of his chief favourites, found that this dissolute conduct had drawn upon him the contempt of his subjects: He therefore imagined that this would be a favourable opportunity to conspire against his sovereign; and his ambition was so vast, that he flattered himself with the hopes of succeeding him in the throne*. It is very likely that he was excited to the commission of this crime from another motive. Xerxes had commanded him to murder Darius his eldest son, but for what cause history is silent. As this order had been given at a banquet, and when the company was heated with wine, he did not doubt but that Xerxes would forget it, and therefore was not in haste to obey it: however, he was mistaken, for the king complained upon that account, which made Artabanus dread his resentment, and therefore he resolved to prevent him. Accordingly he prevailed upon Mithridates, one of the eu nuchs of the palace, and great chamberlain, to engage in his conspiracy, and by his means entered the chamber where the king lay, and murdered him in his sleep. He then went immediately to Artaxerxes, the third son of Xerxes. He informed him of the murder, charging Darius his eldest brother with it; as if impatience to ascend the throne had prompted him to that execrable deed. He added, that to secure the crown to himself, he was resolved to murder him also, for which reason it would be absolutely necessary for him to keep upon his guard. These words having made such an impression on Artaxerxes (a youth) as Artabanus desired, he went immediately into his brother's apartment, where, being assisted by Artabanus and his guards, he murdered him. Hystas pes, Xerxes's second son, was next heir to the crown after Darius; but as he was then in Bactriana, of which he was governor, Artabanus seated Artaxerxes on the throne, but did not design to suffer him to enjoy it longer than he had formed a faction strong enough to drive him from it and ascend it himself. His great authority had gained him a maltitude of creatures; besides this, he had seven sons, who were of a very tall stature, handsome, strong, courageous, and rais→ ed to the highest employments in the empire. The aid he hoped to receive from them was the chief motive of his rais ing his views so high. But whilst he was attempting to complete his design, Artaxerxes being informed of this plot by Megabysus, who had married one of his sisters, he endeavoured to anticipate him, and killed him before he had an oppor Arist. Polit. 1. v. c. x. p. 404. tunity of putting his treason in execution. His death established this prince in the possession of the kingdom. Thus we have seen the end of Xerxes, who was one of the most powerful princes that ever lived. It would be needless for me to anticipate the reader with respect to the judgment he ought to form of him. We see him surrounded with whatever is greatest and most august in the opinion of mankind, the most extensive empire at that time in the world, immense treasures, and an incredible number of land as well as sea-forces. But all these things are round him, not in him, and add no lustre to his natural qualities; for, by a blindness too common to princes and great men, born in the midst of all terrestrial blessings, heir to boundless power, and a lustre that had cost him nothing, he had accustomed himself to judge of his own talents and personal merit from the exterior of his exalted station and rank. He disregards the wise counsels of Artabanus bis uncle, and of Demaratus, who alone had courage enough to speak truth to him; and he abandoned himself to courtiers,the adorers of his fortune, whose whole study it was to sooth his passions. He proportions and pretends to regulate the success of his enterprises by the extent of his power. The slavish submission of so many nations no longer sooths his ambition, and, little affected with too easy an obedience, he takes pleasure in exercising his power over the elements, in cutting his way through mountains, and making them navigable, in chastising the sea for having broken down the bridge, and in foolishly attempting to shackle the waves, by throwing chains into them. Big-swoln with a childish vanity and a ridiculous pride, he looks upon himself as the arbiter of nature: he imagines that not a nation in the world will dare to wait his arrival; and fondly and presumptuously relies on the millions of men and ships which he drags after him. But when, after the battle of Salamin, he beholds the sad ruins, the shameful remains of his numberless troops scattered over all Greece *, he then is sensible of the wide difference between an army and a crowd of men. In a word, to form a right judgment of Xerxes, we need but contrast him with a citizen of Athens, a Miltiades, Themistocles or Aristides. In the latter we find all the good sense, prudence, ability in war, valour, and greatness of soul; in the former we see nothing but vanity, pride, obstinacy, the meanest and most grovelling sentiments, and sometimes the most horrid barbarity. * Stratusque per totam passim Græciam Xerxes intellexit, quantum ab exercitu turba distaret. Senec. de Benes. 1. vi. c. 32. THE HISTORY OF THE PERSIANS AND GRECIANS. PLAN. THE first and third chapters of this book include the history of the Persians and Greeks, during 48 years and some months, which contain the reign of Artaxerxes Longimanus; the last six years of which answer to the six first of the Peloponnesian war. This. space of time begins at the year of the world 3531, and ends at 3579. THE second chapter comprehends the other transactions of the Greeks, which happened both in Sicily and Italy, during the interval above mentioned. THE CHAP. I. HIS chapter includes the history of the Persians and Greeks, from the beginning of Artaxerxes's reign to the Peloponnesian war, which began in the 42d year of that king's reign. SECTION I. ARTAXERXES RUINS THE FACTION OF ARTABANUS, &c. The Greek historians give this prince the surname of Longimanus. Strabo * says it was because his hands were so long, that when he stood upright he could touch his knees with them; but according to Plutarch †, it was because his right hand was longer than his left. Had it not been for this blemish, he would have been the most graceful man of his age. He was still more remarkable for his goodness and generosity. He reigned about 49 years. * Lib. xv. p. 735. A. M. 3531. Ant. J. C. 473. † In Artax. p. 1011. * Although Artaxerxes, by the death of Artabanus, was delivered from a dangerous competitor, there were still two obstacles in his way, before he could establish himself in the quiet possession of his throne; one of which was, his brother Hystaspes, governor of Bactriana; and the other, the faction of Artabanus. He began by the latter. Artabanus had left seven sons and a great number of partisans, who assembled to revenge his death. These, and the adherents of Artaxerxes, fought a bloody battle, in which a great number of Persian nobles lost their lives. Artaxerxes having at last entirely defeated his enemies, put to death all who had engaged in this conspiracy. He took an exemplary vengeance of those who were concerned in his father's mur der, and particularly of Mithridatus the eunuch, who had betrayed him, and who was executed in the following manner: Het was laid on his back in a kind of horse-trough, and strongly fastened to the four corners of it. Every part of him, except his head, his hands, and feet, which came out at holes made for that purpose, was covered with another trough. In this horrid situation victuals were given him from time to time; and in case of his refusal to eat it, they were forced down his throat; honey, mixed with milk, was given him to drink, and all his face was smeared with it, which by that means attracted a numberless multitude of flies, especially as he was perpetually exposed to the scorching rays of the sun. the worms which bred in his excrements preyed upon his bowels. This criminal lived 15 or 20 days in inexpressible torments. Artaxerxes having crushed the faction of Artabanus, was powerful enough to send an army into Bactriana, which had declared in favour of his brother; but he was not successful on this occasion. The two armies engaging, Hystaspes stood his ground so well, that if he did not gain the victory, he at least sustained no loss; so that both armies separated with equal success; and each retired to prepare for a second battle. Artaxerxes having raised a greater army than his brother, not to mention that the whole empire declared in his favour, defeated him in a second engagement, and entirely ruined his party. By this victory he secured to himself the quiet possession of the empire. To § maintain himself in the throne, he removed all such governors of cities and province from their employments, as * Ctes. c. 30. Ctes. c. 31. Plut. in Artax. p. 1019. he suspected to hold a correspondence with either of the factions he had overcome, and substituted others on whom he could rely. He afterwards applied himself to the reforming the abuses and disorders which had crept into the goverment. By his wise conduct and zeal for the public good, he soon acquired great reputation and authority, with the love of his subjects, the strongest support of sovereign power. SECTION II. THEMISTOCLES FLIES TO ARTAXERXES. ACCORDING to Thucydides *, Themistocles fled to this prince in the beginning of his reign; but other authors, as Strabo, Plutarch, Diodorus, fix this incident under Xerxes his predecessor. Dr. Prideaux is of the latter opinion; he likewise thinks that the Artaxerxes in question, is the same with him who is called Ahasuerus in scripture, and who married Esther but we suppose, with the learned Archbishop Usher, that it was Darius the son of Hystaspes who espoused this illustrious Jewess. I have already declared more than once, that I would not engage in controversies of this kind; and therefore, with regard to this flight of Themistocles into Persia, and the history of Esther, I shall follow the opinion of the learned Usher, my usual guide on these occasions. Wet have seen that Themistocles had fled to Admetus king of the Molossi, and had met with a gracious reception from him; but the Athenians and Lacedæmonians would not suffer him to live in peace, and required that prince to deliver him up; threatening, in case of refusal, to carry their arms into his country. Admetus, who was unwilling to draw such formidable enemies upon himself, and much more to deliver up the man who had fled to him for refuge, informed him of the great danger to which he was exposed, and favoured his flight. Themistocles went as far by land as Pydna, a city of Macedonia, and there embarked on board a merchant ship, which was sailing to Ionia. None of the passengers knew him. A storm having carried this vessel near the island of Naxos, then besieged by the Athenians, the imminent danger to which Themistocles was exposed, obliged him to discover himself to the pilot and master of the ship; after which, by entreaties and menaces, he forced them to sail towards Asia. * A. M. 3531. †Thucyd. 1. i. p. 90, 91. Plut. in Themist. p. 125-127. Diod. L. P. 42-44. Cor. Nep. in Themist. c. 8-10. |