Page:History of Greece Vol XII.djvu/518

 48G HISTORY OF GUELCE. He constituted himself a sort of protector of the Euxine, repri'S- sing the piracies of the Heniochi and Achnei (among; the Caucv- sian mountains to the east) as well as of the Tauri m the Chei*- sonesus (Crimea) ; much to the satisfaction of the Byzantines, Sinopians, and other Pontic Greeks. He received a portion of the fugitives from Kallatis, when besieged by Lysimachus, and provided for them a settlement in his dominions. Having thus acquii*ed great reputation, Eumelus was in the full career of con- quest and aggrandizement, when an accident terminated his life, after a reign of rather more than five years. In returning from Scythia to Pantikapteum, in a four-wheeled carriage (or waggon) and four with a tent upon it, his horses took fright and ran away. Perceiving that they were carrying him towards a precipice, he tried to jump out ; but his sword becoming entangled in the wheel, he was killed on the spot.^ He was succeeded by his son Spartokus IV., who reigned twenty years (304-284 b. c.) ; af- terwards came the son of Spartokus, Parisades II. ; with whose name our information breaks off.- This dynasty, the Spartokidae, though they ruled the Greeks of Bosporus as despots by means of a foreign mercenary force — yet seem to have exercised power with equity and moderation.^ Had Eumelus lived, he might probably have established an ex- tensive empire over the barbaric tribes on all sides of him. But empire over such subjects was seldom permanent ; nor did his successors long maintain even as much as he left. We have no means of following their fortunes in detail ; but we know that about a century B. c, the then reigning prince, Parisades IV., found himself so pressed and squeezed by the Seytbians,* that he was forced (like Olbia and the Pentapolis) to forego his inde- ' Diodor. xx. 25. one Attic Inscription (No. 107), and various Bosporanic (No. 2105, 2106, 2120) ill Boeckh's Collection. Parisades II. — son of -Spartokus — is recof? nized in another Bosporanic Inscription, No. 2107 — seemingly also in No 2120 6. ' Straho, vii. p. 310. Deinarchus however calls Pari«ides, Satyrus, and Gorjxippus, Tov^ tx'^coTovg Tvpuvvovc (adv. Demosth. s. ^4). KpaTTOfih/ovr jieii^cj tov noorepov, etc.
 * Diodor. XX. 100. Spartokus IV. — son of Eumehis — is recognized in
 * Strabo, vii. p. 310. ovx olog re uv ui/Tcxstv Tcpor roiir Pa^Supovg, (jx'ipon