Page:History of Greece Vol XII.djvu/462

 430 HISTORY OF GKEECE, They covenanted to pay 500 talents, — to surrender to him hali of their war-chariots for his ulterior projects — and to leave him in possession of ApoUonia. While he plundered the merchants in the liarbor, he proclaimed his intention of subjugating the in- dependent Libyan tribes, and probably of stretching his con- quests to Carthage.^ His schemes were however frustrated by one of his own otRcers, a Kretan named Mnasikles ; who desert- ed to the Kyreneans, and encouraged them to set aside the re- cent convention. Thimbron, after seizing such citizens of Ky- rene as happened to be at ApoUonia, attacked Kyr^ne itself, but •was repulsed ; and the Kyreneans were then bold enough to in- vade the territory of Barka and Hesperides. To aid them, Thimbron moved his quarters from ApoUonia ; but during his absence, Mnasikles contrived to surprise that valuable port ; thus mastering at once his base of operations, the station for his tleet, and all the baggage of his soldiers. Thimbror-'s fleet could not be long maintained without a harbor. The seamen, landing here and there for victuals and water, were cut off by the native Libyans, while the vessels were dispersed by storms.^ The Kyreneans, now full of hope, encountered Thimbron in the field, and defeated him. Yet though reduced to distress, he contrived to obtain possession of Teucheira ; to which port he in- voked as auxiliaries 2500 fresh soldiers, out of the loose merce- nary bands dispersed near Cape Tsenarus in Peloponnesus. This reinforcement again put him in a condition for battle. The Kyreneans on their side also thought it necessary to obtain suc- cor, partly from the neighboring Libyans, pailly from Carthage. They got together a force stated as 30,000 men, with which they met him in the field. But on this occasion they were totally routed, Avith the loss of all their generals and much of their army. Thimbron was now in the fuU tide of success ; he press- ed both Kyreng and the harbor so vigorously, that famine began to prevail, and sedition broke out among the citizens. The oli- garcliical men, expelled by the mora popular party, sought shel- ter, some in the camp of Thimbrop, come at the court of Ptole- my in Egypt.' ' Diodor. xviii. 19. * Diodor. xvii. 20. ^ Diodor. xviii. 21.