A. M. 3845.

J.

Attalus II. espoused Stratonice his brother's widow, and took extraordinary care of his nephew, Ant.C. to whom he left the crown, after he had worn it twenty-one years.

159.

A. M.

3866.

Ant. J. C.

138.

Attalus III. surnamed Philometer, distinguished himself by his barbarous and extravagant conduct. He died after he had reigned five years, and bequeathed his riches and dominions to the Romans. Aristonicus, who claimed the succession, endeavoured to defend his pretensions against the Romans, but the kingdom of Pergamus was reduced, Ant. J. C. after a war of four years, into a Roman province.

Kings of Pontus.

THE kindgom of Pontus in Asia Minor was anciently dismembered from the monarchy of Persia, by Darius the son of Hystaspes, in favour of Artabazus, who is said, by some historians, to have been the son of one of those Persian lords who conspired against the Magi.

Pontus is a region of Asia Minor, situated partly along the coast of the Euxine sea (Pontus Euxinus), from which it derives its name. It extends from the river Halys, as far as Colchis. Several princes reigned in that country since Artabazus.

A. M. 3871.

133.

A. M.

3600.

The sixth monarch was Mithridates I. who is properly considered as the founder of the kingdom Ant. J.C. of Pontus, and his name was assumed by the generality of his successors.

He was succeeded by his son Ariobarzanes, who had governed Phrygia under Artaxerxes Mnemon: he reigned twenty-six years.

His successor was Mithridates II. Antigonus suspecting, in consequence of a dream, that he favoured Cassander, had determined to destroy him, but he eluded the danger by flight. This prince was called Krions or the Founder, and reigned thirty-five years.

404.

A. M. 3641. Ant. J. C.

363.

A. M.

3667.

Ant. J. C.

337.

A. M.

Mithridates III. who succeeded him, added 3702. Cappadocia and Paphlagonia to his dominions, and reigned thirty-six years.

302.

A. M. 3819.

After the reigns of two other kings, Mithridates IV. the great-grandfather of Mithridates the Great, ascended the throne, and espoused a daughter of Seleucus Callinicus, king of Syria, by whom he had Laodice, who was married to Antiochus the Great.

He was succeeded by his son Pharnaces, who had some disagreement with the kings of Pergamus. Ant. J. C. He made himself master of Sinope, which afterwards became the capital of the kingdom of Pontus.

185.

A. M. 3880.

After him reigned Mithridates V. surnamed Euergetes, the first who was called the friend of the Romans, because he had assisted them against the Carthaginians in the third Punic war.

He was succeeded by his son Mithridates VI. surnamed Eupator. This is the great Mithridates Ant. J. C. who sustained so long a war with the Romans: he reigned sixty-six years.

124.

A. M.

3682.

Kings of Cappadocia.

STRABO informs us, that Cappadocia was divided into two Satrapies, or governments, under the Persians, as it also was under the Macedonians. The maritime part of Cappadocia formed the kingdom of Pontus: the other tracts constituted Cappadocia properly so called, or Cappadocia Major, which extended along mount Taurus, and to a great distance beyond it.

When Alexander's captains divided the provinces of his empire among themselves, Cappadocia was Ant. J. C. governed by a prince named Ariarathes, Perdiccas attacked and defeated him, after which he caused him to be slain.

322.

His son Ariarathes re-entered the kingdom of his father some time after this event, and esta

a Strab. 1. xii. p. 534.

blished himself so effectually, that he left it to his posterity.

The generality of his successors assumed the same name, and will have their place in the series of the history.

Cappadocia, after the death of Archelaus, the last of its kings, became a province of the Roman empire, as the rest of Asia also did much about the same time.

Kings of Armenia.

ARMENIA, a vast country of Asia, extending on each side of the Euphrates, was conquered by the Persians; after which it was transferred, with the rest of the empire, to the Macedonians, and at last fell to the share of the Romans. It was governed for a great length of time by its own kings, the most considerable of whom was Tigranes, who espoused the daughter of the great Mithridates, king of Pontus, and was also engaged in a long war with the Romans. This kingdom supported itself many years, between the Roman and Parthian empires, sometimes depending on the one and sometimes on the other, till at last the Romans became its masters.

Kings of Epirus.

EPIRUS is a province of Greece, separated from Thessaly and Macedonia by mount Pindus. The most powerful people of this country were the Molossians.

The kings of Epirus pretended to derive their descent from Pyrrhus, the son of Achilles, who established himself in that country; and called themselves acides, from Eacus, the grandfather of Achilles.

The genealogy of the latter kings, who were the only sovereigns of this country of whom any

Diod. 1. xvi. p. 465. Justin. l. viii. c. 6. Plut. in Pyrrho.

VOL. I.

accounts remain, is variously related by authors, and consequently must be doubtful and obscure.

Arymbas ascended the throne, after a long succession of kings; and as he was then very young, the states of Epirus, who were sensible that the welfare of the people depends on the proper education of their princes, sent him to Athens, which Iwas the residence and centre of all the arts and sciences, in order to cultivate, in that excellent school, such knowledge as was necessary to form the mind of a king. He there learned the art of reigning, and * as he surpassed all his ancestors in ability and knowledge, he was in consequence infinitely more esteemed and beloved by his people than they had been. When he returned from Athens, he made laws, established a senate and magistracy, and regulated the form of the govern

ment.

Neoptolemus, whose daughter Olympias had espoused Philip king of Macedon, attained an equal share in the regal government with Arymbas his elder brother, by the influence of his son-in-law. After the death of Arymbas, Eacides, his son, ought to have been his successor; but Philip had still sufficient influence to procure his expulsion from the kingdom by the Molossians, who established Alexander, the son of Neoptolemus, sole monarch of Epirus.

Alexander espoused Cleopatra, the daughter of Philip, and marched with an army into Italy, where he lost his life in the country of the Bru

tians.

Eacides then ascended the throne, and reigned without any associate in Epirus. He espoused Phthia, the daughter of Menon the Thessalian, by whom he had two daughters, Deidamia and Troias, and one son, the celebrated Pyrrhus.

* Quanto doctior majoribus, tanto et gratior populo fuit. Justin. 1. xvii. c. 3.

As he was marching to the assistance of Olympias, his troops mutinied against him, condemned him to exile, and slaughtered most of his friends. Pyrrhus, who was then an infant, happily escaped this massacre.

Neoptolemus, a prince of the blood, but whose particular extraction is little known, was placed on the throne by the people of Epirus.

Pyrrhus, being recalled by his subjects at the age of twelve years, first shared the sovereignty with Neoptolemus; but having afterwards divested him of his dignity, he reigned alone.

This history will treat of the various adventures of this prince. He died in the city Argos, in an attack to make himself master of it.

Helenus, his son, reigned after him for some time in Epirus, which was afterwards united to the Roman empire.

Tyrants of Heraclea.

HERACLEA is a city of Pontus, anciently founded by the Boeotians, who sent a colony into that country by the order of an oracle.

When the Athenians, having conquered the Persians, had imposed a tribute on the cities of Greece and Asia Minor, for the fitting out and support of a fleet intended for the defence of the common liberty, the inhabitants of Heraclea, in consequence of their attachment to the Persians, were the only people who refused to acquiesce in so just a contribution. Lamachus was therefore sent against them, and he ravaged their territories; but a violent tempest having destroyed his whole fleet, he beheld himself abandoned to the mercy of that people, whose innate ferocity might naturally have beeen increased, by the severe treatment they

e Justin. 1. xvi. c. 3-5. Diod. 1. xv. p. 390.

A. M. 3733. Ant. J. C

271.