Page:The American Cyclopædia (1879) Volume V.djvu/794

 790 DEMETRIUS enforced in Russia by detachments of Cossacks. Some of the strongest cities, summoned in the name of the son of Ivan, voluntarily opened their gates ; others were taken. After several victories and repulses, the war was terminated by the sudden death of Boris, and by the Rus- sian commander declaring in favor of Deme- trius. The latter captivated the people by a spectacular display of affection at his meeting with the mother of the prince he personated, who acknowledged him as her son. Boris's son and successor Fedor and his family were surprised in the Kremlin and thrown into pris- on, and the victor entered Moscow in triumph (June, 1605), and was crowned as Czar Deme- trius. Fedor and his mother had been mur- dered, perhaps by his command ; other mem- bers of the family also were made victims of his cruelty or policy, but a daughter of Boris was spared to become his concubine. His reign was marked from the beginning by en- ergy and ability ; but his love of innovations, his undisguised predilection for the culture, in- stitutions, and religion of Poland, and his con- tempt of the customs, superstitions, and igno- rance of his subjects, soon made him the object of national hatred. The arrival of his foreign spouse, with a large train of Polish nobles, war- riors, and Jesuits, the arrogant and reckless be- havior of some of these followers, and rumors of the czar's intended apostasy from the Russian church, finally undermined his throne. A few days after the celebration of his nuptials with Maryna, and her coronation, a band of con- spirators, led by Prince Shuiski, who was in- debted to Demetrius for the pardon of a former plot, assaulted the Kremlin. He defended him- self bravely, but the people rising, he and thou- sands of his men, including nearly all the Poles, were butchered, May 16, 1606. Prince Shuis- ki was proclaimed czar under the name of Ba- sil III., but, being attacked by a new pretend- er, also calling himself Demetrius, and by the Poles and Swedes, was obliged to resign his throne. The origin and previous history of the new Demetrius are unknown ; his abilities were small, but his depredations made him an object of terror, and he even held the capital in siege for 17 months. Some of his men having captured Maryna, who had been released from prison to return to her country, the princess was compelled to acknowledge him as her law- ful husband. But the pretender was soon after (1610) murdered by a Tartar chief of his guards, and the tzaritza perished, according to some, in the waters of the Ural, but according to others in prison. Even after the accession of the house of Romanoff to the throne of Mos- cow (1613), the convulsions caused by pretend- ers, one of whom called himself the son of the first of them, were but slowly suppressed. The history of the first samozvanetz has been poet- ically embellished by Bulgarin, Pushkin, and Khomiakoff, and made the subject of an un- finished drama by Schiller. See Les faux De- metrius, by Prosper Merim6e (Paris, 1854). DEMETRIUS POLIORCETES DEMETRIUS PHALEREUS (so called from being a native of the deme of Phalerus), an Athenian orator and statesman, born about 345 B. C., died about 282. He studied under the philoso- pher Theophrastus, and began his political ca- reer in 325, as a champion of the democratic or anti-Macedonian party. This party being ex- pelled from power, he went into exile, but was afterward reconciled with his former oppo- nents ; and when, in 3 IT, Cassander of Macedon became virtually master of Athens, he made Demetrius governor, supported by a Macedo- nian garrison. He ruled Athens ten years with success, but perverted the revenues of the state to his personal use. His popularity was great, and the Athenians erected in his honor as many statues as their year contained days (360), but these were broken in 307. Condemned to death in his absence, he went to Thebes, and afterward to Egypt. He was well treated by Ptolemy I., but was banished to the upper part of the country by his successor, where he is said to have died of the bite of a snake. He composed writings on a large number of sub- jects, but none of them has come down to us, the book "On Elocution" attributed to him being spurious. DEMETRIUS POLIORCETES (taker of cities, from Gr. Tro^o/o/ceZv, to besiege), a king of Mace- donia, born about 338 B. C., died in 283. He was the son of Antigonus, who in the first divi- sion of the Macedonian empire received several provinces of Asia Minor for his share. In the wars of his father against Eumenes and Ptole- my, Demetrius early exhibited valor and skill. Commanding in Syria, he was defeated by Ptolemy in the battle of Gaza (312 B. C.), but soon restored the balance of the war by a vic- tory over one of his generals. A treaty of peace was concluded soon after, but was of short duration. More decisive were his services to his father in the expedition to. Greece, the most important places of which had been oc- cupied and garrisoned by Cassander, son of Antipater of Macedon. Sailing from Ephesus to Athens in 307, Demetrius entered without resistance the harbor of the Pirseus with his fleet, which was mistaken for that of Egypt. Demetrius Phalereus, who had ruled Athens ten years in allegiance to Macedon, was com- pelled to retire to Thebes ; Munychia and Me- gara, defended by garrisons in the interest of Cassander, were unable to withstand the besieger, and finally he triumphantly entered Athens. Having announced the restoration of the ancient democratic institutions, and prom- ised distributions of corn and ship timber, he was received as god and saviour (eurfp) by the people. Summoned to the assistance of his father in his war against Ptolemy in Cyprus, he crossed over to that island, defeated the Egyp- tian fleet, and made himself master of all Cy- prus ; after which both he and his father as- sumed the title of king, and their example was followed by Ptolemy, Lysimachus, and Seleu- cus, the rival potentates of Egypt, Thrace, and