and money, which enabled him to recover his kingdom of Epirus. At his arrival there, his fubjects received him with open arms; for Neoptolemus was become obnoxious to the people, by reafon of his arbitrary and tyrannical government. Nevertheless, Pyrrhus, apprehending that Neoptolemus might have recourfe to fome of the other kings, came to an agreement with him, and affociated him in the kingdom. But in procefs of time there were fome who privately fowed diffenfion and jealoufies between them. Pyrrhus's chief quarrel with Neoptolemus is faid to have taken its rife as follows. It had been a culom for the kings of Epirus to hold an affembly at Paffaron, a place in the province of the Moloffians; where, after facrificing to Jupiter the warrior, mutual oaths were taken by them and their fubjects. The kings were fworn to govern according to law, and the people to defend the crown according to law. Both the kings met on this occafion, attended by their friends, and after the ceremony, great prefents were made on all fides. Gelon, who was very cordially attached to Neoptolemus, among the reft, paid his refpects to Pyrrhus, and made him a prefent of two yoke of oxen *. Myrtilus, one of this prince's cupbearers, begged them of him; but Pyrrhus refufed him, and gave them to another. Gelon perceiving that Myrtilus took the disappointment extremcly ill, invited him to fup with him. After fupper he folicited him to embrace the intereft of Neoptolemus, and to poi fon Pyrrhus. Myrtilus feemed to liften to his fuggeftions with fatisfaction, but difcovered the whole to his mafter. Then, by his order, he introduced to Gelon, the chief cupbearer Alexicrates, as a perfon who was willing to enter into the confpiracy: for Pyrrhus was defirous to have more than one witnefs to fo black an enterprife. Gelon being thus deceived, Neoptolemus was deceived with him; and, thinking the affair in great forwardnefs, could not contain himfeif, but in the excess of his joy mentioned it to his friends. One evening, in particular, being at fupper with his fifter Cadmia, he difcovered the whole defign, thinking no body elfe within hearing. And indeed there was none in the room but Phænarete the wife of Samon chief keeper of Neoptolemus's cattle; and fhe laid upon a couch with her face turned towards the wall, and feemed to be asleep. B 3 Ske *This prefent was characteristical of the fimplicity of ancient times She heard, however, the whole, without being fufpected, and went the next day to Antigone the wife of Pyrrhus, and related to her all that he had heard Neoptolemus fay to his fifter. This was immediately laid before Pyrrhus, who took no notice of it for the prefent. But, on occafion of a folemn facrifice, he invited Neoptolemus to fupper, and took that opportunity to kill him. For he was well affured that all the leading men in Epirus were strongly attached to him, and wanted him to remove Neoptolemus out of the way; that, no longer fatisfied with a small fhate of the kingdom, he might poffefs himself of the whole; and by following his genius, rife to great attempts. And, as they had now a ftrong fufpicion befides, that Neoptolemus was practising against him, they thought this was the time to prevent him by giving him the fatal blow. In acknowledgment of the obligations he had to Berenice and Ptolemy, he named his fon by Antigone Ptolemy, and called the city which he built in the Cherfonefe of Epirus, Berenicis. From this time he began to conceive many great defigns, but his firft hopes laid hold of all that was near home and he found a plaufible pretence to concern himself in the affairs of Macedonia. Antipater, the eldeft fon of Caffander, had killed his mother Theffalonica, and expelled his brother Alexander. Alexander fent to Demetrius for fuccour, and implored likewise the assistance of Pyrrhus. Demetrius, having many affairs upon his hands, could not prefently comply; but Pyrrhus came and demanded, as the reward of his fervices, the city of * Nymphæa, and all the maritime coaft of Macedonia, together with Ambracia, Acarnania, and Amphilochia, which were fome of the countries that did not originally belong to the kingdom of Macedon. The young prince agreeing to the conditions, Pyrrhus poffeffed himself of these countries, and fecured them with his garrifons; after which, he went on conquering the reft for Alexander, and driving Antipater before him. King Lyfimachus was well inclined to give Antipater affiftance, but he was fo much engaged with his own affairs, that Dacier thinks Apollonia might be called Nymphæa from Nymphæum, a celebrated rock in its neighbourhood. Palmerius would read Tymphæa; that being the name of a town in thofe parts. There was a city called Nymphæum in the Faurica Cherfonefus, but that ould not be meant here. с that he could not find time for it. Recollecting, however, that Pyrrhus would refuse nothing to his friend Ptolemy, he forged letters in Ptolemy's name, enjoining him to evacuate Macedonia, and to be fatisfied with three hundred talents from Antipater. But Pyrrhus no fooner opened the letters, than he perceived the forgery. For, instead of the customary falutation, the father to his fon, greeting, they began with, king Ptolemy to king Pyrrhus, greeting. He inveighed against Lyfimachus for the fraud, but liftened, notwithstanding, to proposals of peace; and the three princes met to offer facrifices on the occafion, and to fwear upon the altar to the articles. A boar, a bull and a ram being led up as victims, the ram dropped down dead of himfelt. The rest of the company laughed at the accident; but Theodotus the diviner advised Pyrrhus not to fwear, declaring that the Deity prefignified the death of one of the kings; upon which he refufed to ratify the peace. Alexander's affairs were thus advantageously fettled; nevertheless Demetrius came. But it foon appeared that he came now unrequested, and that his prefence excited rather fear than gratitude. When they had been a few days. together, in mutual diftruft, they laid fnares for each other: but Demetrius finding the firft opportunity, was beforehand with Alexander, killed him, and got himself proclaimed king of Macedon. He had for a long time had fubjects of complaint against Pyrrhus, on account of the inroads which he had made into Theffaly. Befides, that ambition to extend their dominions, which is a diftemper natural to kings, rendered their neighbourhood mutually alarming. Thefe jeoloufies increased after the death of Deidamia. At laft each having poffeffed himself of part of Macedonia, and having one object in view, the gaining of the whole, this produced of courfe new caufes of contention. Demetrius marched a-gainst the Ætolians, and reduced them. After which, he left Pantauchus among them with a confiderable force, and went himself to feek Pyrrhus. Pyrrhus, as foon as he was apprifed of his defign, went to meet him; but taking a wrong route, they inadvertently paffed each other. Deme. trius entered Epirus, and committed great ravages; and Pyrrhus, B 4 * Alexander was murdered fcon after. Pyrrhus, falling in with Pantauchus, gave him battle. The difpute was warm and obftinate on both fides, especially where the generals fought. For Pantauchus, who, in dexterity, courage and strength, stood foremost among the officers of Demetrius, and withal was a man of a high and ambitious fpirit, challenged Pyrrhus to the combat. And Pyrrhus, who was behind none of the princes of his time in valour and renown, and who was defirous to appropriate to himself the honours of Achilles, rather by his fword than by kindred, advanced through the firft lines against Pantauchus. They began with the javelin; and then coming to the fword, exhaufted all that art or strength could fupply. Pyrrhus received one wound, and gave his adverfary two, one in the thigh, and the other in the neck; by which he overpowered him, and brought him to the ground; but could not kill him outright, because he was refcued by his friends. The Epirots, elated with their prince's victory, and admiring his valour, broke into and difperfed the Macedonian phalanx, and purfuing the fugi tives, killed great numbers of them, and took five thousand prifoners. This battle did not fo much excite the refentment and. hatred of the Macedonians againft Pyrrhus for what they fuffered, as it infpired them with an efteem of his abilities and admiration of his valour. This furnished fubject of difcourfe to all who were witneffes to his exploits, or were engaged against him in the action. For he recalled to their minds the countenance, the fwiftnefs, and motion of Alexander the Great; in Pyrrhus they thought they faw the very image of his force and impetuofity. And while the other kings reprefented that hero only in their purple robes, in the number of guards, the bend of the neck, and the lofty manner of fpeaking, the king of Epirus reprefented him in deeds of arms and perfonal atchievements. And of his great fill in ordering and drawing up an army, we have proofs in the writings he left behind him. It is alfa faid, that Antigonus, being afked, "Who was the greatest "general," anfwered, "Pyrrhus would be, if he lived to "be old." Antigonus, indeed, fpoke only of the generals of his time: but Hannibal faid that of all the world had ever beheld, the firft in genius and fkill was Pyrrhus, Scipio the fecond, and himfelf the third; as we have written in tha the life of Scipio. This was the only fcience he applied himfelf to; this was the fubject of his thoughts and converfation: for he confidered it as a royal ftudy, and looked upon other arts as mere trifling amufements. And it is reported that when he was asked, "Whether he thought Python or Cuphifias the best mufician," "Polyfperchon," faid he," is the general;" intimating that this was the only point which it became a king to inquire into orknow. In the intercourfe of life he was mild and not eafily provoked, but ardent and quick to repay a kindnefs. For this reafon he was greatly afflicted at the death of ropus. "His friend," he faid, "had only paid the tribute to na"ture, but he blamed and reproached himfelf for putting "off his acknowledgements, till by thefe delays he had "lost the opportunity of making any return. For those "that owe money, can pay it to the heirs of the deceased, "but when a return of kindneffes is not made to a perfon "in his lifetime, it grieves the heart that has any good"nefs and honour in it." When fome advifed him to banish a certain ill-tongued Ambracian who abufed him behind his back, "Let the fellow stay here," faid he, “and speak against me to a few, rather than ramble about, and · give me a bad character to all the world." And fome young men having taken great liberties with his character in their cups, and being afterwards brought to answer for it, he asked them," Whether they had really faid fuch things?" "We did, fir," anfwered one of them, " and "fhould have faid a great deal more, if we had had more "wine." Upon which, he laughed, and difmiffed them. After the death of Antigone, he married feveral wives, for the purposes of intereft and power: namely, the daughter of Autoleon king of the Pæonians; Bircenna, the daughter of Bardyllis king of the Illyrians; and Lanaffa, the daughter of Agathocles of Syracufe, who brought him in dowry the ile of Corcyra, which her father had taken. By Antigone he had a fon named Ptolemy; by Lanaifa he had Alexander; and by Bircenna, his youngest fon Helenus. All thefe princes had naturally a turn for war, and B-5 he There it is This is differently related in the life of Flaminius. faid, that Hanmbal placed Alexander firft, Fyrrhus fecond, and himfelf the third. |