Page:History of Greece Vol XII.djvu/502

 470 HISTORY OF GREECE. atrocity, exciting universal abhorrence among the subjects of Lysimachus, enabled liis rival Seleukus to attack him with suc- cess. In a great battle fought between these two princes, Lysi- machus was defeated and slain — by the hand and javelin of a citizen of Herakleia, named Malakon.^ This victory transferred the dominions of the vanquished prince to Seleukus. At Herakleia too, its effect was so power- ful, that the citizens were enabled to shake off their despotism. They at first tried to make terms with the governor Herakleides, offering liim money as an inducement to withdraw. From him they obtained only aii angry refusal ; yet his subordinate officers of mercenaries, and commanders of detached posts in the Herak- leotic territory, mistrusting their own power of holding out, ac- cepted an amicable compromise with the citizens, who tendered to them full liquidation of arrears of pay, together with the citi- zenship. The Herakleots were thus enabled to discard Herak- leides, and regain their popular government. They signalized their revolution by the impressive ceremony of demolishing their Bastile — the detaclied fort or stronghold within the city, which had served for eighty-four years as the characteristic symbol, and indispensable engine, of the antecedent despotism." The oily, now again a free commonwealth, was farther reinforced by the junction of Nymphis (the historian) and other Herakleotic citizens, who had hitherto been in exile. These men were re- stored, and welcomed by their fellow-citizens in fuU friendship and harmony ; yet with express proviso, that no demand should be made for the restitution of their properties, long since confis- cated.^ To the victor Seleukus, however, and his officer Aphro- disius, the bold bearing of the newly-emancipated Herakleots proved offensive. They would probably have incurred great danger from him, had not his mind been first set upon the con- quest of Macedonia, in the accomplishment of which he was murdered by Ptolemy Keraunus. The Herakleots thus became again a commonwealth of free citizens, without any detached citadel or mercenary garrLson ; yet they lost, seemingly thi-ough the growing force and aggres • ' Memnon, c. 7, 8 * Mcmnon, c. 9 ; Strabo, xii p. 542.
 * Memnon, el).