Page:History of Greece Vol XII.djvu/500

 4G8 HISTORY OF GREECE. kinf Darius, and conferred upon Kraterus by Alexander wliec he himself married Statira), for the purpose of espousing Phila daughter of Antipater. Amastris was given in mai-riage to Dio- nysius ; for him, a splendid exaltation — attesting the personal influence which he had previously acquired. His new wife, her- self a woman of ability and energy, brought to him a large sum from the regal treasure, as well as the means of greatly extend- ing his dominion round Herakleia. Noway corrupted by this good fortune, he still persevered both in his conciliating rule at home, and his prudent alliances abroad, making himself especial- ly useful to Antigonus. That great chief, preponderant through- out most parts of Asia Minor, was establishing his ascendency in Bithynia and the neighborhood of the Propontis, by founding the city of Antigonia in the rich plain adjoining the Askanian Lake.' Dionysius lent effective maritime aid to Antigonus, in that war which ended by his conquest of Cyprus from the Egyptian Ptolemy (307 B. c.) To the other Ptolemy, nephew and general of Antigonus, Dionysius gave his daughter in mar- riage ; and even felt himself powerful enough to assume the title of king, after Antigonus, Lysimachus, and the Egyptian Ptole- my had done the like.2 He died, after reigning thirty years with consummate political skill and uninterrupted prosperity — except that during the last few years he lost his health from ex- cessive corpulence.^ Dionysius left three children under age — Kloarchus, Oxa thres and a daughter — by his wife Amastris ; whom he consti- tuted regent, and who, partly through the cordial support of Antigonus, maintained the Herakleotic dominion unimpaired. Presently Lysimachus, king of Thrace and of the Thracian Cher- sonese (on the isthmus of which he had founded the city of Ly- simacheia), coveted this as a valuable alliance, paid his court to Amastris, and married her. The Herakleotic queen thus enjoy- ed double protection, and was enabled to avoid taking a part in the formidable contlict of Ipsus (300 B. c.) ; wherein the allies Lysimachus, Kassander, Ptolemy, and Seleukus were victorious • Strabo, xii. p. 565. • Meninon. c. 4: compare Diodor. x>: 53. •Nymphis, Fiagm. 16. ap. AthcnaeuJt >ii. p 549; yEIian, V. II. ix. 13.