Page:History of Greece Vol XII.djvu/376

 344 HISTORY OF GREKCE. otlicr respects, she was placed on the same footing as in the days of Philip and Alexander. "All the Greeks (concluded tliis proclamation) shall pass decrees, forbidding every one either to bear arms or otherwise act in hostility against us — on pain of exile and confiscation of goods, for himself and his family. On this and on all other matters, we have ordered Polysperchon to take proper measures. Obey him — as we have before written you to do ; for we shall not omit to notice those who on any point disregard our proclamation." ^ Such was the new edict issued by the kings, or rather by Po- lysperchon in their names. It directed the removal of all the garrisons, and the subversion of all the oligarchies, established by Antipater after the I/amian war. It ordered the recall of the host of exiles then expelled. It revived the state of things prevalent before the death of Alexander — which indeed itself had been, for the most part, an aggregate of macedonizing oli- garchies interspersed with Macedonian garrisons. To the exist- ing Antipatrian oligarchies, however, it was a deathblov.^ ; and so it must have been understood by the Grecian envoys — in- cluding probably deputations from the exiles, as well as envoys from the civic governments — to whom Polysperchon delivered it at Pclla. Not content with the general edict, Polysperchon addressed special letters to Argos and various other cities, com- manding that the Antipatrian leading men should be banished with confiscation of property, and in some cases put .to death; 2 the names being probably furnished to him by the exiles. Last- 1^'^, as it was clear that such stringent measures could not be exe- cuted without force, — the rather as these oligarchies would be upheld by Kassander from without — Polysperchon resolved to conduct a large military force into Greece ; sending thither first, ' Diodor. xviii. 56. In this chapter the proclamation is piven verbatim. For the exceptions made in respect to Amphissa, Trikka. Ilerakleia, etc we do not know the grounds. Reference is made to prior edicts of the kings — vfielc ovv, Ka^Suirep vfjiv Kai ■^rporepov eypuipauev, UKoi'STE tovtov {YLo?.va~ipxovroc). These words must allude to written answers given to particular cities, in reply to speciaJ applications. No general proclamation, earlier than this, can iiavi beea issued since the death of Antipater.
 * Diodor. xviii. 57.