Page:History of Greece Vol XII.djvu/413

 DEMETRIUS IN ASIA. 381 Grecian cities, where resolutions might be taken for the common intei'ests of Greece.* It was his interest at this moment to raise up a temporary self-sustaining authority in Greece, for the pur- pose of upholding the alliance with himself, during the absence of Demetrius ; whom he was compelled to summon into Asia with his army — requiring his services for the war against Pto- lemy in Syria and Cyprus. The following three years were spent by Demetrius — 1. In victorious operations near Cyprus, defeating Ptolemy and mak- ing himself master of that island ; after which Antigonus and Demetrius assumed the title of kings, and the example was fol- lowed by Ptolemy, in Egypt — by Lysimachus, in Thrace — and by Seleukus in Babylonia, Mesopotamia, and Syria'2 — thus abol- ishing even the titular remembrance of Alexander's family. 2. In an unsuccessful invasion of Egypt by land and sea, repulsed with great loss. 3. In the siege of Rhodes. The brave and in- telligent citizens of this island resisted for more than a year the most strenuous attacks and the most formidable siege-equipments of Demetrius Poliorketes. All their efforts however would have been vain had they not been assisted by large reinforcements and supplies from Ptolemy, Lysimachus, and Kassander. Such are the conditions under which alone even the most resolute and intelligent Greeks can now retain their circumscribed sphere of autonomy. The siege was at length terminated by a compro- mise ; the Rhodians submitted to enrol themselves as allies of Demetrius, yet under proviso not to act against Ptolemy.^ To- wards the latter they carried their grateful devotion so far, as to erect a temple to him, called the Ptolemaeum, and to worship him (under the sanction of the oracle of Ammon) as a god.* Amidst the rocks and shoals through which Grecian cities were now condemned to steer, menaced on every side by kings more powerful than themselves, and afterwards by the giant-republic of Rome — the Rhodians conducted their political affairs with greater prudence and dignity than any other Grecian city. 1 Diodor. xx. 46. * Diodor. xx. 53 ; Plutarch, Demetr. 18, ' Diodor. xx. 99. Probably this proviso extended also to Lysimachus and Kassander (both of whom had assisted Rhodes) as well as to Ptolemy — though Diodorus does not expressly say so * Diodor. xx. 100.