Page:Plutarch's Lives (Clough, v.5, 1865).djvu/151

 DEMETRIUS. 143 his choice. So when Pyrrhus accepted their proposals, Demetrius, still in the midst of his preparations, was en- compassed with war on all sides. Ptolemy, with a mighty navy, invaded Greece ; Lysimachus entered Macedonia iipon the side of Thrace, and Pyrrhus, from the Epirot border, both of them spoiling and wasting the country. Demetriu.s, leaving his son to look after Greece, marched to the relief of Macedon, and first of all to oppose Lysi machus. On his way, he received the news that Pyn-hus had taken the city Beroea ; and the report quickly get- ting out among the soldiers, all discipline at once was lost, and the camp was filled with lamentations and tears, anger and execrations on Demetrius; they would stay no longer, they would march off, as they said, to take care of then* country, friends, and families ; but in reality the intention was to revolt to Lysimachus. Demetrius, therefore, thought it his business to keep them as far away as he could from Lysimachus, who was their own countryman, and for Alexander's sake kindly looked upon by many ; they would be ready to fight with Pyrrhus, a new-comer and a foreigner, whom they could hardly prefer to himself. But he found himself under a great mistake in these conjectures. For when he ad- vanced and pitched his camp near, the old admiration for Pyrrhus's gallantry in arms revived again; and as they had been used from time immemorial to suppose that the best king was he that w^as the bravest soldier, so now they were also told of his generous usage of hLs prisoners, and, in short, they were eager to have any one in the place of Demetrius, and well pleased that the man should be Pyrrhus. At first, some straggling parties only deserted, but in a little time the whole army broke out into an universal mutiny, insomuch that at last some of them went up, and told him openly that if he consulted his own safety he were best to make haste to