Page:History of Greece Vol XII.djvu/495

 KLEARCHUS Ol' IIERAKLKIA. .163, over the minds of soldiers. Hence his friends, and a party in Herakleia, became anxious to recall him, as moderator and pro- tector under the grievous political discords prevailing. It was the oligarchical party who invited him to come back, at the head of a body of ti'oops, as their auxiliary in keeping down the plebs. Klearchus accepted their invitation ; but with the full pui-pose of making himself the Dionysius of Herakleia. Obtaining from ]VIithridates a powerful body of mercenaries, under secret prom- ise to hold the city only as his prefect, he marched thither with the proclaimed purpose of maintaining order, and upholding the government. As his mercenary soldiers were soon found trou- blesome companions, he obtained permission to construct a sepa- rate stronghold in the city, under color of keeping them apart ia the stricter discipline of a barrack.' Having thus secured a strong position, he invited Mithridates into the city, to receive the promised possession ; but instead of perfoi-ming this engage- ment, he detained the prince as prisoner, and only released him on payment of a considerable ransom. He next cheated, still more grossly, the oligarchy who had recalled him ; denouncing their past misrule, declaring himself their mortal enemy, and es- pousing the pretensions as well as the antipathies of the plebs. The latter willingly seconded him in his measures — even ex- treme measures of cruelty and spoliation — against their political enemies. A large number of the rich were killed, imprisoned, or impoverished and banished ; their slaves or serfs, too, were not only manumitted by order of the new despot, but also mar- ried to the wives and daughters of the exiles. The most tragi- cal scenes arose out of these forced marriages ; many of the women even killed themselves, some after having first killed their new husbands. Among the exiles, a party, driven to de- spair, procured assistance from without, and tried to obtain by force readmittance into the city ; but they were totally defeated ' Po]_va;nus, ii. 30, 1 ; Justin, xvi. 4. '"A quibus revocatus in patrirtin, per quos in arce collocatus fuerat," etc. ^neas (Polioiket. c. 12) cites this proceeding as an example of the mis- take made by a political party, in calling in a greater number of mercenary auxiliaries than they could manage or keep in order.