know the resolution of the generals. This was not allowed, but they called heralds from the coast, and after several messages, a Lacedæmonian advanced forward, and cried aloud, that they were permitted to treat with the enemy, provided they did not submit to dishonourable terms. Upon this they held a conference, after which they surrendered at discretion, and were kept till the next day. The Athenians then raising a trophy, and restoring the Lacedæmonians their dead, embarked for their own country, after distributing the prisoners among the several ships, and committing the guard of them to the captain of the galleys. In this battle 128 Lacedæmonians fell out of 420, which was their number at first; so that there survived not quite 300, 120 of whom were Spartans, that is, inhabitants of the city of Sparta. The siege of the island, to compute from the beginning of it, including the time employed in the truce, had lasted 72 days. They all now left Pylus; and Cleon's promise, though so vain and rash, was found literally true. But the most surprising circumstance was the capitulation that had been made; for it was believed that the Lacedæmonians, so far from surrendering their arms, would die sword in hand. Being come to Athens, they were ordered to remain prisoners till a peace should be concluded, provided the Lacedæmonians did not make any incursions into their country, for that then they should all be put to death. The Messenians of Naupactus, who had formerly possessed it, sent thither the flower of their youth, who very much infested the Lacedæmonians by their incursions; and as these Messenians spoke the language of the country, they prevailed with a great number of slaves to join them. The Lacedæmonians dreading a greater evil, sent deputations to Athens, but to no purpose; the Athenians being too much elated with their prosperity, and especially their late success, to listen to any terms. * In the seventh year of the Peloponnesian war, Artaxerxes sent to the Lacedæmonians an ambassador named Artaphernes, with a letter written in the Assyrian language, in which he said, that he had received many embassies from them, but the purport of them all differed so widely, that he could not comprehend in any manner what it was they requested that in this uncertainty, he had thought proper to send a Persian, to acquaint them that if they had any proposal to make, they should send a person in whom they could confide along with him, from whom he might be exactly informed in what they desired. This ambassador arriving at Eion on the river Strymon in Thrace, was there taken prisoner about the close of this year, by one of the admirals of the Athenian fleet, who sent him to Athens. He was treated with the utmost civility and respect; the Athenians being extremely desirous of recovering the favour of the king his master. The year following, as soon as the season would permit the Athenians to put to sea, they sent the ambassador back in one of their ships at the public expence; and appointed some of their citizens to wait upon him to the court of Persia, in quality of ambassadors. Upon landing at Ephesus, they were informed that Artaxerxes was dead; whereupon the Athenian ambassadors, thinking it not advisable to proceed farther after this news, took leave of Artaphernes, and returned to their own country. * Thucyd. 1. iv. p. 285, 286. BOOK VIII. THE HISTORY OF THE PERSIANS AND GRECIANS, CONTINUED DURING THE REIGNS OF XERXES II. OF SOGDIANUS, AND OF DARIUS NOTHUS. CHAPTER I. THIS HIS chapter contains 13 years of the Peloponnesian war, to the 19th inclusively. SECTION I. THE VERY SHORT REIGNS OF XERXES II. AND SOGDIANUS, &e. ARTAXERXES died about the beginning of the 49th year of his reign.* Xerxes, who succeeded him, was the only son which the queen his wife brought him but he had 17 others by his concubines, among whom were Sogdianus (who is called Secondianus by Ctesias,) Ochus, and Arsites. + Sogdianus, in concert with Pharnacias, one of Xerxes' eunuchs, came insididiously, one festival day, to the new king, who, after drinking too immoderately, was retired to his chamber, in order to give the fumes of the wine he had drank time to evaporate; where he killed him without any difficulty, after he had reigned but 45 days; and was declared king in his stead. He was scarce on the throne, but he put to death Bagorazus, the most faithful of his father's eunuchs. It was he who had been appointed to superintend the interment of Artaxerxes, and of the queen, Xerxes' mother, who died the same day with her royal consort. After having deposited the two bodies in the mausoleum, where the kings of Persia were interred, he found at his return Sogdianus on the throne, who did not receive him favourably, upon account of some difference with him in the lifetime of his father. But the new king did not stop here; not long after he took an opportunity to quarrel with him on some trifling circumstance relating to the obsequies of his father, and caused him to be stoned. * A. M. 3579. † A. M. 3580. Ant. J. C 426. Ctes. c. xlvii-li. Diod. 1. xii. p. 115. By these two murders, that of his brother Xerxes and of Bagorazus, he became the horror of the army and nobility, so that he did not think himself safe on a throne, to which he had forced his way by such horrid murders. He suspected that his brothers harboured the like design; and Ochus, to whom his father had left the government of Hyrcania, was the chief object of his suspicion. Accordingly he sent for him, with the intention of getting him murdered as soon as he arrived. However Ochus, who saw through his design, delayed coming upon various pretences; which he continued till he advanced at the head of a strong army, which he openly declared he would employ to revenge the death of his brother Xerxes. This declaration brought over to him a great number of the nobility, and several governours of the provinces, they being justly dissatisfied at Sogdianus' cruelty and ill conduct. They put the tiara on Ochus' head, and proclaimed him king. Sogdianus, seeing himself abandoned in this manner, was as mean and cowardly in the slight defence he made to maintain his crown, as he had before been unjust and barbarous in usurping it. Contrary to the advice of his best friends, and the wisest persons who still adhered to him, he concluded a treaty with his brother, who getting him into his hands, caused him to be thrown into ashes, where he died a cruel death. * This was a kind of punishment peculiar to the Persians, and exercised only on great criminals. One of the largest towers was filled to a certain height with ashes. The criminal then was thrown headlong from the top of the tower into them; after which the ashes were by a wheel turned perpetually round him till he was suffocated. Thus this wicked prince lost his life and empire, which he enjoyed six months and fifteen days. Ochus, by the death of Sogdianus, now saw himself possessed of the empire. As soon as he was well settled in it, he changed * his name from Ochus to that of Darius. To distinguish him, historians add the epithet Nobos, signifying bastard. He reigned 19 years. Arsites, seeing in what manner Sogdianus had supplanted Xerxes, and had himself been dethroned by Ochus, meditated to serve the latter in the same manner. Though he was his brother by the father's as well as the mother's side, he openly revolted against him, and was assisted in it by Artyphius, son of Megabysus. Ochus, whom hereafter we shall always calf Darius, sent Artasyras, one of his generals, against Artyphius; and himself at the head of another army, marched against Arsites. Artyphius with the Grecian troops in his pay, defeated twice the general sent against him. But engaging a third time, the Greeks were corrupted, and he himself was beat and forced to surrender, upon his being flattered with hopes that a pardon would be granted him. The king would have had him put to death, but was diverted from that resolution by queen Parysatis, Darius' sister and queen. She also was the daughter of Artaxerxes, but not by the same mother as Darius: she was an intriguing artful woman, and the king her husband was governed by her on most occasions. The counsel she now gave was perfidious to the last degree. She advised him to exercise his clemency towards Artyphius, and show him kind usage, in order that his brother might hope, when he heard of his treating a rebellious servant with so much generosity, that he himself should meet at least with as mild treatment, and thereby be prompted to lay down his arms. She added, that when once he should have seized that prince, he might dispose of him and Artyphius as he pleased. Darius followed her counsel, which proved suc Val. Max. l. ix. c. ii. 2 Maccab. c. xiii. 1. iii. A. M. 8581. Ant. J. C. 123. cessful. Arsites being informed of the gentle usage which Artyphius met with, concluded, that as he was the king's brother, he should consequently meet with more indulgent treatment; and with this hope he concluded a treaty, and surrendered himself. Darius was very much inclined to save his life; but Parysatis, by inculcating to him that he ought to punish this rebel to secure himself, at last prevailed with him to put his brother to death, and accordingly he was suffocated in ashes with Artyphius. However, Darius had a violent struggle with himself, before he could give orders for this sacrifice, having a very tender affection for his brother. He afterwards put some other persons to death; which executions did not procure him the tranquillity he had expected from them; for his reign was afterwards disturbed with such violent commotions, that he enjoyed but little repose. * One of the most dangerous commotions was occasioned by the rebellion of Pisuthnes, who being governour of Lydia, wanted to throw off his allegiance to the Persian empire, and make himself king in his province. What flattered him with the hopes of succeeding in this attempt, was, his having raised a considerable body of Grecian troops, under the command of Lycon the Athenian. Darius sent Tissaphernes against this rebel, and gave him with a considerable army, the commission of governour of Lydia, of which he was to dispossess Pisuthnes. Tissaphernes, who was an artful man, and capable of acting in all characters, found means of tampering with the Greeks under Pisuthnes; and by dint of presents and promises, brought over the troops with their general to his party. Pisuthnes, who by this desertion was unable to carry on his designs, surrendered upon his being flattered with the hopes of obtaining his pardon; but the instant he was brought before the king, he was sentenced to be suffocated in ashes, and accordingly met with the same fate as the rest of the rebels. But his death did not put an end to all troubles; † for Amonges his son, with the remainder of his army, still opposed Tissaphernes; and for two years laid waste the maritime provinces of Asia Minor, till he at last was taken by the Greeks of Peloponnesus, in lasus, a city of Ionia, and delivered up by the inhabitants to Tissaphernes, who put him to death. Darius was involved in fresh troubles by one of his eunuchs. This kind of officers had for many years engrossed all power in the court of Persia; and we shall find, by the sequel of this history, that they always governed absolutely in it. We may know their character, and the danger to which they expose princes, by the picture which Dioclesian, after he had resigned the empire, and reduced himself to a private station of life, drew of freedmen, who had gained a like ascendant over the Roman emperors. "Four or five persons," says he, "who are closely united, and resolutely "determined to impose on a prince, may do it very easily. They never "show things to him but in such a light as they are sure will please. They "conceal whatever would contribute to enlighten him; and as they only besiege him continually, he cannot be informed of any thing but "through their channel, and does nothing but what they think fit to sug"gest to him. Hence it is that he bestows employments on those he ought "to exclude from them; and, on the other side, removes from offices such persons as are most worthy of filling them. In a word, the best prince "is often sold by these men, though he be ever so vigilant, and even sus *A. M. 3590. Ant. J. C. 414. Ctes. c. li. + Thucyd. I. viii. p. 554-568. Vopis. in vit. Aurelian. Imper. VOL. II. 20 Ctes. c. lii. picious of them. Quid multa? Ut Diocletianus ipse dicebat, bonus, cau"tus, optimus venditur imperator." In this manner was Darius' court governed. Three eunuchs had usurped all power in it ;* an infallible mark that a government is bad, and the prince of little merit. But one of those three eunuchs, whose name was Artoxares, presided over, and governed the rest. He had found Darius' weak side, by which he insinuated himself into his confidence. He had studied all his passions, to know how to indulge them, and govern his prince by their means. He plunged him continually in pleasures and amusements, to engross his whole authority to himself. In fine, under the name and protection of queen Parysatis, to whose will and pleasure he was the most devoted of slaves, he disposed of all the affairs of the empire, and nothing was transacted but by his orders. Intoxicated by the supreme authority, which the favour of his sovereign gave him, he resolved to make himself king, instead of being prime minister; and accordingly formed a design to get Darius out of the way, and afterwards ascend the throne. However, his plot being discovered, he was seized and delivered up to Parysatis, who put him to a most ignominious and cruel death. But the greatest misfortune which happened in Darius' reign, was the revolt of the Egyptians. This terrible blow fell out the same year with Pisuthnes' rebellion. But Darius could not reduce Egypt as he had done that rebel. The Egyptians, weary of the Persian government, flocked from all parts to Amyrtæus of Sais, who at last was come out of the fens where he had defended himself, from the suppression of the revolt of Inarus. The Persians were drove out, and Amyrtæus proclaimed king of Egypt, where he reigned six years. After having established himself securely on the throne, and entirely expelled the Persians out of Egypt, he prepared to pursue them as far as Phoenicia, and had already concerted measures with the Arabians, to attack them in that country. News of this being brought to the king of Persia, he recalled the fleet which he had promised the Lacedæmonians, to employ it in the defence of his own dominions. Whilst Darius was carrying on the war in Egypt and Arabia, the Medes rebelled; however they were defeated, and reduced to their allegiance by force of arms. To punish them for this revolt, their yoke, till then easy enough, was made heavier: a fate that rebellious subjects always experience, when the government, which they endeavoured to throw off, gains the upper hand. || Darius' arms seem to have had the like success against the Egyptians. Amyrtæus dying after he had reigned six years (he possibly was killed in a battle,) Herodotus observes, it was by the assistance of the Persians that Pausiris his son succeeded him in the throne. To effect this, they must either have been masters of Egypt, or their party the strongest in that kingdom. After having crushed the rebels in Media, and restored the affairs of Egypt to their former situation, Darius gave Cyrus, the youngest of his sons, the supreme command of all the provinces of Asia Minor: an important commission, by which he commanded all the provincial governours in that part of the empire. I thought it necessary to anticipate times, and draw together the facts *Seis præcipuum esse indicium non magni principis, magnos libertos. Plin. ad Trajan. Euseb. in Chron. Herod. I. iii. c. 15. Thucyd. 1. i. p. 72, 73. |