of Agathokles in Liparæ, Italy, and Korkyra of Sparta. Operations spent in operations of hostility or plunder against more northerly enemies-the Liparæan isles1-the Italian cities and the Bruttians-the island of KorKleonymus kyra. We are unable to follow his proceedings in detail. He was threatened with a formidable attack2 by the Spartan prince Kleonymus, who was invited by the Tarentines to aid them against the Lucanians and Romans. But Kleonymus found enough to occupy him elsewhere, without visiting Sicily. He collected a considerable force on the coast of Italy, undertook operations with success against the Lucanians, and even captured the town of Thurii. But the Romans, now pushing their intervention even to the Tarentine Gulf, drove him off and retook the town; moreover his own behaviour was so tyrannical and profligate, as to draw upon him universal hatred. Returning from Italy to Korkyra, Kleonymus made himself master of that important island, intending to employ it as a base of operations both against Greece and against Italy3. He failed however in various expeditions both in the Tarentine 1 Diodor. xx. 101. This expedition of Agathokles against the Liparæan isles seems to have been described in detail by his contemporary historian, the Syracusan Kallias: see the Fragments of that author, in Didot's Fragment. Hist. Græc. vol. ii. p. 383. Fragm. 4. 2 Diodor. xx. 104. 3 Diodor. xx. 104; Livy, x. 2. A curious anecdote appears in the Pseudo-Aristotle, De Mirabilibus (78), respecting two native Italians, Aulus and Caius, who tried to poison Kleonymus at Tarentum, but were detected and put to death by the Tarentines. That Agathokles, in his operations on the coast of southern Italy, found himself in conflict with the Romans, and that their importance was now strongly felt-we may judge by the fact, that the Syracusan Kallias (contemporary and historian of Agathokles) appears to have given details respecting the origin and history of Rome. See the Fragments of Kallias, ap. Didot, Hist. Græc. Frag. vol. ii. p. 383; Fragm. 5-and Dionys. Hal. Ant. Rom. i. 72. CHAP. XCVII.] AGATHOKLES MASTER OF KORKYRA. 607 Gulf and the Adriatic. Demetrius Poliorketes and Kassander alike tried to conclude an alliance with him; but in vain'. At a subsequent period, Korkyra was besieged by Kassander with a large naval and military force; Kleonymus then retired (or perhaps had previously retired) to Sparta. Kassander, having reduced the island to great straits, was on the point of taking it, when it was relieved by Agathokles with a powerful armament. That despot was engaged in operations on the coast of Italy against the Bruttians when his aid to Korkyra was solicited; he destroyed most part of the Macedonian fleet, and then seized the island for himself2. On returning from this victorious expedition to the Italian coast, where he had left a detachment of his Ligurian and Tuscan mercenaries, he was informed that these mercenaries had been turbulent during his absence, in demanding the pay due to them from his grandson Archagathus. He caused them all to be slain, to the number of 20003. 289. Last pro Agathokles of his As far as we can trace the events of the last years B.c.300of Agathokles, we find him seizing the towns of Kroton and Hipponia in Italy, establishing an alliance jects of with Demetrius Poliorketes1, and giving his daugh- mutiny ter Lanassa in marriage to the youthful Pyrrhus king grandson of Epirus. At the age of seventy-two, still in the Archagaplenitude of vigour as well as of power, he was ness, projecting a fresh expedition against the Carthaginians in Africa, with two hundred of the largest ships of war, when his career was brought to a close by sickness and by domestic enemies. 1 Diodor. xx. 105. 3 Diodor. xxi. Fragm. 3. p. 266. 2 Diodor. xxi. Fragm. 2. p. 265. 4 Diodor. xxi. Fragm. 4, 8, 11. p. 266–273. thus-sick poisoning, and death of Aga thokles. He proclaimed as future successor to his dominion, his son, named Agathokles; but Archagathus his grandson (son of Archagathus who had perished in Africa), a young prince of more conspicuous qualities, had already been singled out for the most important command, and was now at the head of the army near Etna. The old Agathokles, wishing to strengthen the hands of his intended successor, sent his favoured son Agathokles to Ætna, with written orders directing that Archagathus should yield up to him the command. Archagathus, noway disposed to obey, invited his uncle Agathokles to a banquet, and killed him; after which he contrived the poisoning of his grandfather the old despot himself. The instrument of his purpose was Mænon; a citizen of Egesta, enslaved at the time when Agathokles massacred most of the Egestean population. The beauty of his person procured him much favour with Agathokles; but he had never forgotten, and had always been anxious to avenge, the bloody outrage on his fellow-citizens. To accomplish this purpose, the opportunity was now opened to him, together with a promise of protection, through Archagathus. He accordingly poisoned Agathokles, as we are told, by means of a medicated quill, handed to him for cleaning his teeth after dinner1. Combining together the various accounts, it seems. probable that Agathokles was at the time sick 1 Diodor. xxi. Fragm. 12. p. 276-278. Neither Justin (xxiii. 2) nor Trogus before him, (as it seems from the Prologue) alludes to poison. He represents Agathokles as having died by a violent distemper. He notices however the bloody family feud, and the murder of the uncle by the nephew. CHAP. XCVII.] DEATH OF AGATHOKLES. 609 that this sickness may have been the reason why he was so anxious to strengthen the position of his intended successor-and that his death was as much the effect of his malady as of the poison. Archagathus, after murdering his uncle, seems by means of his army to have made himself real master of the Syracusan power; while the old despot, defenceless on a sick bed, could do no more than provide for the safety of his Egyptian wife Theoxena and his two young children, by despatching them on shipboard with all his rich moveable treasures to Alexandria. Having secured this object, amidst extreme grief on the part of those around, he expired'. genius of action and nefarious resource dispositions thokles. The great lines in the character of Agathokles Splendid are well marked. He was of the stamp of Gelon and the elder Dionysius-a soldier of fortune, who raised himself from the meanest beginnings to of Agathe summit of political power-and who, in the acquisition as well as maintenance of that power, displayed an extent of energy, perseverance, and military resource, not surpassed by any one, even of the generals formed in Alexander's school. He was an adept in that art at which all aspiring men of his age aimed-the handling of mercenary soldiers for the extinction of political liberty and security at home, and for predatory aggrandisement abroad. I have already noticed the opinion delivered by Scipio Africanus-that the elder Dionysius 1 Justin (xxiii. 2) dwells pathetically on this last parting between Agathokles and Theoxena. It is difficult to reconcile Justin's narrative with that of Diodorus; but on this point, as far as we can judge, I think him more credible than Diodorus. VOL. XII. 2 R |