and tranquillity, were obedient to their princes, and perfectly fubmiffive to the laws. Which induces me to conclude, that the revolutions of Syracufe were lefs the effect of the people's levity, than the fault of thofe that governed them; who had not the art of managing their paffions, and engaging their affections, which is properly the science of kings, and of all who command others.

THE

[83]

THE ONE AND TWENTIETH BOOK.

CONTINUATION

OF THE

Hiftory of the SUCCESSORS

O F

ALEXANDER the Great.

T

HIS book contains two articles, of which the firft includes the history of Mithridates king of Pontus, and the fecond the reigns of Ptolomæus Auletes, and the famous Cleopatra, with which ends the antient hiftory of the Greeks.

ARTICLE I.

HIS article includes the fpace of fixty years, which is three years more than the reign of Mithridates; from the year of the world 3880, to the year 3943.

VOL. X.

G 2

SECT.

SECT. I.

Mithridates, at twelve years old, afcends the throne of Pontus. He feizes Cappadocia and Bithynia, having first expelled their kings. The Romans re-establish them. He caufes all the Romans in Afia minor to be put to the fword in one day. First war of the Romans with Mithridates, who had made himself master of Afia minor, and Greece, where he had taken Athens. Sylla is charged with this war. He befieges and retakes Athens. He gains three great battles against the generals of Mithridates. He grants that prince peace in the fourth year of the war... Library of Athens, in which were the works of Ariftotle. Sylla caufes it to be carried to Rome.

M.

ITHRIDATES, king of Pontus, whofe hiftory we are now beginning, and who rendered himself fo famous by the war he fupported, during almoft thirty years, against the Romans, was firnamed Eupator. He defcended from a houfe, which had given a long fucceffion of kings to the kingdom of Pontus. The firft, according to fome hiftorians, was Artabafus, one of the feven princes that flew the Magi, and fet the crown of Perfia upon the head of Darius Hyftafpes, who rewarded him with the kingdom of Pontus. But, befides that, we do not find the name of Artabafus amongst thofe Perfians, many reafons induce us to believe, that the prince of whom we fpeak, was the fon of Darius, the fame who is called Artabarzanes, who was competitor with Xerxesfor the throne of Perfia, and was made king of Pontus either by his father or his brother, to confole

confole him for the preference given to Xerxes. His pofterity enjoyed that kingdom during feventeen generations. Mithridates Eupator, of whom we shall treat in this place, was the fixteenth from him.

124.

He was but twelve years of age when he be- A M. gan to reign. His father, before his death, 3880. had appointed him his fucceffor, and had given Ant. J. C. him his mother for guardian, who was to govern jointly with him. He began his reign, Memnon by putting his mother and brother to death; in Excerpand the fequel answered but too much to the tis Photii, commencement of it. Nothing is faid of the Appian. in first years of his reign, except that one of the Mithrid. Roman generals, whom he had corrupted with p177,178 money, having furrendered Phrygia to him, and put him into poffeffion of it, it was foon after taken from him by the Romans, which gave birth to his refentment against them.

c. 32.

91.

Ariarathes king of Cappadocia being dead, A. M. Mithridates caufed the two fons he had left 3913. behind him to be put to death, though their moAnt. J. C. ther Laodice was his own fifter, and placed one of his own fons, at that time very young, upon the throne, giving him the name of Ariarathes, and appointing Gordius his guardian and regent. Nicomedes king of Bithynia, who apprehended this increase of power would put Mithridates into a condition to poffefs himself alfo of his dominions in time, thought proper to fet up a certain young man (who seemed very fit for fuch a part) as a third fon of Ariarathes. He engaged Laodice, whom he had espoused after the death of her first husband, to acknowledge him as fuch, and fent her to Rome, to affist and support by her prefence the claim of this pretended fon, whom fhe carried thither along with her. The caufe being brought beG 3

fore

fore the fenate, both parties were condemned, and a decree paffed, by which the Cappadocians were declared free. But they faid they could not be without a king. The fenate permitted them to chufe whom they thought fit. They elected Ariobarzanes, a nobleman of their nation. Sylla, upon his quitting the office of prætor, was charged with the commiffion of establishing him upon the throne. That was the pretext for this expedition; but the real motive of it was, to check the enterprizes of Mithridates, whofe power daily augmenting, gave umbrage to the Romans. Sylla executed his commiffion the following year; and after Ant. J. C. having defeated a great number of Cappadocians, and a much greater of Armenians, who came to their aid, he expelled Gordius, with the pretended Ariarathes, and fet Ariobarzanes in his place.

A. M. 3914.

90.

*

Whilft Sylla was encamped upon the banks of the Euphrates, a Parthian, named Orobafus, arrived at his camp from king Arfaces to demand the alliance and amity of the Romans. Sylla, in receiving him at his audience, caufed three feats to be placed in his tent, one for Ariobarzanes, who was prefent, another for Orobafus, and that in the midft for himself. The Parthian king afterwards, offended at his deputy, for having acquiefced to this inftance of the Roman pride, caufed him to be put to death. This is the firft time the Parthians had any commerce with the Romans.

Mithridates did not dare at that time to oppofe the establishment of Ariobarzanes; but diffembling the mortification that conduct of the Romans gave him, he refolved to take an

*It was from Mithridates II.

opportunity