The Two Ptolemies
After this the younger Ptolemy arrived in Greece with
Ptolemy Physcon returning with the commissioners, collects mercenaries in Greece, but is persuaded to disband them, B. C. 162. |
the Roman commissioners, and began collecting
a formidable army of mercenaries, among whom
he enlisted Damasippus the Macedonian, who,
after murdering the members of the council at
Phacus, fled with his wife and children from
Macedonia, and after reaching Peraea, opposite
Rhodes, and being entertained by the people
there, determined to sail to Cyprus. But when Torquatus and his
colleagues saw that Ptolemy had collected a formidable corps of
mercenaries, they reminded him of their commission, which
was to restore him "without a war," and at last persuaded him
to go as far as Side (in Pamphylia), and there disband his
mercenaries, give up his idea of invading Cyprus, and meet
them on the frontiers of Cyrene.
He, however, takes about 100 Cretans back with him to Africa. |
Meanwhile, they said that
they would sail to Alexandria, and induce the king to consent
to their demands, and would meet him on the
frontiers, bringing the other king with them.
The
younger Ptolemy was persuaded by these arguments, gave up the attack upon Cyprus, dismissed the mercenaries, and first sailed to Crete, accompanied
by Damasippus and Gnaeus Merula, one of
the commissioners; and, after enlisting about a
thousand soldiers in Crete, put to sea and crossed to Libya,
landing at Apis.