The fiege being thus raised, after it had contiued a whole year, the Rhodians amply rewarded all those who had diftinguifhed themfelves in defence of their country. They likewife fet up ftatues to Ptolemy, Caffander, and Lyfimachus; but to express their gratitude to Ptolemy above the reft, they abfurdly paid him divine honours, gave him the name of Soter or faviour, and confecrated to him a fquare grove in the city, enclofing it with a fumptuous portico which was a furlong in length. Demetrius, at his departure, made the Rhodians a prefent of his military engines, which being fold, the money raised by the fale ferved in part for erecting their famous Coloflus (A). The Rhodians having finifhed this war, applied themfelves with great induftry to trade and navigation, which foon ren-. dered them the moit opulent and flourishing ftate of all Greece. Tho' they endeavoured, to the utmost of their power, to cul- A war betivate peace with their neighbours, yet they could not help be- twixt the ing involved a few years after in a war with the Byzantines. Ac- Rhodians cording to Polybius, the Byzantines being obliged to pay a yearly and Bytribute of 80 talents to the Gauls, who had fettled within a few zantin s. miles of their city, in order to raise this fum came to a refolu- Bef. Chr. tion of laying a toll on all the fhips that traded to the Pontic fea. The Rhodians immediately complained of this new tax. at Byzantium; but their remonftrances having no effect, they declared war against the Byzantines, and folicited the affiftance of Prufias king of Bithynia. The allies of the Byzantines were Attalus king of Pergamus, and Achæus, who had revolted from Antiochus, and was in poffeffion of all Afia on the weft fide of mount Taurus. 224. While the Rhodian fleet ravaged the coafts of the Byzantine Prufas territories, and feized all their fhips trading to the Pontic fea, king of Prufias poffeffed himfelf of Hieron, and feized all that portion Bithynia of Myfia which the Byzantines had enjoyed for many ages, affis the The Rhodians foon after prevailed on their ally Ptolemy to de- Rhodians. liver up to them Andromachus, the father of Achæus, who had been prifoner in Egypt for fome time; and having restored him to his fon without ranfom, they by that means gained over Achaus to their party. The Byzantines, on the other hand, fent to Macedon for Tibites, the nephew of Prufias, and pretender to his kingdom, hoping by his means to raise disturbances in Bithynia; but he dying on his journey, their bad fuc (A) Protogenes, one of the most famous painters of antiquity, had a houfe in the fuburbs of Rhodes when Demetrius invested the place, in which he continued notwithftanding the approach of the enemy. The king afking him why he did not, like the other inhabitants, fave himself within the walls; Protogenes replied, that he M m 4 ceffes Peace ceffes began to make them think of peace, which was accordconcluded ingly concluded on the following terms; namely, that the Bybetween xantines fhould forbear exacting toll on fhips trading to the the Rho- Pontic fea, and that Prufias fhould reftore to the Byzantines dians and all the lands, towns, people, &c, which he had taken during Byz nthe war. tines. A dreadful earth quake at Rhodes. 203. About this time happened that dreadful earthquake which threw down the famous Coloffus, the arfenal, and great part of the walls of the city of Rhodes. The Rhodians prudently improved this calamity to their advantage, fending ambafladors to all the princes and ftates of the Greek name, who exaggerating their loffes, procured immenfe fums for the repairing of them. Hiero king of Syracufe prefented them with 100 talents, and exempted from all duties fuch as traded to Rhodes. Ptolemy king of Egypt gave them 100 talents, 1,000,000 of measures of wheat, materials for building 20 quinqueremes and 20 triremes, and befides fent them 100 architects, 300 workmen, whofe wages he paid himself, and materials for repairing their public buildings to a great value. Antigonus gave them co talents of filver, with 10,000 beams of timber, 7000 planks, 3000 pounds of iron, as many of pitch and rofin, and 1000 measures of tar. Chryfeis, a woman of diftinction, fent them 100,000 measures of wheat, and 3000 pounds of lead. Antiochus exempted them from all duties in his dominions, and prefented them with 10 gallies and 200,000 measures of corn, with many other things of great value. In fhort, all the Greek towns and nations, both in Europe and Afta, contributed according to their ability to the relief of the Rhodians on this occafion; fo that their city foon attained to an higher pitch of riches and splendor than ever. The Rho- The Rhodians, a few years after, engaged in a war with dians affilt Philip king of Macedon, who without any provocation had inAttalus vaded the territories of Attalus king of Pergamus. Because the against Rhodians feemed to favour him, Philip fent one Heraclides to Philip of fet fire to their fleet, and alfo endeavoured to ftir up the Cretans Macedon. against them. The Rhodians, provoked by thefe proceedings, Bef. Chr. declared war against Philip, who at firft gained a fmall advantage over them near the island of Lada. The following year, however, their fleet, in conjunction with that of Attalus, gained a fignal victory over him near the island of Chios. Three thoufand Macedonians, and 6000 of their allies, were flain, and 2000 Macedonians were taken prifoners, the Rhodians having loft in all but 60 men, and Attalus 70. After this victory the two fleets failed to Agina, in hopes of intercepting Philip in his return; but failing in their attempt, they proceeded to the port of Athens, and renewed their alliance with the Athenians, who paid them extraordinary honours, particularly prefenting the Rhodians with a crown of gold, and making all the inha bitants of Rhodes free of Athens. The Rhodians returned foon after to their own ifland, and in their paffage drew into their confederacy all the Cyclades, except Andros, Pares, and Cythnos. While While the Rhodians and Attalus were lofing time in negociaions with the inhabitants of the Cyclades and Egina, Philip mployed himself in action, and having fent a part of his forces o ravage the territory of Athens, marched himself into Thrace, where he took Meronea and Enos, and making himself master of all the caftles along the fhore, paffed on from thence to the Thracian Cherfonefe, where he took feveral cities. From thence War depaffing over the Hellefpont, he laid fiege to Abydos, which city, clared afor fome time, ftopped his progrefs. The Rhodians had in the gainftPhivery beginning of this war entered into an alliance with Rome, lip by the and being alarmed by his rapid progrefs, now made complaints Romans. against him to the Romans, as though he intended to enflave the Bef. Chr. Greeks in Europe and Afia. Philip paying no regard to the interpofition of the Romans, in behalf of the Greeks, war was proclaimed againft him at Rome, and Sulpitius, the conful, fent with an army into Macedon. The Rhodians early in the following fpring fent zo gallies to join Attalus and Apuftius, the Roman admiral. The Macedonians not venturing to put to fea, the confederate fleet made themfelves mafters of Oreos, a ftrong city on the coaft of Eubea, and ravaged the neighbouring countries that adhered to Philip: The next year the Rhodians, in conjunction with Attalus and the Roman admiral Quintius, ravaged the country of the Caryflii, and took Eretria, near the Euripus, and Caryftus by affault. They likewife reduced Cenchrea, one of the ports of Corinth, and affifted the conful in the fiege of that important city, which, however, baffled all their efforts. 201. The Rhodians, in the mean time, by their own forces alone, The Rhorecovered Peraa, a fmall province of Caria, that had been for- dians remerly subject to them. Their prætor, Paufiftratus, landed in cover the Caria, at the head of 2900 men, and was foon after reinforced province with 1000 Achæan foot and 100 horfe. With this fmall army of Perea,* Paufiftratus defeated the Macedonians, and recovered all Perea; and defeat but having given the Macedonians leifure to fupply Stratonice the Macewith provifions, he was not able to reduce that city. donians. 197. Antiochus the Great about this time having in one campaign Bef. Chr. reduced Phoenice, Cælefyria, and Judea, refolved to carry his arms into Europe; and while his army affembled at Sardis, under the command of his two fons, Ardyes and Mithridates, he, with a powerful fleet of 100 large gallies, and 200 other gallies, reduced the cities on the coafts of Caria and Cilicia, that were fubject to the king of Egypt. The Rhodians on this occafion gave a fignal proof of their zeal for the common interefts of Greece, and of their attachment to the Romans. While Antiochus was befieging Coracefium, an important place in Cilicia, the Rhodians fent an embaffy to him, and threatened him with war if he advanced beyond Nephelis, a promontory of Cilicia. Antiochus, though not a little offended, anfwered, that he would. take care not to quarrel with the Rhodians or the Romans; that he would fent ambassadors to renew the ancient treaties which his ancestors had made with Rhodes, and that he had always been the Romans, been defirous of living in amity with the Romans. Antiochus, nevertheless, reduced Coracefium, Coricus, Andriace, Limyra, Patara, Xanthus, all which cities belonged to Ptolemy, and laftly Ephefus itfelf. The Romans having in the mean time entirely defeated Philip at Cynocephale, were enabled to put a stop to the conquefts of Antiochus. The RhoA peace about the fame time being concluded between Philip dians pro- and the Romans, the Rhodians, by the articles of the treaty, tected by were put in poffeffion of Stratonice, and the beft part of Caria. In the war foon after proclaimed by the Romans against Antiochus, they affifted the former to the utmost of their power. They fent 30 fhips of war to join the Roman admiral; but Paufiftratus, who commanded them, being drawn into a negociation who re- with Polyxenidas, the Syrian admiral, who was a Rhodian exile, ceive af- and promised to deliver the Syrian fleet into his hands, fuffered fiftance himself to be deceived by him, and to be surprised in the island from them of Samos. The Rhodians were at firft attacked in the night, against when they were on fhore, and retreating to their gallies, atAntiochus. tempted to escape to fea, but the galley of Paufiftratus being funk by the enemy, they were thrown into great confufion, fo that only feven veffels of the whole fleet efcaped; and being met by fome Eretrian gallies, failed to the Hellefpont, and joined the Roman fleet, which was carrying on the fiege of Abydos. The Rhodians, not difcouraged with their late lofs, fitted out zo gallies, which, under the command of Eudamus, joined the Roman admiral at Samos. The confederate fleet from thence proceeded to Ephefus, and challenged the Syrians to an engagement at land: but the challenge was not accepted. Part of the fleet afterwards made an unfuccessful attempt upon Patara; but proceeding to Adramyttium, obliged Antiochus to retire from thence to Sardis. fea. The Rho- Eudamus returned to Rhodes, but foon after hearing that a dians de- formidable fleet was coming out of Syria, under the command feat Han- of the famous Hannibal, he reinforced his fquadron with 17 nibal by other fhips, and went out to meet him. The two fleets engaged on the coafts of Pamphylia, and though the Syrian fleet was fuperior to the Rhodian, both in the largenefs and number of fhips, yet the Rhodians gained the victory, and deftroying fome of the veffels of the enemy, blocked up the reft in the ports of Pamphylia. Eudamus leaving Chariclitus with part of the fleet to block up Hannibal, joined the Roman admiral at Samos with feven great fhips. The Rhodians not long after fent another fquadron to join the Roman admiral, who, by their affiftance, entirely defeated the Syrian fleet off the island of Teos, and deftroyed 42 of their beft fhips. Antiochus not long after being entirely defeated at land near Magnefia, was obliged to conclude a peace with the Romans. After the conclufion of this peace the Romans were inclined to confer all their conquefts in Afia Minor upon Eumenes, king of Pergamus, in confideration of the fervices he and his father had performed to their republic. The Rhodian deputies at Rame, how however, interceding in behalf of the Afiatic Greek cities, and begging that they might not be declared fubject to Eumenes, the fenate granted their requeft. Lycaonia, the two Phrygias, and Myfia, were given to Eumenes; and Lycia, part of Caria next to Rhodes, and part of Pifidia, were beftowed on the Rhodians; but in both thefe difpofitions thole cities were excepted which enjoyed their liberty before the war. The Lycians, who had been fubjected to the Rhodians, being The Rhocruelly oppreffed by them, fent deputies to Rome to reprefent their dians regrievances to the Roman fenate. The Romans being touched with warded compaffion, fent a letter by the fame deputies to the Rhodians, de- by the firing them to treat the Lycians with mildness, as allies of the people Romans. of Rome, tho' fubject to them. The Rhodians, however, ftill continuing to govern them in a tyrannical manner, the Lycians at length revolted; but were foon reduced and treated with great feverity. The Lycians again had recourse to the Romans, who willingly The Lypatronized them, being offended at the Rhodians for conveying cians op with their fleet Laodice, the daughter of Seleucus, to her husband preffed by Perfes. The fenate therefore appointed commiffioners to com- the Rhopose matters between the Lycians and Rhodians, which proceed- dians. ing gave fome difguft to the latter, who, nevertheless, complied with the injunctions of the commiffioners. As Perfes, king of Macedon, at this time was making great warlike preparations, which gave fome umbrage to the Romans, who were informed of them by Eumenes, the Rhodians fent one of their chief men, named Satyrus, to Rome, to clear them from all fufpicion of The Rhofavouring Perfes. Satyrus acting in an imprudent and vehement dians fufmanner, the Romans were thereby more confirmed in their fuf- pected by picions of the Rhodians, and as they were then on the point of the Rodeclaring war against Perfes, they fent three commiffioners to mans. the coafts of Afia, to watch the motions of the Rhodians. Thefe deputies upon their arrival at Rhodes were surprised to find a fleet of 40 fail ready equiped in the harbour, which they foon found were defigned by the Rhodians as fuccours for their republic against Perfes. This forwardness of the Rhodians was entirely owing to their prytanis, or chief magiftrate, named Hegefilochus, who was entirely attached to the Romans (T). The Roman deputies were fcarce reimbarked, when ambaffadors arrived at Rhodes from Perfes, and being admitted to an audience, ufed their utmost endeavours to perfuade the Rhodians to ftand neuter till war was openly declared. All the answer they received from the fenate was, "We intreat Perfes to afk nothing of us which may be prejudicial to the interefts of "Rome. Not long after, the war breaking out between Perfes and the Romans, the Rhodians fent fome of their gallies to join the Roman admiral, but the greatest number of their fhips of (T) The Prytanis among the Rhodians had much the fame power and authority as the prætor in the other states of Greece; but was war |