SECT. IX. Artaxerxes Mnemon undertakes the Reduction of Egypt. Iphicrates the Athenian is ap pointed General of the Athenian Troops. The Enterprife mifcarries by the ill Conduct of Pharnabafus the Perfian General. RTAXERXES, after having given his people a relaxation of feveral years, had formed the de fign of reducing Egypt, which had fhaken off the Perfian yoke long before, and made great preparations for war for that purpose. Achoris, who then reigned in Egypt, and had given Evagoras powerful aid against the Perfians, forefeeing the ftorm, raised abundance of troops of his own fubjects, and took into his pay a great body of Greeks, and other auxiliary foldiers, of whom Chabrias had the command. He had accepted that office without the authority of the republic. Pharnabafus, having been charged with this war, fent to Athens to complain that Chabrias had engaged himself to serve against his master, and threatened the republic with the king's refentment, if he was not immediately recalled. He demanded, at the fame time, Iphicrates, another Athenian, who was looked upon as one of the most excellent captains of his time, to give him the command of the body of Greek troops in the fervice of his mafter. The Athenians, who had a great intereft in the continuance of the king's friendship, recalled Chabrias, and ordered him, upon pain of death, to repair to Athens by a certain day. Iphicrates was fent to the Perfian army. The preparations of the Perfians went on fo flowly, that two whole years elapfed before they entered upon action. Achoris, king of Egypt, died in that time, and was fucceeded by Pfammuthis, who reigned but a year. Nephreritus was the next, and four months after Nectanebis, who reigned ten or twelve years...... ▪ A. M. 3627. Ant. J. C. 377. Died. 1. xv. p, 328. & 347• 1 Eufeb. in Chron. Artaxerxes, Artaxerxes, to draw more troops out of Greece, fent ambaffadors thither, to declare to the feveral states, that the King's intent was, they should all live in peace with each other conformably to the treaty of Antalci des, that all garrifons fhould be withdrawn, and all the cities fuffered to enjoy their liberty under their refpective laws. All Greece received this declaration with pleasure, except the Thebans, who refufed to conform to it. At length, every thing being in readiness for the invafion of Egypt, a camp was formed at Acæ, fince called Ptolemais, in Paleftine, the place appointed for the general rendezvous. In a review there the army was found to consist of two hundred thousand Perfians, under the command of Pharnabafus, and twenty thoufand Greeks under Iphicrates. The forces at fea were in proportion to thofe at land; their fleet confifting of three hundred galleys, befides two hundred veffels of thirty oars, and a prodigious number of barks to tranfport the neceffary provifions for the fleet and army. The army and fleet began to move at the fame time, and that they might act in concert, they separated from e each other as little as poffible. The war was to open with the fiege of Pelufium; but fo much time had been given the Egyptians, that Nectanebis had rendered the approach to it impracticable both by fea and land. The fleet therefore, inftead of making a defcent, as had been projected, failed forwards, and entered the mouth of the Nile, called Mendefium. The Nile at that time emptied itself into the fea by seven different channels, of which only two remain at this day; and at each of those mouths there was a fort, with a good garrifon to defend the entrance. The Mendefium not being fo well for. tified as that of Pelufium, where the enemy was expect-ed to land; the defcent was made with no great difficulty. The fort was carried fword in hand, and no quarter given to those who were found in it. * A. M. 3630. Ant. J. C 374. Diod. 1. xv. p. 355. ་,་ Ibid. p. 358, 359. * Damietta and Rafetta, K. 2 After After this signal action, Iphicrates thought it adviseable to reimbark upon the Nile without lofs of time, and to attack Memphis, the capital of Egypt. If that opinion had been followed before the Egyptians had recovered the panic, into which fo formidable an invafion, and the blow already received, had thrown them, they had found the capital without any defence, it had inevitably fallen into their hands, and all Egypt been reconquered. But the grofs of the army not being ar rived, Pharnabafus believed it neceflary to wait its coming up, and would undertake nothing till he had reaffembled all his troops; under pretext, that they would then be invincible, and that there would be no obftacle capable of withstanding them. Iphicrates, who knew that in affairs of war efpecial. ly, there are certain favourable and decifive moments, which it is abfolutely proper to feize, judged quite differently, and in defpair to fee an opportunity fuf. fered to escape, that might never be retrieved, he made preffing infances for permiffion to go at leaft with the twenty thousand men under his command. Pharna. bafus refused to comply with that demand, out of abject jealoufy; apprehending, that if the enterprise fucceeded, the whole glory of the war would redound to Iphicrates. This delay gave the Egyptians time to look about them. They drew all their troops together into a body, put a good garrifon into Memphis, and with the reft of their army kept the field, and harassed the Perfians in fuch a manner, that they prevented their advancing farther into the country. After which came on the inundation of the Nile, which laying all Egypt under water, the Persians were obliged to return into Phoenicia, having first loft ineffectually the best part of their troops. Thus this expedition, which had coft immenfe fums, and for which the preparations alone had given fo much difficulty for upwards of two years, entirely mifcarried, and produced no other effect, than an irreconcileable enmity between the two generals, who had the command command of it. Pharnabafus, to excufe himself, accufed Iphicrates of having prevented its fuccefs; and Iphicrates with much more reafon, laid all the fault upon Pharnabafus. But well affured that the Perfian lord would be believed at his court in preference to him, and remembering what had happened to Conon, to avoid the fate of that illuftrious Athenian, he chofe to retire fecretly to Athens in a fmail veffel which he hired. Pharnabafus caused him to be accufed there, of having rendered the expedition against Egypt abortive. The people of Athens made answer, that if he could be convicted of that crime, he fhould be punished as he deserved. But his innocence was too well known at Athens to give him any difquiet upon that account. It does not appear that he was ever called in question about it; and fome time after the Athenians declared him fole adıniral of their fleet. Moft of the projects of the Perfian court miscarried by their flownefs in putting them in execution. Their generals hands were tied up, and nothing was left to their difcretion. They had a plan of conduct in their inftructions, from which they did not dare to depart. If any accident happened, that had not been foreseen and provided for, they must wait for new orders from court, and before they arrived, the opportunity was entirely loft. Iphicrates, having observed that Pharnabafus took his refolutions with all the prefence of mind and penetration that could be defired in an accomplished general, asked him one day, how it happened that he was fo quick in his views, and fo flow in his actions? "It is," replied Pharnabafus, "becaufe my views depend only upon me, but their execution upon my mafter." SECT. X. The Lacedæmonians fend Agefilaus to the Aid of Tachos, who had revolted from the Perfians. The King of Sparta's Actions in Egypt. His Death. The greatest part of the Provinces Revolt against Artaxerxes. AFTER notre FTER the battle of Mantinea, both parties, equally weary of the war, had entered into a general peace with all the other ftates of Greece, upon the king of Perfia's plan, by which the enjoyment of its laws and liberties was fecured to each city, and the Meffenians included in it, notwithstanding all the op pofition and intrigues of the Lacedæmonians to prevent it. Their rage upon this occafion feparated them from the other Greeks. They were the only people who refolved to continue the war, from the hope of recovering the whole country of Meffenia in a fhort time. That refolution, of which Agefilaus was the author, occafioned him to be juftly regarded as a violent and obftinate man, infatiable of glory and command, who was not afraid of involving the republic again in inevitable misfortunes, from the neceffity to which the want of money expofed them of borrowing great fums and of levying great impofts, inftead of taking the favourable opportunity of concluding a peace, and of putting an end to all their evils. • Whilft this paffed in Greece, Tachos, who had afcended the throne of Egypt, drew together as many troops as he could, to defend himself against the king of Perfia, who meditated a new invafion of Egypt, notwithstanding the ill fuccefs of his paft endeavours to . reduce that kingdom. For this purpofe, Tachos fent into Greece, and obtained a body of troops from the Lacedæmonians, with Agefilaus to command them, whom he promised to make generaliffimo of his army. The Lacedæmonians were exafperated against Artaxerxes, from his having a Plut. in Agefil. p. 616-618. Diod. 1. xv. p. 397-401. A. M. 3641. Ant. J. C. 863. Xenoph. de reg. Agefil. p. 663. Cor. Nep. in Agefil. c. viii. forced |