their Captaynes wherfore they chose for their Chieftayne and Generall Mnasicles and other vnder him to defend the hauen and Citie whiche Thimbron had before besieged and yet still dayly approched But in the ende the siege so long continued that victuals within the Towne were verie scarse which caused great muteny wherfore the Cirenians expulsed the most worshipfull and riche Citisens whereof some tooke part with Thimbron and the rest went for rescous into Egypt and desired ayde of Ptolome for their retourne home whereunto he graunted So they departed thense towards Sirene with a puissaunt army both by sea and lande vnder the conduct of Orphellon When the exiles with Thimbron vnderstood of their cōming they determined by night to steale vpon them and so to rob and spoyle them but their enterprise being reuealed and discouered they were all slayne Then the Cōmoners which kept the Towne perceyuing the exiles at hand truced with Thimbron and ioyned together to fight against Orphellon who encountred them in battaill and ouerthrew them tooke Thimbron prisoner Whē al these conflictes had thus taken end he toke the Citie of Cirene the rest of the Cities neare about whiche before liued at libertie to the behoofe of Ptolome his Lorde and Soueraigne ¶ Perdicas entring Piside taketh the Lauradians prisoners by siege so distresseth the Isaurians that they kil them selues And at the entreatie of Antigone Antipater and Cratere which warred vpon the Etholians conclude a peace with them bycause they would go against Perdicas The x. Chapter BUt now to returne to Perdicas and King Phillip after they had ouerthrowen and discomfited Ariarathe and bestowed the gouernement of Cappadoce on Eumenes they tooke their iourney into Pisided etermining to sacke raze the Cities of Laurade and Isaure bycause that they in the life of King Alexander had slaine Balacre the Sonne of Nicanor whom Alexander had deputed their Patrone and Gouernour And first by force they tooke the Citie of Laurade and killed all the men and made portsale of their infaunts and yong children But bycause the Citie of the Isaurians was strong and throughly manned to hold out the enimy after they had two dayes besieged it wherin many of their Souldiers were lost they seing the Citisens wel furnished of all things for the defence thereof fully determined to maintayne it to death retired howbeit after thrée dayes past they agayne approched the wals and gaue a fresh assault which the Citisens to their great losse manfully defended wherfore being thē disfurnished of able men for the manning of their wals rampiers and Bulwarks they purposed an honorable fact worthy memorie First foreséeing their iminent destruction ineuitable by reason they were no lenger able to resist and knowing for certein that they should shamefully and villaniously be entreated they therefore determined rather than to yelde to the enimy to die an honest and honorable death For first they shut vp in their houses the old men women and children and to the ende there to burie them they set all the houses on fire which being on a light and the flame issuing out on euery side they cast in all their mouable goodes and all other things which any way might be profitable or gaynefull to the enimy whereat Perdicas greatly amased commaunded his Souldiers to enuiron the Towne and gyue the attempt to the wals but the Townesmen so valiaunly defended the curten that they ones agayne repulsed the assaylaunts Then Perdicas much more astonied enquired the cause why they so couragiously stoode to the defence of the Citie considering they had burnt both their houses and goods But after Perdicas had retiered his Souldiers from the assault the Isaurians threwe them selues into the fier and so were buried in their houses with their friends and familiers The next day in the morning Perdicas licenced his soldiers to sacke and spoyle the Citie who after the fier was throughly put out found infinite treasure of gold siluer forasmuch as the said Citie had long continued without warres and through traffique great trade of merchaundise grew to great wealth and became very riche When Perdicas had wonne these two townes he purposed thē to marry being in choyse of two Gentlewomen to saye of Nice the daughter of Antipater whome he had already fianced and of Cleopatre sister to Alexander the great and daughter to king Phillip sonne to Amint. But first he determined to allie himself with Antipater bicause his puissaunce and aucthority was not yet throughly confirmed established and therfore fianced he his daughter But after he had once obtayned an army royal princily estate he altered his purpose meaning for his greater aduaūcement to espouse Cleopatre wherin he affected the kingdom of Macedone to y e ende the Macedonians might accept and take him for their Lorde and Soueraigne Neuerthelesse bycause he would not that this his practise should come to light he in the meane while married Nice fearing that if he did not Antipater woulde be come his vtter enemy But after he perceyued that Antigone friende to Antipater had smelt out
greeuously accused and adiudged them worthy the death the summe of which accusation was this that they after the Lamian warre were the principall and chiefe causers that their Citie and Countrey were brought in thraldome and bondage the gouernement and authoritie of the people wholy extinguished and the lawes and ordinaunces of the same Countrie clerely violated and infringed When the daye assigned was come Phocion very sagely and wysely beganne to plead and defende his cause but so soone as the multitude and great numbre of the people heard him beginne to speake they made suche a noyse and vprore that he could not be heard When the noise was ceased and that he beganne agayne to speake they likewise interrupted and stopped him that he coulde haue no audience for the multitude of the baser sorte which had bene degraded and put from the publique gouernement being sodenly newly authorised were very insolent against those which had depriued them their libertie Howbeit Phocion in daunger to lose his life boldly and stoutely stood to the defence of his iustification so that these about him heard what he sayde But they which were any thing farther of could heare nothing for the noyse and vprore of the people but they might all sée that he spake and made many gestures with his body as a man in great daunger and feare But in the ende when he sée no boote he with a loud voice cried and sayde that he was contented to dye but prayde that they might be forgiuen whome he had inuegled and attracted to his will and pleasure some forcibly and some by gentle admonitions and persuasions When certaine of Phocions friendes sée that the violēce and rage of the people ceassed not they preased in to speake for him whome the multitude incontinent hearkened vnto before any man knewe what they woulde say But after it was perceyued they spake in the fauour of the accused they were in lyke sorte reiected by the clamors of the people so that in the ende by the cōmon voyce and exclamation of the multitude they wer condemned to death and that done carried to prison Then many of their friendes seing their miserie were very pensife and sorowfull For when they sée that such personages being the chief and principal of the Citie as wel for their nobilitie as their authoritie and renoume had done many good and gracious déedes to the Citie were in such sort condēned without order of iustice they greatly feared to come in the like dāger But forasmuch as fortune is common and mutable many of the people dispiteously agreued with the sayd Phocion spake al the oultrages viltanies against him they could reproching hym of many wicked acts déedes as people commonly doe which dissimule their anger against them in authoritie But when they see fortune turne hir saile that it otherwise hapneth then wil they without reason or measure in all despiteful crueltie vtter and shew forth their priuie griefe and pestiferous malice Not long after the condemned acording to the custome of the coūtrey dranke poyson and their carkaises were throwne without the limites and precinctes of Athens vnburied and this was their ende Polyspercon besiegeth Cassandre in Pyrey and perceiuing that he coulde not win it departeth thence and besiegeth the citie of Megalopolis where by the wisedome and policie of Demades he is at an assault repulsed The .xxix. Chapter DUring the time that these matters were done in Asia Antigone had sent Cassander with .xxxv. tall warlike gallies and foure thousand souldiours to saile into Pire whom Nichanor captaine of the Castle receiued and rendred to him the port and castle But as for Munichie Nicanor garded and helde that with his owne garrison When Polispercon who abode and continued in Phocide vnderstoode that Cassander had taken and enioyed Pire he came into the Countrey of Athens and encamped before Pire with twentie thousād Macedonians and foure thousand straungers and confederates and thrée score and fiue Elephantes and besieged the same But séeing the scarcitie and want of victuals and the siege like long to continue he left behind at the siege such number of Soldiours as the Countrey might wel vittell deputing for his lieuetenant Alexander his sonne and him selfe with the rest being the greater number entred Peloponess to the ende to force the Megalopolitanes to come vnder the obeisaunce of the Kings being greatly enclined to Cassander and the continuation of their Oligarchie to say the gouernement of certaine particular offices and dignities which Antipater had appointed them While Polispercon was about this enterprise Cassander with his Nauie hauing alliaunce with the Eginets went and besieged the Citie of Salamine his enimie And euery day with shot whereof he had foyson assaulteth the town bringing them in great hazarde and feare And being almost in despaire aide came from Polispercon bothe by sea and land Wherevpon Cassander was so daunted that he raised his siege and returned to Pire After that Polispercon meaning to set and order and stay about the affaires of Peloponese assembled before him the Deputies of all the Cities whom with gentle and gratious woordes he allured to ioyne with him and afterward sent his Ambassadoures to all the Cities commaunding them that they should sodainely kill all the gouernors appointed by Ptolome and restore the gouernement to the people Which commaundement the people incontinently obeyed so that there were great slaughters and banishmentes throughout the Cities of the friends of Antipater Then the commonaltie being restored to libertie and authoritie ioyned with Polispercon And bicause the Megalopolitames would not obey but still sticke to Cassander Polispercon fully determined to besiege them When they vnderstood his meaning and purpose they incontinently caused all their goodes in the Countrey to be brought into their towne and after mustered and tooke viewe of their people which were of Citizens and forainers about fiftene thousand besides their slaues all able men and deuided them into two bandes whereof some made rampiers and other workes some manned the walles so that at one instant they were all busied and occupied One companie ditched about the Towne an other companie carried woode and earth out of the fieldes to make the Rampiers other repaired and mended the walles where they were any thing at all decayed some forged harnaies and engines of Artillarie and on this sort was all the whole Citie occupied bicause that euery one was minded and disposed thereto for so muche as the power which came against them were men of inuincible courages and the Elephantes of great violence and might Not long after that they had brought all things into a readinesse and perfection Polispercon with his whole armie arriued before the same and on both sides besieged it On the one side encamped Macedonians and on the other side his allyes and straungers He builded also many Towers of woode hygher than the curten and wall and planted them in places conuenient and thrust into them
Momme except which Aristone kept the Citie of Amphipolis and Monime the Citie of Polle When Olympias see that one parte of the Macedonians had quite forsaken hir that y e rest were vnable to mainteyn help hir she went about to saue hir self hir friends in a Gally by sea which she caused to be sent for and brought to the Port. But Cassander being therof aduertised by one that fled out of the town tooke the sayd Gallie Whereupō the Queene despayring in hir affaires businesse sent Ambassadours to Cassāder to treat a peace But he séeing the necessitie wherein she stood and therfore meaning that she should yeld hir self to his curtesie he hardly graūted hir safe cōduct for hir owne person When Cassander had the citie rendred to him he incontinent sent certen of his men of warre to take Amphipolis and Polle Whereupon Monime Captayne of Polle vnderstanding the state of Olympias yelded without resistaunce But Aristone who was extréeme proude both of his great hande of men of warre as also for that he had a little before vanquished and ouercome Cratebas one of Cassanders Captaynes in battaill slayne a great parte of his armie subsecuted chased him through the countrey of Busalcie hard to the Citie of Bedine it besieged tooke by cōposition whom he after with .ij. thousand of his men besides sent away w t white roddes in their hands supposing that Eumenes had not ben yet dead and hoping that Polispercō and Alexander his sonne would come to ayde hym vtterly refused the yelding vp of the Citie of Amphipolis But after Olympias had written to him to render the Towne summoning him of his faith and allegiaunce he thought it best so to do and taking suertie for his persone gaue vp the same Notwithstanding Cassander cōsidering the great aucthoritie of Aristone by reason of Alexanders aduauncing him in his life and meaning to make quicke dispatch of so many as would or might any way let or hinder his affaires and doings caused Cratebas owne kinsfolkes to kill him He persuaded likewise all their friends which Olympias had put to death to accuse hir in the place of iudgement before the assemblie of the Macedonians which thing they did where the Macedonians in hir absence without patrone or Aduocate there to defend hir cause condemned hir to death wherupon after sentence and iudgement gyuen Cassander sent to hir certen of his friends persuading hir to flie promising to enbarque hir in a Gallie which should bring hir to the citie of Athens And this did he not for anie good will to saue hir but to the end she might by that meane voluntarily runne in exile and be drenched in the Sea so y t it might after haue ben said how by fortune of the sea and iudgemēt of the Goddes she was for hir cruell mischeuous and wicked déedes iustly punished Neuerthelesse she aunswered y t messangers that flie she would not nor yet refuse the iudgement of the Macedonians Which thing Cassander perceyuing he for feare that the people and assemblie of the men of warre would alter their determinations and minds when they vnderstood she was well able to purge hir of euery offence wherewith they would charge hir and should likewise reduce and call to memory the great good turnes and honour◠by them long before at the hands of Phillip and Alexander receiued sent CC. of his trustiest soldiers about him to kill hir Who with great violence entring the Palaice where she was were at the first sight so abashed with the Maiestie of hir face that they returned without doing hir any hurte But their kinsfolkes whom she caused to be slayne thinking to reuenge their deaths also to gratifie Cassander out of hande slew hir who neuer made woords or shewed any countenaunce of a woman dismayed or yet fainte harted In this sorte Olympias whiche in hir time hadde bene the most honorable Dame of the world Neoptoleme his daughter King of Epire Alexander his sister King of Epire who warred in Italy King Phillip his wyfe of Macedone the most puissaunt of all other which before him in Europe raigned Alexander his mother surnamed the great which hadde exployted the most notable and honorable warres that euer were worthie the writing and talke miserablie ended hir life ¶ After the death of Olympias Cassander espouseth Thessalonice Alexander the great his sister foundeth the Citie of Cassander And after he hath put in safe keeping Roxanne and Alexāder his sonne he goeth into the countrey of Beote and reedifieth the Citie of Thebes The .xx. Chapter WHen Cassander thus gloriously prosperously raigned he affected the realme of Macedon and the better to bring his purpose to passe espoused Thessalonice Phillip his daughter and Alexander his sister both by father and mother being always desirous to insinuate him selfe with the ligne royall He likewise in the countrey of Palene within the Region of Macedone found and built a citie named Cassandria and peopled it with inhabitaunts of the Cities of Cheronese and Potede and diuerse other villages about the same Citie and the remnaunt of the Olinthians By whiche meane also bycause of the great fertile territorie he laid and gaue thereto and by other ways he tooke wherewith on hand to enlarge and make it great The Citie in short time became so mightie and riche that it was named to be the greatest and worshipfullest amongs all the Cities of Macedone Nowe had Cassander purposed to put to death Alexander his sonne and Roxanne his mother to the end there shoulde no more of Alexanders ligne remayne on liue But before he would execute this execrable murder he stayed first to vnderstand what the Macedonians thought of the death of Olympias what talke was emongs them togither what Antigone did in Asie Wherefore he all that while caused Roxanne and hir sonne to be brought into the Castle of Amphipolis and charged Glaucias Captayne thereof and one whome he greatly trusted with the kéeping of them commaunding him to vse and treat them no other wayes but as common persones laying al princilie honours and dignities towardes them aparte and to put away all the children which had ben brought vp with the said Sonne of Alexander as his playe fellowes After that he tooke vppon him the aucthoritie and gouernement as King and caused solemne exequies for Euridice and Phillip whome Olympias had made be murdred to be celebrated with great pompe and solemnitie entombed them in a tombe royall with y e Kings their predecessours making sports and pastimes at those dayes accustomed That done he leuied a great numbre of men of warre in the countrey of Macedone to go into Peloponese While Cassander was thus occupied and that Polispercon who laye besieged in the Citie of Naxe in the Region of Perrheby vnderstood of Olympias death apperceyuing no lōger hope for him to take in hand to rule the affaires of Macedone priuilie
¶ A RIGHTE noble and pleasant History of the Successors of Alexander surnamed the Great taken out of Diodorus Siculus and some of their liues written by the wise Plutarch Translated out of French into Englysh by Thomas Stocker Imprinted at London by Henrie Bynneman dwelling in Knightrider streat at the signe of the Mermayd for Humfrie Toy ANNO DOMINI 1569. TO THE RIGHT honourable his verie good Lord Lord Ambrose Dudley Earle of Warwyck Baron Lisle of the right honorable order of the garter Knight and M. of the ordinaunce to the Queenes most excellent Maiestie AS of late came vnto my handes right honourable and my very good Lord this Booke entituled the Historie of the successors of AlexaÌ„der surnamed the great written in the Greeke tong by Diodore the Sicilian and translated into Frenche by M. Claude of Seissell sometime M. of the Requestes to the most Christian King Lewis the xij of that name and to him addressed I was when I had ouer read and well considered the same maruellously rauished and earnestly wished it hadde bene published in our vulgare tong that many others might vnderstand it Bycause as me thinketh it is both noble and pleasaunt as well for the noueltie of the Historie as also for the varietie and stile which is right propre and such one as apperteyneth and chiefly belongeth to a very good Historian wherein is shewed the vncerteintie of fortune whiche maruellously may serue and helpe to read and consider the worldly happes heretofore to great Kings Princes and Nobles chaunced who sometime were in great dignitie and had high authoritie and wonderful prosperitie Wherby in seeing after great felicitie and maruellous prosperitie the straunge aduersitie and miserie whiche happened them and the continual chaunge of their estates and aduentures may more and more be vnderstood the instabilitie and imperfection of wordly matters And chiefly in those great and honorable personages the successors of Alexander the great by whome is most declared the inconstancie of all things subiect to alteration and chaunge and where Fortune to speake after the vulgare opinion hath best shewed the power and auctoritie Whiche Booke when I hadde finished I aduised me to what honorable and Martiall personage I might fitliest addresse it And as I aboade in this imagination I at last called to remembrance your late noble progenitor who in facts of warre and Martiall pollicies surmounted in these our dayes the more parte of this noble Realme of Englande And forthwith considering that your honoure is he who in those noble vertues rightly representeth the very liuely Image of your most noble progenitor and also vnderstanding your affabilitie and naturall inclination to all suche as haue delight therein I am therefore all these things considered the rather enboldened to take on hande to dedicate this the firste fruite of my trauell vnto your honour Most humbly beseching the same that it woulde vouchsafe to take in worth thys small present and gifte and to consider rather the harte and good will of the giuer who desireth nothing more than to do you seruice agreable than the value or qualitie of the present very small and in a rude stile to dedicate vnto so Noble a personage And bycause the sayd Claude of Seissell would not that this sayde Historie shoulde remayne imperfect to leaue the Reader in doubt of the ende and issue of the warres begonne by Antigone the great and Demetre his sonne against al the rest of the Kings and Princes successors of Alexander in those dayes somewhat touched in the beginning of the third Boke by the sayd Diodore he hath therefore taken out of the wise Plutarche the remnaunte in the life of Demetre vnto his death in whose tyme were almoste all the great and notable factes of warre worthie memorie exployted and done Wherefore in reuoluing the sayd Historie with iudgement and to the ende it is translated there may in my opinion some commoditie and profit be receyued For as touching the course of worldly things may be sene the Stratagemes and pollicies in the facts of war togither many sundry and diuerse battailles sieges and enterprises verie pleasaunt to read and heare wherein may also be lerned many things apperteyning to that arte And farther as concerning the morall direction of mannes life there may besides be founde both by learning and examples manie goodly documentes And chiefely that whiche is moste meete and becomming a noble personage whereof he is called Magnanimus that he shoulde not for any prosperitie whiche happeneth him be ouer high minded nor yet for any aduersitie he hath or might chaunce him lose hys harte courage or hope whiche things wholly seruing to the perfection of man in this present life and consisteth in the habitude and operation of Morall vertues and also to the perfection of the soule ordering and appointing the latter ende and intentioÌ„ to the euerlasting blisse which god of hys infinite goodnesse and grace graunt your honour and vs al after the course of this present life Your honours most humble at commaundement Tho. Stocker ¶ The first Booke of the successours of Alexander surnamed the great wrytten by Diodore the Sicilian in the Greeke tongue and after Translated into the French by Claude of Seisel sometime a Counsailour and maister of the Requests to IEWES the twelfth of that name then the FRENCH King And now Englished from the FRENCH By THOMAS STOCKER The Prologe PYTHAGORAS the Samian and diuers other graue and wise Philosophers haue taught lefte in writing that the soules of men are immortal and the more strongly to approue and verify their opion and iudgement therin they affirme that wheÌ„ the soules depart the bodyes that they haue the prescience and foreknowledge of things to come Thereunto also accordeth the famous Poet Homer as appeareth by his introducing of Hector who a little before he died prognosticated the death of Achilles which shortly after ensued The like also of later dayes hath bene wel noted knowne in many that died who at the hour of their deathes prophecied what should happen and chiefly confirmed in Alexander surnamed the greatâ— his death King of Macedone For he lying at Babilon vpon his death bed being by his friends asked in the very extréeme and laste article of death to whom he would leaue his Realme and royal dignities answered to the most worthy the gouernement thereof For I ê™ he foresée that in stead of my sepulture and funeral my friends are determined to moue open hostilitie warrs which in déede soone after came to passe For the greatest most honorable his friends striuing for the principalitie and gouernment were the causes of many great conflicts Al which matters together with the deedes and gestes of hys said successours shall be contained in this present Booke and be made manifest and plain to al studious learned which wil read and desire to vnderstand the same For the booke precedent treateth of the Noble and worthy déedes of Alexander
citie pale mele which then was riche and opulent and vntill that tyme reputed and taken to be verie strong inexpugnable ¶ Alexander King of Macedone praying Demetre his ayde goeth about to betraye him but in the ende him selfe according to his demerite is by Demetre with suche lyke practize slayne whome the Macedonians after receyue and honour as their King The .iiij. Chapter WHen I haue throughly cōsidered the great mutations and chaunges of fortune which happened Demetre he of all the reste of the Kings in my iudgement was by fortunes inconstancie most vexed and tossed both in peace and warre For oftentimes she aduaunced him to great glorie and prosperitie gyuing him mightie armies notable victories and a large realme and Dominion And at an other time frō great prosperitie and power soon after by the losse of one battail she ageyne brought him almost into extréeme calamitie and miserie Who being in this estate and considering the varietie of instable Fortune recited they say these Uerses of Eschine following Fortune once thou didst me set in hye estate And in short tyme as lowe didst me mate As to him then happened For hauing prosperous successe in the countrey of Peloponnese newes were brought him that his cities confederate in Asie could no longer hold out Lysimache his puisaunce who persecuted them And that if he the sooner came not to the ayde of the Isle of Cypres King Ptolome would subdue and take it Moreouer that his wife and children were in the Citie of Salamine besieged in great daunger of taking By reason of which newes he was forced to raise his siege frō Sparte and prouide for the foresaid mischiefs But as the womā according to Archilocke the Poet carrieth in one hand water and in the other fire euen so playeth Fortune with Demetre For so soone as he was departed frō the countrey of Laconie as aforesaid sodēly other newes came whiche put hym ageyne in good hope to exployte many notable things And firste it is to be vnderstoode that Cassander not lōg before was departed this world by reason whereof the realme stood in controuersie betwene the other two brethren the elder of which hight Alexander and the other Antipater Whiche Antipater after he had killed their mother Thessalonicke persecuted Alexander thinking to haue chased and expulsed him the realme who finding him self of no force in the countrey sent oute for ayde to King Pyrrhe in Cypres and to Demetre in Peloponnese Howbeit Demetre was so occupied about the estate and affaires of Peloponnese whē the Ambassadoures of Alexander came that he could by no meane helpe him In the meane tyme Pyrrhe with a mightie power came thyther in recompence of his aide and charge tooke possession of so large a piece of y t countrey of Macedone ioyning to his realme of Epyre that Alexander greatly dreaded him And while he aboade in this feare he was aduertised that Demetre whose helpe he had before required was with his whole armie comming thyther to ayde him whereuppon he considering his authoritie and great renowme and the worthinesse of his déedes and actes for whiche he was honoured and had in great admiration of the whole worlde did nowe more than before feare his estate if he entred hys realme Wherefore he went to méete him whome at their first méeting he right courteouslie and honorably entreated greatly thanking him of his curtesie trauel in that he would leaue his owne affaires of great importaunce and with so mightie an armie to come and ayde him He farther told him that he had already well quieted and established hys affaires and estate so that he should not néede any farther to trauaill Neuerthelesse he thought him so much bound as if he had come at his first sending for or that al things by his meane had bene appeased and quieted To these wordes Demetre curteouslie aunswered that he was of his quietnesse right glad and that he had now no néede of his helpe besides many other louing and gentle wordes whiche gréeting ended eyther of them for that night returned into hys Pauilion During this time arose such matters betwen them that the one greatly suspected the other For as Demetre was by Alexander bidden to supper he was willed to take good héed to him bycause that Alexander had practized by treason to slea him Notwithstanding he by no meane shewed any contenaunce of mistrust but ment to go to the banquet to whose lodging Alexāder was cōming to bring him on his way but he diuersly detracted the time went a soft and treatable pace to the end his souldiors might haue leasure to arme thē and commaunded his gard being a greater number than Alexanders to enter with him and also to wayte néere his person When Alexanders Souldiours sée them the weaker companie they durst not once attempt it And after they hadde supped bycause Demetre woulde haue some honest occasion to departe he fayned him to be something yll disposed in his body and therfore forth w e tooke leaue of Alexander and went thence The nexte day in the morning Demetre fayning that he had receyued certen newes sent word vnto him that he was aduertised of matters of great importaunce that he must of necessitie with hys armie returne into Peloponnese praying Alexander to haue him excused Neuerthelesse he offred him his ayde and helpe whensoeuer he néeded and desired him to vse him as one in whom he might repose and put his whole trust With whiche message the yong Alexander who greatly doubted him before he came and muche more after hys comming was nowe maruellous gladde that of hys owne accorde he returned out of his Realme and Dominions And bycause he would better let him vnderstande some signe of the acknowledging of his good will and loue he accompanied him into Thessaly But after they were arriued in the citie of Larisse they a freshe began to practise new treasons one against an other And firste Alexander to put Demetre quite out of suspicion withoute armoure or garde visited him hoping to make him do the like but he was in his so thinking greatly deceyued And as Alexander one night according to his accustomed woonte came to supper to Demetre without company and that they were in the chief of their supper Demetre sodenly arose from the table whereat Alexander was so sore abashed that he arose and followed him to the Haldore But so soone as Demetre was withoute he gaue signe token to his Souldiours who incontinent fell vppon Alexander and slewe him and certen of his men whiche would haue defended him among whome one as he was killed saide Demetre hath preuented vs but a daye onely With this slaughter were the Macedonians all that night and the next daye in the morning maruelously astonied and in great feare For séeing to oultrage was to no purpose and that Demetre after Alexander his death was very strong to bring his purpose
to passe before they vnderstood what he would do they durst not trust him nor yeld vntill such time as Demetre sent to them certen of his men which in his behalfe sayde that they néeded not to feare him for it was not his will to do them any hurte but prayed them to come to him and then he woulde shewe them a good reason why he hadde done that he dyd Whereupon the Macedonians ioyed that they were deliuered of that feare and daunger Wherfore they went all togyther vnto him and without gyuing eare or attending his oration salued him as their King and néedes would bring him into Macedon Of this chaunge was all the countrey maruelous glad for they so mortally hated Cassander for the cruell facts and great villanies by hym against the great King Alexander and his ligne after his death committed and also for the great oultrage and impious murder whiche Antipater Cassander his sonne had vsed towards his mother Thessalonicke that they desired nothing so much as a new King By reason whereof Demetre was of al the Macedonians generally well liked Ageyne his wife Phile and the children he had by hir so much renewed liuely reuyued the Image and likenesse of the good olde Antipater hir father that they reputed Demetre the verie true and vndoubted successour and heire to the sayde Realme ¶ Seleuke through a fatherly loue remitteth to Antioche his sonne his owne wife Stratonice daughter to Demetre and gyueth to them in title and name of the realme all the hier Prouinces The .v. Chapter THe same season that these things were exployted in Madecone Demetre had newes that his wife children besieged at Salamine were by Ptolome deliuered and with great honours and presentes sent awaye And soone after it was throughout al the coastes of Asie bruted that Stratonice Demetre his daughter whome Seleuke had married was diuorsed and espoused to Antioche his sonne and therfore by the people of the heir Prouinces receyued and named Quéene as followeth While Antioche laye and aboade in the house and companie of Seleuke his father he so muche haunted and frequented the cōpanie of Stratonice his mother in law being then yong maruelous faire and beautifull and had had also a childe by the sayde Seleuke in processe of time became so enamoured and rauished that daye and night his mynde wholy ranne on hir whereby he was so troubled fel into such weakenesse y ◠to euery mans sight he dried and consumed awaye and so muche the more gréeued it him bicause what for shame as also for the reuerence and naturall loue he bare his Father he durst neuer discouer it to any in the worlde Wherfore séeing his maladie dayly vexe and trouble him and no hope of remedie he to be deliuered of that so gréeuous a martirdome tooke vppon him a quicke dispatche more necessarie than holsome He determined to feine hym sicke and vnder that colour to absteyne from meate whereby to being him selfe so féeble and weake that as then death must followe But after Erasistrate at those days a great Doctor in Phisicke whome Seleuke before all other had sent for to cure his sonne by his statue other wayes well considered what disease this yong Prince might haue he at last apperceiued it only to proceede of loue but for whome he knew not Wherefore he diligently and circumspectly marked and noted al the partes of his body which are woont to moue whē a man in amours séeth that he loueth And with great care watched when he sée any of the yong and faire Ladies Damosels of the house come to visite him But he could by no meanes perceyue that for any of them who often had recourse vnto him as it had ben moste reason that eyther he moued or chaunged his countenaunce but only when Stratonice entred with Seleuke And thē he was so sodenly taken that he as it were loste hys speache waxed very red his pulse vehemently beat a fine and subtill sweat running throughout all his body and in effect appeared in him all the accidentes that men gather to be in them which are in loue and after by little and little lost his senses waxing very pale and wanne ouer all the body By these signes knewe Erasistrate clerely that it was Stratonice whom the yong Prince loued and none other Notwithstanding fearing the angre and displeasure of◠his father and the daunger he might incurre if he discouered the case determined rather to leaue the sonne in that daūger whatsoeuer should come on him than to open the secret to the Father and putte his persone and life in hazard Howbeit after certen dayes when he see the great loue that Seleuke bare hys sonne and the malancolie he was in daye and night for his sicknesse he determined to bord and tel him and by some subtill meane and swéet vaine to feed his humour concerning his sonne Wherfore one daye he came vnto him and spake in this sorte Knowe Sir King that the mortall dysease which infesteth thy sonne is no dysease in the bodye whatsoeuer they saye but only an ardent desire in loue And paraduenture it were better for me to hold my peace and kéepe it close than to reueale and tell it thée considering there is for him no remedy Whereat King Seleuke all astonied and abashed of the matter said vnto him Now I praye thée my friend tell me ◠ow the case standeth And if my sonne haue none other dysease but amoures is it not possible to find remedie Are we so vnprouided of wyt and wealth that we can no waye remedie it Finallie after long talke betwene them Erasistrate feining him to be sore troubled said Know Sir King that it is my wyfe on whom he is enamoured Whiche wordes Seleuke hearing w t warme teares trickling down hys chéekes embraced instauntly desired him to helpe that poore yong man and not suffer him wilfully to perishe considering it was he in whome consisted all his ioye and hope to whome the whole realme should lineally descend and in whome all the people and nations vnder his subiection hadde their expectation and hope And that after his death there remayned for him none other comforte but likewise present death without redemption Certes Sir King quod Erasistrate you speake this all on pleasure but admit he were as amorous of Stratonice as he is of my wife peraduenture you would then be of an other opinion Now I would it pleased the Goddes quod Seleuke it were so and that I could alter and chaunge that loue of thy wife to myne For I take all the Goddes to witnesse that if all the things whiche I holde moste déere in this world were togyther I would gyue them al for the sauegard of my sonnes life Then Erasistrate seeing hys maruelous affection and wéeping so tenderly tooke him by the hande and began thus to saye Nowe haste thou Sir King no more néede of my ayde for being a King