Page:History of Greece Vol XII.djvu/517

 POWEPw OF EUMELUS. 48,'i Prytanis, the next brother, rejectuig an offer of partition ten- dered by Eumelus, assumed the sceptre, and marched forth to continue the struggle. But the tide of fortune now turned in favor of Eumelus ; who took Gargaza with several other places, worsted his brother in battle, and so blocked him up in the isth- mus near the Palus Mteotis, that he was forced to capitulate and resign his pretensions. Eumelus entered Pantikapteum as con- (jueror. Nevertheless, the defeated Prytanis, in spite of his re cent covenant, made a renewed attempt upon the crown ; where- in he was again baffled, forced to escape to Kepi, and there slain. To assure himself of the throne, Eumelus put to death the wives and children of both his two brothers, Satyrus and Prytanis — together with all their principal friends. One youth alone — Parisades, son of Satyrus — escaped and found protec- tion with the Scythian prince Agarus. Eumelus had now put down all rivals ; yet his recent cruel- ties had occasioned wrath and disgust among the Bosporanic cit- izens. He convoked them in assembly, to excuse his past con- duct, and promised good government for the future ; at the same time guaranteeing to them their full civic constitution, with such privileges and immunities as they had before enjoyed, and free- dom from direct taxation, i Such assurances, combined probably with an imposing mercenary force, appeased or at least silenced the prevailing disaffection. Eumelus kept his promises so far as to govern in a mild and popular spirit. While thus rendering himself acceptable at home, he maintained an energetic foreign policy, and made several conquests among the surrounding tribes. Niebuhr; but his reasons for placing Dromichaites king of the Getse (iha victor over Lysimachus), enst of the Borysthenes, are noway satisfactory. Compare Niebuhr's Untersuchungen iiber die Skythen, etc. (in liis Kleine Schriften, p. 380), with Boeckh's Commentary on the Sarmatian Inscrip- tions, Corp. Ins. Gra;c. part xi. p. 83-103. The mention by Diodorus of a wooden fortress, sarronnded bv morass and forest, is curious, and may be illustrated by the description in Ilercdo- fus (iv. 108) of the city of the Budini. This habit, of building towns aiiil fortifications of wood, prevailed among the Slavonic population in Russia and Poland until far down in the middle ages. See Paul Joseph Schaffarik, Slavische Alterhiimer, in the German translation of Wuttkc, vol. i. ch. 10 p. 192; also K. Neumann, Die Hellenen im Skythcnlande, p. 91. 1 Diodor. xx. 24. 40*