shew his own indignation; and slew his mother and children that had been sent thither as hostages, together with the wives of his adherents, as many as were there attending upon the old queen. Such was the end of Cleomenes, a generous prince; but son of Leonidas, who had caused Agis, with his mother and grandmother, to come to such a bloody end as now befel his own wife, son, and grandchildren.

After the victory at Selasia, Antigonus without resistance entered Sparta; whereinto never the force of an enemy, before him, could make way. He kindly entreated the citizens, and left them to their own laws and government, tarrying there no longer than two or three days; after which he hastened out of Peloponnesus, and never returned. The cause of his speedy departure was an advertisement that he received out of Macedon; how the Illyrians over-ran and destroyed the country. Had these news come a little sooner, or had Cleomenes either deferred the fight a few days longer, or at leastwise tarried a few days after the fight in Sparta, the kingdom of Lacedæmon would have stood, and perhaps have extended itself over all Greece. But God had otherwise determined.

Antigonus fought a great battle with the Illyrians, and overcame them. Yet therein he caught his bane; not by any wound, but by over-straining his voice; wherewith he broke a vein that bled inwardly, and in short space finished his life, who was troubled before with a consumption of the lungs. His kingdom descended unto Philip, the son of Demetrius, being then a boy as also about the same time it was, that Antiochus, surnamed (I know not why) the Great, and Ptolemy Philopater, began to reign in Asia and Egypt, boys all. Of these, Ptolemy, though old enough to love harlots when he first was king, yet continued a boy all the seventeen years of his reign. The unripe age of Philip and Antiochus bred such

intestine inconvenience to their kingdoms, as is usual in the minority of princes; but their elder years brought them acquainted with the Romans: upon which occasion, when it comes, we shall more seasonably speak of them, and of their kingdoms more at large.

SECT. VII.

How the Illyrians infested the coast of Greece; and how they were subdued by the Romans.

WHILST things thus passed in Greece, and whilst the Carthaginians were busy in their conquest of Spain, the Romans had found themselves work among the Sardinians and Corsicans, that were easily subdued at first, and easily vanquished again when they rebelled. They made also war with the Illyrians, wherein they got much honour with little pain. With the Gauls they had much ado, that lasted not long; being rather, as Livy saith', a tumult than a war. So that, by all these light exercises, their valour was hardly kept from rust. How they got the islands in the Mediterranean sea, it hath been shewed before; of their dealings with the Illyrians and Gauls, it is not meet to be utterly silent.

The Illyrians inhabited the country now called Slavonia; a troublesome nation, impatient of rest, and continually making war for gain, without either regard of friend or foe. They were invited by Demetrius, king of Macedon, to help the Mydionians, his friends, that were besieged by the Etolians, for that they refused to be of their society. Before the Illyrian succours came, the Mydionians were so far

1 Liv. l. xxi.

spent, that the Etolians contended about the booty; the old prætor, or chief magistrate of their nation, who was going out of his office, claiming to have the bonour of the victory, and the division of the spoil to be referred unto him; for that he had, in a manner, brought the siege to an end, and won the town; others, that were in hope to be chosen into the office, contradicting this, and desiring that old orders might be kept. It was a petty strife, and somewhat like to that of the French in latter ages, who thought upon dividing the prey before they had won the victories, which anon they lost, at Poictiers and Agin. court. The Etolians wisely compounded the difference, ordering thus: That the old and the new prator should be jointly intitled in the victory, and have equal authority in distribution of the gettings, But the Illyrians finished the strife much more elegantly, and after another fashion. They arrived, and landed, ere any was aware of them; they fell upon the Ætolians; and though good resistance was made, yet got the victory, partly by force of their multitude, partly by the help of the Mydionians, that were not idle in their own business, but stoutly sallied out of the town. Many of the Etolians were slain, more were taken, their camp and all their baggage was lost; the Illyrians took the spoil, and went their way; the Mydionians erected a trophy, inscribing the names both of their old and new magistrate, (for they also chose new officers at the same time,) as the Etolians had directed them by example.

The success of this voyage highly pleased Agron, king of the Illyrians; not only in regard of the money wherewith Demetrius had hired his assistance, or of the booty that was gotten, but for that having vanquished the stoutest of the Greeks, he found it not uneasy to enrich himself by setting upon the less warlike. For joy of this he feasted and drank so im

moderately, that he fell into a pleurisy, which in a few days ended his life. His kingdom, together with his great hopes, he left unto Teuta, his wife.

Teuta gave her people free liberty to rob all sorts at sea, making no difference between friend and foe; as if she had been sole mistress of the salt waters. She armed a fleet, and sent it into Greece; willing her captains to make war where they found advantage, without any further respect. These fell in with the western coast of Peloponnesus, where they invaded the Æleans and Messenians. Afterwards they returned along by Epirus, and staid at the city of Phonice, to take in victuals and other necessaries. There lay in Phoenice eight hundred Gals, that having been mercenaries of the Carthaginians, went about to betray, first Agrigentum, then Eryx, to the Romans; but failing to do either, they nevertheless revolted, and were for their misdeeds disarmed, and sent to sea by the Romans; yet entertained by these Epirots, and trusted to lie in garrison within their town. The Gauls were soon grown acquainted with the Illyrians, to whom they betrayed Phoenice; which deserved none other, in trusting them. All Epirus was presently in arms, and hastened to drive out those unwelcome guests. But whilst the Epirots lay before the town, there came news into their camp of another Illyrian army that was marching thither by land, under one Scerdilaïdas, whom queen Teuta had sent to help his fellows. Upon this advertisement, a part of them is sent away towards Antigonia, to make good that town, and the streights adjoining, by which these new-comers must enter into their country; another part of them remains at Phoenice, to continue the siege. Neither the one nor the other sped well in their business. For Scerdilaïdas found means to join with his fellows; and they that were besieged within Phoenice sallied out of the town, and gave such an overthrow to the Epi

rots, as made them despair of saving their country, without great and speedy help from abroad. Wherefore embassadors were sent to the Achæans and Ætolians, craving their help, with very pitiful terms of entreaty They obtained their suit: neither was it long before an army, sent by these two nations, was ready in Epirus, to present battle unto Scerdilaïdas. But Scerdilaïdas was called home by letters from Teuta the queen, that signified a rebellion of some Illyrians against her; so that he had no mind to put his forces to hazard, but offered composition, which was accepted. The agreement was, that the Epirots might ransom their town, and all their people that were prisoners and that the Illyrians should quietly depart, with all their booty and slaves. Having made this profitable and honourable bargain, the Illyrians returned into their own country by land, sending their booty away by sea.

At their coming home, they found no such great trouble as that which they brought, or had occasioned in this voyage. For in fulfilling the commandment of their queen, they had taken many Italian merchants whilst they lay at Phoenice, and made them good prizes. Hereof the complaints made unto the Roman senate were so frequent, that embassadors were sent to require of Teuta, that she would abstain from doing such injuries. These ambassadors found her very jolly, both for the riches which her fleet had brought in, and for that she had, in short space, tamed her rebels, and brought all to good order; save only the town Issa, which her forces held straitly besieged. Swelling with this prosperity, she could hardly afford a look to the Romans, that found fault with her doings, and calling them by a true name, piracy, required amends. Yet, when their speech was ended, she vouchsafed to tell them, that injury in public she would do them none; as for private matters, no account was to be made of them;