Plutarch: Lives of the noble Grecians and Romans
drunk. And, though I do not think it consistent with humanity
or with civil justice to correct one man's morals by corrupting
those of another, yet we may, I think, avail ourselves of the
cases of those who have fallen into indiscretions, and have, in
high stations, made themselves conspicuous for misconduct; and I
shall not do ill to introduce a pair or two of such examples
among these biographies, not, assuredly, to amuse and divert my
readers, or give variety to my theme, but, as Ismenias, the
Theban, used to show his scholars good and bad performers on the
flute, and to tell them, "You should play like this man," and
"You should not play like that," and as Antigenidas used to say,
Young people would take greater pleasure in hearing good
playing, if first they were set to hear bad, so, and in the same
manner, it seems to me likely enough that we shall be all the
more zealous and more emulous to read, observe, and imitate the
better lives, if we are not left in ignorance of the blameworthy
and the bad.
For this reason, the following book contains the lives of
Demetrius Poliorcetes, and Antonius the Triumvir; two persons
who have abundantly justified the words of Plato, that great
natures produce great vices as well as virtues. Both alike were
amorous and intemperate, warlike and munificent, sumptuous in
their way of living, and overbearing in their manners. And the
likeness of their fortunes carried out the resemblance in their
characters. Not only were their lives each a series of great
successes and great disasters, mighty acquisitions and
tremendous losses of power, sudden overthrows, followed by
unexpected recoveries, but they died, also, Demetrius in actual
captivity to his enemies, and Antony on the verge of it.
Antigonus had by his wife, Stratonice, the daughter of
Corrhaeus, two sons; the one of whom, after the name of his
uncle, he called Demetrius, the other had that of his
grandfather Philip, and died young. This is the most general
account, although some have related, that Demetrius was not the
son of Antigonus, but of his brother; and that his own father
dying young, and his mother being afterwards married to
Antigonus, he was accounted to be his son.
Demetrius had not the height of his father Antigonus, though he
was a tall man. But his countenance was one of such singular
beauty and expression, that no painter or sculptor ever produced
a good likeness of him. It combined grace and strength, dignity
with boyish bloom, and, in the midst of youthful heat and
passion, what was hardest of all to represent was a certain
heroic look and air of kingly greatness. Nor did his character
belie his looks, as no one was better able to render himself
both loved and feared. For as he was the most easy and
agreeable of companions, and the most luxurious and delicate of
princes in his drinking and banqueting and daily pleasures, so
in action there was never anyone that showed a more vehement
persistence, or a more passionate energy. Bacchus, skilled in
the conduct of war, and after war in giving peace its pleasures
and joys, seems to have been his pattern among the gods.
He was wonderfully fond of his father Antigonus; and the
tenderness he had for his mother led him, for her sake, to
redouble attentions, which it was evident were not so much owing
to fear or duty as to the more powerful motives of inclination.
It is reported, that, returning one day from hunting, he went
immediately into the apartment of Antigonus, who was conversing
with some ambassadors, and after stepping up and kissing his
father, he sat down by him, just as he was, still holding in his
hand the javelins which he had brought with him. Whereupon
Antigonus, who had just dismissed the ambassadors with their
answer, called out in a loud voice to them, as they were going,
"Mention, also, that this is the way in which we two live
together;" as if to imply to them that it was no slender mark of
the power and security of his government that there was so
perfect a good understanding between himself and his son. Such
an unsociable, solitary thing is power, and so much of jealousy
and distrust in it, that the first and greatest of the
successors of Alexander could make it a thing to glory in that
he was not so afraid of his son as to forbid his standing beside
him with a weapon in his hand. And, in fact, among all the
successors of Alexander, that of Antigonus was the only house
which, for many descents, was exempted from crime of this kind;
or, to state it exactly, Philip was the only one of this family
who was guilty of a son's death. All the other families, we may
fairly say, afforded frequent examples of fathers who brought
their children, husbands their wives, children their mothers, to
untimely ends; and that brothers should put brothers to death
was assumed, like the postulates of mathematicians, as the
common and recognized royal first principle of safety.
Let us here record an example in the early life of Demetrius,
showing his natural humane and kindly disposition. It was an
adventure which passed betwixt him and Mithridates, the son of
Ariobarzanes, who was about the same age with Demetrius, and
lived with him, in attendance on Antigonus; and although nothing
was said or could be said to his reproach, he fell under
suspicion, in consequence of a dream which Antigonus had.
Antigonus thought himself in a fair and spacious field, where he
sowed golden seed, and saw presently a golden crop come up; of
which, however, looking presently again, he saw nothing remain
but the stubble, without the ears. And as he stood by in anger
and vexation, he heard some voices saying, Mithridates had cut
the golden harvest and carried it off into Pontus. Antigonus,
much discomposed with his dream, first bound his son by an oath
not to speak, and then related it to him, adding, that he had
resolved, in consequence, to lose no time in ridding himself of
Mithridates, and making away with him. Demetrius was extremely
distressed; and when the young man came, as usual, to pass his
time with him, to keep his oath he forbore from saying a word,
but, drawing him aside little by little from the company, as
soon as they were by themselves, without opening his lips, with
the point of his javelin he traced before him the words, "Fly,
Mithridates." Mithridates took the hint, and fled by night into
Cappadocia, where Antigonus's dream about him was quickly
brought to its due fulfillment; for he got possession of a large
and fertile territory; and from him descended the line of the
kings of Pontus, which, in the eighth generation, was reduced by
the Romans. This may serve for a specimen of the early goodness
and love of justice that was part of Demetrius's natural
character.
But as in the elements of the world, Empedocles tells us, out of
liking and dislike, there spring up contention and warfare, and
all the more, the closer the contact, or the nearer the approach
of the objects, even so the perpetual hostilities among the
successors of Alexander were aggravated and inflamed, in
particular cases, by juxtaposition of interests and of
territories; as, for example, in the case of Antigonus and
Ptolemy. News came to Antigonus that Ptolemy had crossed from
Cyprus and invaded Syria, and was ravaging the country and
reducing the cities. Remaining, therefore, himself in Phrygia,
he sent Demetrius, now twenty-two years old, to make his first
essay as sole commander in an important charge. He, whose
youthful heat outran his experience, advancing against an
adversary trained in Alexander's school, and practiced in many
encounters, incurred a great defeat near the town of Gaza, in
which eight thousand of his men were taken, and five thousand
killed. His own tent, also, his money, and all his private
effects and furniture, were captured. These, however, Ptolemy
sent back, together with his friends, accompanying them with the
humane and courteous message, that they were not fighting for
anything else but honor and dominion. Demetrius accepted the
gift, praying only to the gods not to leave him long in
Ptolemy's debt, but to let him have an early chance of doing the
like to him. He took his disaster, also, with the temper not of
a boy defeated in his attempt, but of an old and long-tried
general, familiar with reverse of fortune; he busied himself in
collecting his men, replenishing his magazines, watching the
allegiance of the cities, and drilling his new recruits.
Antigonus received the news of the battle with the remark, that
Ptolemy had beaten boys, and would now have to fight with men.
But not to humble the spirit of his son, he acceded to his
request, and left him to command on the next occasion.
Not long after, Cilles, Ptolemy's lieutenant, with a powerful
army, took the field, and, looking upon Demetrius as already
defeated by the previous battle, he had in his imagination
driven him out of Syria before he saw him. But he quickly found
himself deceived; for Demetrius came so unexpectedly upon him
that he surprised both the general and his army, making him and
seven thousand of the soldiers prisoners of war, and possessing
himself of a large amount of treasure. But his joy in the
victory was not so much for the prizes he should keep, as for
those he could restore; and his thankfulness was less for the
wealth and glory than for the means it gave him of requiting his
enemy's former generosity. He did not, however, take it into
his own hands, but wrote to his father. And on receiving leave
to do as he liked, he sent back to Ptolemy Cilles and his
friends, loaded with presents. This defeat drove Ptolemy out of
Syria, and brought Antigonus from Celaenae, to enjoy the
victory, and the sight of the son who had gained it.
Soon after, Demetrius was sent to bring the Nabathaean Arabs
into obedience. And here he got into a district without water,
and incurred considerable danger, but by his resolute and
composed demeanor he overawed the barbarians, and returned after
receiving from them a large amount of booty, and seven hundred
camels. Not long after, Seleucus, whom Antigonus had formerly
chased out of Babylon, but who had afterwards recovered his
dominion by his own efforts and maintained himself in it, went
with large forces on an expedition to reduce the tribes on the
confines of India and the provinces near Mount Caucasus. And
Demetrius, conjecturing that he had left Mesopotamia but
slenderly guarded in his absence, suddenly passed the Euphrates
with his army, and made his way into Babylonia unexpectedly;
where he succeeded in capturing one of the two citadels, out of
which he expelled the garrison of Seleucus, and placed in it
seven thousand men of his own. And after allowing his soldiers
to enrich themselves with all the spoil they could carry with
them out of the country, he retired to the sea, leaving Seleucus
more securely master of his dominions than before, as he seemed
by this conduct to abandon every claim to a country which he
treated like an enemy's. However, by a rapid advance, he
rescued Halicarnassus from Ptolemy, who was besieging it. The
glory which this act obtained them inspired both the father and
son with a wonderful desire for freeing Greece, which Cassander
and Ptolemy had everywhere reduced to slavery. No nobler or
juster war was undertaken by any of the kings; the wealth they
had gained while humbling, with Greek assistance, the barbarians
being thus employed, for honor's sake and good repute, in
helping the Greeks. When the resolution was taken to begin
their attempt with Athens, one of his friends told Antigonus, if
they captured Athens, they must keep it safe in their own hands,
as by this gangway they might step out from their ships into