ed.

rare a genius as to be alike fuited to a camp or court, and no lefs capable of commanding in the field, than of giving advice in the clofet. When the marriages were made by the king's directions at Sufa, Eumenes was in fome measure allied to him, for he had then given him Artonis, whom fome call Barfine the daughter of Artabazus, and fifter of Barfina, who was the mother of Hercules by Alexander. These were the bufy actors at this period, Perdiccas full of ambition, Meleager felfish and revengeful, Aridaus or Philip weak and timorous, Eumenes brave, wife and inviolably attached to the royal houfe d.

The fediti- THE foot under Meleager held Babylon, had the king's an appeaf perfon in their hands, and were cloathed with his authority, which however Meleager over-ftretched when he sent some to feize Perdiccas; but that great officer fo frighted them with his frowns and words, that they returned re infecta, and fo made the breach the wider. The cavalry under Perdiccas, Ptolomy, Lagus, and other generals, invested the city, or rather shut up the paffages thereto, fo that presently famine began to appear, and even to be felt. The inhabitants of the adjacent villages fled for fafety to Babylon, and multitudes, pinched by hunger, iffued from the city to feek fubfiftence in the country. This confufion compelled the phalanx to think of treating, and Eumenes, who, as a ftranger by birth, had hitherto affected a neutrality, eafily brought about an accommodation by blending both schemes together, allowing Aridaus or Philip the regal title, and vefting the authority in great officers, of whom Meleager was to be held the third.

IN confequence of this accommodation, all the great officers of the army came to court, efpecially Perdiccas and Ptolemy, the former eagerly defiring to affume the fovereignty under the fpecious title of protector, and the latter fecretly aiming at the divifion of the empire, that under the name of a government he might fecure a kingdom to himself. Perdiccas foon gained an afcendancy over Philip, infomuch that he conducted all things according to his own will, though in the Perdiccas name of that prince. The first defign of confequence he tokes off aimed at putting in execution was the taking of Meleager, in Meleager. order to which he framed a plot equally fubtil and fuccefsful;

he put fome of his own adherents on complaining openly of Meleager's being made equal to Perdiccas; this naturally led Meleager to expoftulate with him; upon which Perdiccas with an air of franknefs told him, that fuch incendiaries ought immediately to be punished, and propofed a general luftration of the army, as the only probable method of taking off fuch

d Prur, in vit. Eumen. & CORN. NEP. in vit. ejufd.

disturbers

difturbers of the public peace. Meleager readily came into this, looking upon it as an indubitable teftimony of Perdiccas's friendship. But when the horfe and foot were drawn into the field, and the king quitting the phalanx, rode along the first line of the right wing with Perdiccas; the foot began to be in fome terror, and in that terror all their courage forfook them; fometimes they thought of retiring into the city, at others of oppofing force by force. Meleager of all others was least present to himself, fo that after deliberating long, and propofing many things, they refolved on nothing, till Perdiccas formed the horse over-againft them with the elephants in front. Then taking the king with him, he rode along the first line of the phalanx, and demanded the authors of the late fedition. Meleager and his foldiers answered nothing, yet by the dejection of their countenances, they plainly fhewed how low their fpirits were funk; this encouraged Perdiccas to draw out by force three hundred, who in the late affair had been moft active for Meleager, whom without more ado he caft to the elephants, and fuffered to be trampled to death in the fight of the army, the king looking on rather as a furprized fpectator, than as the author of fo cruel a deed. As no body pretended to lay hands on Meleager himself, he neither spoke nor ftirred to fave those who had acted by his authority, which answered the end of Perdiccas, for on his return to Babylon every body fhunned and was afraid of him, which had fuch an ef fect on his mind, already difordered, that he took fanctuary in a temple, vainly hoping that his enemies would not pursue him to the altar; whereas ambitious men fhew no respect to religion, but when it is their tool, and therefore Perdiccas, who thought himself not fafe while this man lived, ordered him Who is without ceremony there to be flain, which was accordingly fain at performed; and thus the authority of Perdiccas was for the the altar. present established * (B).

e

e DIODOR. CURT. JUSTIN. ubi fupra.

(B) In this note we intend to acquaint the reader with the authors on whofe authority we build what is delivered in this fection. The first of these is Arrian, the fame whom we chiefly followed in our history of Alexander the Great. He wrote upon this fubject a treatife, confilting of ten books, which are all unfortunately loft; and what we quote in their ftead is no more

To

than a very brief account of their
contents preferved by the famous
Photius, who, at the end of his
extract, hath added a character
of this author worthy of the fer-
vice which he has done to the
commonwealth of letters. He
tells us, that as an hiftorian he
knows none who ought to be
preferred before him, his ftile,
continues he, is ftrong and uni-
form, his narration feldom in-
A 4
terrupted

The em

ed.

To fatisfy the ambition of the principal commanders in the pire di army, to provide for the fafety of the empire, and to free himfelf from competitors, Perdiccas quickly called a general council, wherein the following diftribution of honours and governments was made. Aridaus, and the fon of Roxana now born, and named Alexander, were to enjoy the regal authority. Antipater had the government of the European pro

(4) Juftin. 1. xiii.

vinces as general of the army there. Craterus had the title of protector. Perdiccas had in reality the office, with the style of general of the houfhold troops, in the room of Hephæftion. Ptolemy the fon of Lagus had Egypt, Libya, and that part of Arabia which borders upon Egypt. Cleomenes, a man of infamous character, whom Alexander had made receiver-general in Egypt, was made Ptolomy's deputy. Leomedon had Syria, Philstas Cilicia, Pithon Media, Eumenes Cappadocia, Paphlagenia, and all the country bordering on the Euxine fea, as far as Trapezus; but these were not yet conquered, fo that he was a governor without a province. Antigonus had Pamphilia, Lycia, and Phrygia Major, Caffander Caria, Menander Lydia, Leonnatus Phrygia, on the Hellefpont. In Europe, Thrace, the Cherfonefe, and the countries adjoining as far as Salmydeffus on the Euxine fea, were given to Lyfimachus; the rest of the countries fubject to the Macedonians, as far as the Ceraunian mountains, with all Greece, were left to Craterus and Antipater. As to the rest of the provinces, not mentioned in this divifion, they remained under the governors appointed them by Alexander. We have in this account followed our old guide Arrian; what other authors have delivered on this fubject, the readers will perceive by a note f (C).

f ARRIAN. apud Phot. ubi fupra. CURT. ubi fupra.

(C) The divifion of Alexander's empire, according to other authors, ran thus: Diodorus Siculus affirms, that Perdiccas confirmed the kingdom to Aridæus, gave to Ptolemy Egypt to Python Media; to Eumenes Paphlagonia, with Cappadocia, and the neighbouring countries; to Caf fander Caria; to Meleager Lydia; to Leonnatus Phrygia upon the Hellefpont; to Lyfimachus Thrace, with the adjacent nations as far as the fea; to Antipater Macedonia, with the neigh bouring countries; to the reft of the officers he diftributed the other provinces in Afia; to Oyartes Caucafus, and the Paropamifs to Sybirtius, Arachofia and Gedrofia; to Stafanor the Solian, Aria and Drangiana; to Philip the prætor Bactria and

THIS

Sogdia; to Phrataphernes Parthia and Hyrcania; to Peuceftes Perfis; to Tlepolemus Carmania; to Atropas Media; to Archon Babylonia; to Arcefilaus Mefopotamia; to Seleucus the command of the royal cavalry, which Hephæftion had firft, and Perdiccas afterwards; to Taxiles and Porus each their own kingdoms, as reftored and augmented by Alexander. The king kept Perdiccas with him, and constituted him captain of the guards, and the forces which attended him (6). According to Justin, the provinces and chief commands were thus divided. Ptolemy had Egypt, Afric, and part of Arabia; Laomedon Syria; Philotas and his fon Cilicia and Illyricum; Atropatos, it should be tropates, Media the greater; Alcetos, (6) Dioder. Sicul, lib, xviii.

the

Perdiccas

THIS divifion of the empire, as well as all other things, affumes re- had the fanction of the royal name, and feemed to be done by gal power. authority of king Philip; but in truth, it was the mere act of

Perdiccas, and his affociates, who fhared, at their pleasure, the empire of their deceased mafter, treating his lawful heirs as pageants and cyphers; but we need not wonder at this, when we find that Alexander himself was no lefs flighted; for while thefe difputes were on foot, his body was altogether neglected, and feven days elapfed before any orders were given for its embalment (D).