The Death of Agathocles and his Family
The first step of Agathocles was to summon a meeting of the Macedonian guards. He entered the
Agathocles pretends a plot of Tlepolemus against the king, B. C. 202. |
assembly accompanied by the young king and
his own sister Agathocleia. At first he feigned
not to be able to say what he wished for tears;
but after again and again wiping his eyes with his chlamys he
at length mastered his emotion, and, taking the young king in
his arms, spoke as follows: "Take this boy, whom his father
on his death-bed placed in this lady's arms" (pointing to his
sister) "and confided to your loyalty, men of Macedonia! That
lady's affection has but little influence in securing the child's
safety: it is on you that that safety now depends; his fortunes
are in your hands. It has long been evident to those who
had eyes to see, that Tlepolemus was aiming at something
higher than his natural rank; but now he has named the day
and hour on which he intends to assume the crown. Do not
let your belief of this depend upon my words; refer to those
who know the real truth and have but just come from the
very scene of his treason." With these words he brought
forward Critolaus, who deposed that he had seen with his own
eyes the altars being decked, and the victims being got ready
by the common soldiers for the ceremony of a coronation.
When the Macedonian guards had heard all this, far from
Anger of the populace and soldiers against Agathocles. |
being moved by his appeal, they showed their
contempt by hooting and loud murmurs, and
drove him away under such a fire of derision
that he got out of the assembly without being
conscious how he did it. And similar scenes occurred among
other corps of the army at their meetings. Meanwhile great
crowds kept pouring into Alexandria from the up-country
stations, calling upon kinsmen or friends to help the movement, and not to submit to the unbridled tyranny of such
unworthy men. But what inflamed the populace against the
government more than anything else was the knowledge that,
as Tlepolemus had the absolute command of all the imports
into Alexandria, delay would be a cause of suffering to themselves.