The historical library of Diodorus the Sicilian in fifteen books : the first five contain the antiquities of Egypt, Asia, Africa, Greece, the islands, and Europe : the last ten an historical account of the affairs of the Persians, Grecians, Macedonians and other parts of the world : to which are added the fragments of Diodorus that are found in the Bibliotheca of Photius : together with those publish'd by H. Valesius, L. Rhodomannus, and F. Ursinus / made English by G. Booth ..., Esq.

CHAP. VII.

Cassander, Ptolemy, and Lysimachus, make Peace with Antigonus. Cassander murders Rhoxana and her Son. The Governors take the Stile of Kings upon them. The Carthaginians raise Forces against Agathocles. Four thousand Geloans murder'd by Agathocles. The Battel between Agathocles and Amilcar the Car∣thaginian at Himera. Agathocles routed. Several Cities revolt from Aga∣thocles.

WHen Simonides was Lord-Chancellor of Athens, and the Romans had created Mar∣cus * 1.1 Valerius and Publius Decius Consuls, Cassander, Ptolemy, and Lysimachus, made Peace with Antigonus, the Form of which was put into Writing, and contain'd the Terms following: That Cassander should be the Sovereign Lord of all in Europe, till Alexander the Son of Rhoxana came of full Age: That Lysimachus should have the chief Command in Thrace: Ptolemy should enjoy the Sovereign Power in Egypt, and the bordering Cities in Arabia and Africa: That Antigonus should be Lord of all Asia; And the Greeks should Govern according to their own Laws. But these Conditions they observ'd not long; but every one took one Occasion or other to incroach upon more than his Part came to.

Cassander seeing that Alexander the Son of Rhoxana now grew up towards Man's Estate, and hearing how it was the Discourse of some throughout all Macedonia, That it was now * 1.2 fit the young Man should be freed from his Prison, and assume the Government of his Father's Kingdom into his own hands; out of fear of being supplanted, commanded Glaucias the Keeper to murder both Rhoxana and the King, and to hide their Bodies when he had done, and by all means possible conceal their Deaths. This he effectually executed, and so by this means Cassander, Lysimachus, Ptolemy, and Antigonus himself, were freed from all Grounds of Fear upon the account of the King. For now all the Seed Royal being extinct, and no Successor remaining, every one of the Captains that had possess'd themselves of Provinces or Cities, took upon themselves the Titles and * 1.3 Stiles of Kings; and every one claim'd the Province, of which he was Governor, as a Conquer'd Kingdom. And thus stood the Affairs in Asia, Europe, Greece, and Mace∣donia.

In Italy, the Romans march'd with a great Body of Horse and Foot against Pollitium, a City of the Marucci; where they remov'd part of the Citizens, and made them a new Colony, giving them Interamna (as it's call'd) to inhabit. * 1.4

In Sicily, the Power of Agathocles increas'd every day, his Forces growing stronger and stronger: Whereupon the Carthaginians being inform'd, that he had gain'd almost all the Towns and Cities through the Island, and that their Captains and Commanders there were not able to deal with him, they resolv'd to pursue the War with more Vi∣gour. To this end they forthwith provided a Fleet of a Hundred and thirty Sail of Men of War, and made Amilcar (a Person of eminent Quality) General. and deliver'd to him Two thousand Soldiers rais'd out of the City, amongst whom, many were Men of Note: Out of Afric••, Ten thousand; from Tyrrhenia, a Thousand Mercenaries and Two

hundred Charioteers, and a Thousand Slingers from the Baleary Islands. They provided likewise a great Treasure, all sorts of Weapons, store of Corn, and all other Things ne∣cessary for carrying on the War, as they had occasion to use. And now when the whole Fleet had hois'd up Sail and were come into the open Sea, on a sudden a violent Storm arose, which sunk Sixty of the Gallies, and broke in pieces Two hundred of the Ships loaden with Corn and Provision. The rest of the Fleet, after much Hardship at Sea, with much ado got into Sicily. Many of the most eminent Men of Carthage were lost at this time, which occasion'd a publick Lamentation in that City. For when any Mis∣fortune happens to that Place greater than ordinary, their Custom is to cover the Walls * 1.5 with black Cassocks or Cloaks.

Amilcar the General, after he was landed, muster'd those that were sav'd from the Storm; and to supply those that were lost, listed Foreign Mercenaries, and rais'd others from among the Confederates throughout all Sicily, whom he join'd with the rest of the Forces that were there before; and carefully providing every thing that was necessary for the War, he kept the Army in the Field, having under his Command about Forty thousand Foot, and near Five thousand Horse. Having therefore in a short time recruit∣ed himself, (and being accounted a Man of great Reputation for Honesty and Integrity,) he both reviv'd the Courage of the Confederates, and in no small measure struck a Terror into the Hearts of his Enemies.

On the other side, Agathocles perceiving that he was far overpower'd by the Carthagi∣nians in Number of their Forces, concluded, that many of the Forts and Castles, and those Cities and Towns that bore him a Grudge, would revolt to the Enemy; especial∣ly * 1.6 he fear'd the City of the Geloans, because he heard all the Enemies Forces were encamp'd in their Territories: And besides, no small Detriment befel him at this time in his Fleet, for about Twenty Sail then at Sea together, with their Men, all fell into the Hands of the Carthaginians. However, he conceiv'd it fit to put a Garison into the Place for its Secu∣rity, but durst not bring any Forces openly into the City lest the Geloans should prevent him, who had not then at any time before any Occasion offered them to rebel: And so by that means he might come to * 1.7 lose a Town that had been very useful and serviceable to him. Therefore (to prevent Suspicion) he sent into the City Soldiers by degrees, a few at a time, (as if they had come there for other Purposes,) till he had got so many into the Town as far exceeded the Citizens in Number. And then a while after he came thither himself, and charg'd the Geloans with a traiterous design to revolt: However, whe∣ther this were true or not, or that they were falsly accus'd by the Exiles, or that his De∣sign was to scrape and get together what Money he could; he put to Death above Four * 1.8 thousand of the Geloans, and confiscated all their Estates; and threaten'd all the rest with Death that did not bring forth all their Money, whether Silver or Gold, coin'd or un∣coin'd. Whereupon all (out of fear of this thundring Edict) forthwith obey'd his Command; whereby he heap'd together a vast Treasure, and became a Terror to all his Subjects. And though he was judg'd to deal too severely and cruelly with the Geloans, yet he order'd them to be decently buri'd without the Walls; and then leaving the City with a strong Garison, encamp'd with his Army over-against the Enemy. The Carthagi∣nians possess'd the Hill Ecnomen, where formerly stood the Castle of Phaleris, as is reported, where they say the Tyrant had the Brazen Bull contriv'd to torment Offenders, by put∣ting Fire under it, thereby causing it to grow scorching hot by degrees. And therefore, by reason of this horrid Cruelty executed upon poor miserable Creatures, the Hill was call'd * 1.9 Ecnomen. Agathocles possess'd himself of another Castle of Phaleris over-against them, which he call'd Phalerius: Between both Armies lay a River, which was as a De∣fence and Bulwark to both sides. There was an ancient Prophecy, That a great Battel should be fought, and Multitudes of Men destroy'd about this Place; and being that it * 1.10 was uncertain on which side the Slaughter should mainly fall, out of a superstitious Awe of the Gods, the Armies were more backward and slow to ingage; and therefore nei∣ther Party for a long time durst pass the River with their whole Forces, till a sudden and unexpected Occasion forc'd them to fight. For the Africans making a sudden Incursion upon the Enemy, stirr'd up Agathocles to do the same: For when the Greeks were driving away their Cattel, and some Carriage. Horses and other Beasts out of the Camp, some sally'd out from among the Carthaginians to pursue them. But Agathocles foreseeing what * 1.11 the Enemy would do, had before laid an Ambuscado of stout and resolute Men near the River, who, as soon as the Carthaginians had pass'd the River, and were in pursuit of those that were driving away the Cattel, rose out of the Ambush, and fell upon them as they were then in Disorder, and easily routed them and put them to flight. While the Barba∣rians were thus hew'd down, and flying to their Camp, Agathocles looking upon it now

as a sit time to ingage, led forth his whole Army against the Enemy; and falling upon them on a sudden, presently fill'd up a part of their Trench and cut through their Breast-work, and so forc'd their Camp. The Carthaginians amaz'd with this sudden Attack, ha∣ving no time to put themselves in order of Battel, fell in as Fortune led them, and ingag'd the Enemy in the best manner they could: And in regard the hotest Work was near the * 1.12 Trench, the Ground all thereabout was strew'd with dead Carkasses; for the chiefest of the Carthaginians made to the Defence of that Place where they saw the Camp enter'd. * 1.13

On the other hand, the Agathocleans incourag'd by the happy Success of their Attempt, and supposing they should put an end to the War by this one Battel, press'd resolutely upon the Barbarians: Amilcar therefore perceiving that his Men were too weak, and that the Grecians were continually pouring in more Men into the Camp, brings up a Thousand Slingers of the Baliary Islands, who wounded many by multitude of great Stones out of their Slings, and kill'd many that were forcing into the Camp, and broke in pieces the Shields and Armour of many of their Assailants. For these Men being us'd to cast Stones of * 1.14 Three Pound Weight, were always very serviceable, and contributed much in several Battels to the gaining of the Victory, as being those that were diligently taught and well exercis'd in the Art of Slinging from their very Childhood. And now at this time they gain'd the Point, driving the Grecians back again beyond the Out-works of the Camp. But Agathocles broke into it in other places; and just as the Camp was forc'd, unexpectedly arriv'd Succours from Carthage, which again reviv'd the Spirits of the Carthaginians, and those in the Camp fought the Enemy in the Front, and the new Sup∣plies hem'd the Greeks in the Rear, and hew'd them down, so as the Fortune of the Day * 1.15 turn'd suddenly and unexpectedly. For the Grecians fled outright, some to the River Himera, and others to their own Camp, which was * 1.16 Forty Furlongs distant; and being a Plain and Champain Country, they were pursu'd with no fewer than Five thousand of the Barbarian Horse, so that the Plain all along was cover'd with dead Bodies, the River contributing much to the Destruction of the Greeks. For the pursuit being about Noon, * 1.17 and in the Dog-Days, many of them that fled were so parch'd with Thirst, by the Heat of the Weather and the Fatigue of their Flight, that they greedily swill'd themselves with salt Water, insomuch that as many (that had not the least Hurt) were found dead near the River as were kill'd by the Sword in the Pursuit. There were kill'd of the Bar∣barians in this Battel about Five hundred, but no fewer than Seven thousand of the Greeks.

Agathocles being thus grievously defeated, after he had receiv'd all those that had escap'd, burnt his Camp and went to Gela. But he had caus'd it to be rumour'd abroad, that he was gone strait away for Syracuse. It happen'd that Three hundred African Horse then in the Country fell in among some of Agathocles his Soldiers, who told them, that Aga∣thocles was gone back to Syracuse, and thereupon the Horsemen enter'd Gela as Friends: But being thus deluded, they were all shot to Death by Darts: Yet Agathocles shut not himself up in Gela, because he could not get safe to Syracuse, but that he might divert the Carthaginians from Syracuse to the Besieging of Gela, that so by that means the Syracusians might have leisure enough to get in their Harvest, while he protracted the time at Gela. Amilcar indeed at the first intended to have besieg'd Gela; but hearing that there was there a strong Body of Men to oppose him, and that Agathocles was furnish'd with plenty of all things necessary, he laid aside that design, and made his approaches to the Forts and Ca∣stles, and had them all surrender'd to him; and to gain the good Opinion of the Sicilians, * 1.18 he carry'd himself Courteously and Obligingly towards all. The Camareans, Leontines, Cata∣neans and Tauromeneans, sent continually Ambassadors, and made their Applications to the Carthaginians. And a little time after, the Messenian. and Abacenians, and many other Cities who before were at variance amongst themselves, all went over to Amilcar; such was the Zeal of the Common People after the late Defeat, through the Hatred they bore against the Tyrant.

But Agathocles led away all the Forces that were yet left him, to Syracuse, and there re∣pair'd the ruinous Parts of the Walls, and got in all the Corn and Fruits out of the Fields; and now contriv'd to leave a strong Garison for the Defence of the City, and to transport the Power and Strength of the Army into Africa, with an intent to draw the War out of * 1.19 the Island into the Continent. We shall therefore, as we at first design'd, begin the fol∣lowing Book with the passing of Agathocles into Africa.

Notes

• * 1.1

  Olymp. 117. 2. Ant. Ch. 309. Cassander, &c. mak s Peace with Antigo∣nus. P. 728.
• * 1.2

  Rhoxana and her Son mur∣der'd.
• * 1.3

  The Captains take the Title of Kings.
• * 1.4

  Ant. Ch. 309. Carthaginians raise Forces a∣gainst Aga∣thocles.
• * 1.5

  Ant. Ch. 309.
• * 1.6

  P. 729.
• * 1.7

  A 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉, Cast away.
• * 1.8

  Four thousand Geloans mur∣der'd by Aga∣thocles.
• * 1.9

  The wicked Place.
• * 1.10

  Ant. Ch. 309.
• * 1.11

  The Battel be∣tween Agatho∣cles and Amil∣car at Hime∣ra.
• * 1.12

  An. Ch. 309.
• * 1.13

  P. ••••0.
• * 1.14

  Mina Weight.
• * 1.15

  Agathocles routed.
• * 1.16

  About 6 miles.
• * 1.17

  Ant. Ch. 309.
• * 1.18

  Several Cities revolt from A∣gathocles. Ant. Ch. 309.
• * 1.19

  P. 731.