Page:Dictionary of Greek and Roman Geography Volume II.djvu/1211

 TIIRACIA. scrupulous monaicli at once began his career of aggrandisement towards the east. He contrived to get possession of Aniphipolis (b. c. 358), and thus obtained a secure footinfj from which he might ex- tend his dominions in Thrace as opportunity offered. At this time there were three native Thracian princes, probably brothers, who seem to have ruled over most of the country. According to Justin (viii. 3), Be- risades and Amadocus, two of them, chose Philip as judge of their disputes; of which position he trea- cherously availed himself to seize upon their domi- nions. Though this statement is not supported, we believe, by any other ancient author, yet it is pro- bably true; for such conduct is highly characteristic of the Macedonian monarch ; and the almost entire disappearance from history of these Thracian princes soon after Philip's accession, would thus be ac- counted for. Cersobleptes, the third brother, who seems to have had the E. portion of Thrace, maintained a long struggle against his ambitious neighbour. In b. c. 357 he ceded the Cherso- nesus to the Athenians, who sent a colony to occupy it four years afterwards. [See Cerso- bleptes, Diet. Biog. Vol. I. p. 674 : Sestus.] Philip at various times marched into Thrace, and repeatedly defeated Cersobleptes, whom he at length (b. c. 343) completely subdued and rendered tribu- tary. Next year he established colonies in the east- ern part of Thrace, and acts of hostility occurred between him and Diopeithes, the Athenian commander in that quarter. Philip was occupied the nest three years in Thrace, and laid siege to Perinthus and Byzantium, which were in alliance with Athens, ■whose forces, commanded by Phocion, compelled Philip to abandon the sieges; and he soon afterwards left Thrace, to advance towards the south against the confederate Greeks. On his departure Phocion re- covered several of the cities in which Macedonian garrisons had been placed. Notwithstanding these checks, Philip had brought under his command a great part of Thrace, especially on the south coast: he had, above all, completely in- corporated with his kingdom the district between the Strymon and the Nestus, and from the mines of the Pangaeus, which he seized in b. c. 356, he ob- tained abundant supplies of the precious metals. Philip was assassinated B. c. 336: next year his successor, Alexander the Great, marched across the Haemus to attack the Triballi; but his chief atten- tion was bestowed upon the preparations for the Asiatic expedition, which he entered upon next year, crossing the Hellespont from Sestus. On die death of Alexander (b. c. 323), Thrace was allotted to Lysimachus, who was soon involved in hostilities with Seuthes, a king of the Odrysae. The reader is referred to the account of Lysimachus [^Dict. Biog. Vol. II. pp. 867 — 870] for details respect- ing his government of Thrace : the result of his various wars was that his sway was firmly established over all the countries south of the Danube, as far as the confines of Macedonia; the Greek cities on the Euxine were garrisoned by his troops; and though many of the native tribes, in the more inaccessible districts, no doubt retained their freedom, yet ho had completely defeated all their attacks upon his power. In b. c. 309 he founded Lysimachia, near the northern extremity of the Chersonesus and made it his capital. Having engaged in a war with Se- leucus, the ruler of Syria, he advanced to meet his antagonist in Asia, and was defeated and slain at Corupedion (b. c. 281), upon which Seleucus passed THRACIA. 1187 over into Europe and took possession of Tlirace. Next year, however, he was assassinated by Ptolemy Ceraunus, who was thereupon acknowledged king; but shortly afterwards a vast horde of Celts invaded the country, and Ptolemy was .slaiu in a battle with them. Anarchy now prevailed for some years in the country: the Celts again advanced to the south in B. c. 279, and under Brennus penetrated as far as Delphi, on their repulse from which they retreated northwards, and some of them settled on the coast of Thrace. For nearly fifty years after this time little mention is made of Thrace in history ; it appears to have been annexed to Macedonia ; but the rulers of that kingdom were too insecure, even in their central do- minions, to be able to exercise much control over such a country as Thrace, inhabited now by races differing so widely as the Thracians, the Greeks, and the Celts, and offering so many temptations to the assertion of independence. [See Antigonus Gon.v- TAS, Demetrius II., and Pyrrhcs, in Diet. Biog.'] About B.C. 247, the fleet of Ptolemy Euergetea captured Lysimachia and other important cities on the coast; and they remained for nearly half a cen- tury under the kings of Egypt. (Polyb. v. 34, 58.) In B. c. 220, Philip V. ascended the throne of Macedonia. Under him the Macedonian power re- gained something of its old prestige; and had it not been brought iu collision with Rome, it m.ight have become as extensive as in former times. But Philip unfortunately directed his ambitious views in the first instance towards the West, and thus soon en- countered the jealous Republic. It was not till B.C. 211 that Philip commenced his enterprises against Thrace: he then led an army into the country of the Maedi, who were in the habit of making incursions into Macedonia. Their lands were laid waste, and their capital, lamphorina, compelled to surrender. Having made peace with the Romans (is. c. 205), he invaded Thrace, and took Lysimachia. In b. c. 200, he again attacked that country, both by sea and land; and it is evident that he did not anticipate much resistance, since he took with him only 2000 infantry and 200 cavalry. Yet with this insignifi- cant force, aided by the fleet, he made himself master of the whole of the south coast, and of the Chersonesus. He then laid siege to Abydos, and after a desperate resistance took it (Liv. xxxi. 16). This seems to have hastened the declaration of war on the part of the Romans ; a war which lasted till B.C. 196, when Philip was reduced to procure peace by surrendering all his conquests, and withdrawing his garrisons from the Greek cities (Liv. xxxiii. 30). L. Stertinius was sent to see that these terms were complied with {;ib. 35). But scarcely had the cities been evacuated by the Macedonian garrisons, when Antiochus the Great crossed the Ilelli'>p(iiit, and took possession of the Chersonesus, which ho claimed as a conquest of Seleucus (Jb. 38). He refused to comply with the demand of the Romans, that ho should withdraw liis army from Europe ; but left his son Seleucus to complete the restoration of Lysimachia, and to extend his influence, which secnm to have been done by placing garrisons in Maroneia and Aenus. In the war which ensued between the Romans and Antiochus (b. c. 190), Philip rendered the former good service, by providing everything necessary for their march throuf^h Thrace, and securing them from molestation by the n.itive tribes (Liv. xxxvii. 7). Antiochus was defeated by Scipio at Magnesia, and 4o 2