Chap. II of the E a s 
lifting on the ftridl Dtfcipline of his great Armies, on the 
Frugality of that Prince’s Court, and on his ftridl Adhe- 
rence to the Manners and Cuftoms of his Country. We 
find the fame Principles as fteadily purified by Saphagafenus , 
who was King of that Part of India , which was threatened, 
rather than attacked, by Antiochus the Great : He likewife 
parted with his Elephants to preferve Peace, tho’ he ap- 
pears to have been fo well prepared for War, that even 
that potent and fortunate Monarch of Syria chofe rather 
to compromife the Differences between them amicably, 
than to* hazard the Ruin of his Army by an Engage- 
rnent a . 
Thefe Indian Princes had nothing in view, but fecuring 
their Dominions, and maintaining their Subjedls in Peace 
and Quiet. On the other hand, the Syrian Kings were 
fond of making a Shew of their Power in thefe Countries^ 
3 Polyb. lib. xi. b Tit. Li<v. lib. XXXVli. Appian. JuJUn. 
Commerce. 
T I K C I E S. 4I 3 
by keeping up a Corps of Elephants in their Armies, pre- 
ferring thus the Shadow to the Subftance, and feeking 
rather to fpread a falfe Opinion of their Grandeur in the 
Weft by this Difplay of their Elephants b , than to main- 
tain it in the Eaft, by a conftant Attention to the Prefer vatiori 
of thofe Provinces, which, by the Conquefts of Alexander , 
were derived to them. But, though the Dominion of 
the Greeks was loft on this Side, yet their Commerce with 
the Indians was, in a great meafure, preferved by the wife 
Conduct of the Succeffors of Alexander in another Part of 
his Dominions c *, of which we are next to fpeak, and 
which will bring us to a Conclufion of this Part of our 
Subject, by leading us to the fame Point which clofes this 
Section ; viz. the Failing of that Part of Alexander’s Em- 
pire into the Poffeffion of the Romans. 
c The Ptolemies , who moil of them cultivated maritime Power and 
SECTION VIII. 
The Hiflory of the Greek Empire in Egypt, under the Ptolemies; the Eflahlijhmeht of the 
Indian Commerce , at Alexandria ; and the Confequences of that Efiablipment , to the 
ReduBion of the Kingdom of Egypt into a Province , by the Romans. 
I. The Settlement of Egypt, on the Death of Alexander the Great , under Ptolemy the Son of Lagus, after- 
■wards King , and fur named Ptolemy Soter. 2. The Char adder of that Prince ; his perfect Acquaintance 
with , and earnefi Inclinations to execute , the Defigns of Alexander. 3. An Account of the Foundation , 
Peopling , and Adorning Alexandria, the Capital of the Greek Empire in Egypt. 4. The ere cling the Pha- 
ms or Light-houfe there, and other Methods ufed to render the Port of that City J'afe and commodious. 
y. An Account of the Mufeurn , and Library of Alexandria. 6. And of the Serapeum, and additio?ial 
Library , which was deftroyed by the Arabians. 7. The ftnpendous Vaults , Ciflerns , and other fubterra- 
neous Convenience es of that City. 8. The Accefion of Ptolemy Philadelphus, and the Maxims of his Go- 
vernment. 9. His Care in fettling the Commerce between Egypt and the Indies, the Source of the hmnenfe 
Wealth of that Country for many Ages. 1 o. The Methods ufed by him , to fecure the Inter courfe between the 
Red Sea, and the Nile, de fcribed at large. 11. An Account of the ext enfive Dominions, vaft Power, and 
prodigious Revenue, of Ptolemy Philadelphus. 12. Afuccinbi .flifory of the Reign of Ftolem y Euergetes. 
13. The Improvements made in the Commerce to Indies, under Ptolemy Philopater, and fucceeding 
Princes. 14. Declenfon and Ruin of the Greek Empire hi Egypt, iy. Imjlances of the vaft Profits ac- 
cruing to the Egyptians, by their Indian Trade. 16. Situation of that Commerce , at the Diff'olution of 
that Empire. 17. The Reduction of Egypt, by Auguftus, under the Roman Empire. 
%. ¥T is a Thing agreed, by all the Writers of the Life Alexandria , where it remained, and gave Credit to Pto- 
I of Alexander , that none of his Commanders flood lerny, in all his Undertakings b . 
JL in higher Favour with him, or in greater Credit After the firft Difputes, which followed after that Con- 
with his Army, than Ptolemy , called from the Name of his queror’s Deceafe, and the fecond Partition of the Provinces, 
Father, Ptolemy Lagus a . The King had raifed him, Ptolemy had a larger Share ; and, behaving much more 
merely from the Efteem he had of his Merit ; and, at the kindly to the Soldiers, than the other Princes did, had al- 
time of his Matter’s Deceafe, he was one of the moft con- ways a numerous, and well-difciplined Army *, by the Help 
fiderable Officers in his Troops, tho 5 in the very Flower of of which he added Cale-Syria, Phoenicia , Judea, together 
his Age : For at the Jundlure, when the Divifion of the with Gyrene, and Ly bi a, to his Dominions *, w r hich rendered 
Provinces was made, and he had Egypt affigned him, him, if not the moft powerful, at leaft, the beft eftabliflied 
Ptolemy did not exceed forty-five. He went thither im- of all Alexanders Captains; which appeared by the People, 
mediately ; had the Province delivered up to him quietly *, or rather Army’s giving him the Title of King, at a Time 
and held it thenceforward, to the Day of his Death, with when his Arms were not very fuccefsful, as if they intended 
all the Advantages it naturally poffeffed, and all that could to fuggeft they would ekher reftore his Fortune, or fhare 
be added to it, by his Valour and Condudt. It was not it. He did not, however, affume himfelf the Character 
long before fome of thofe, who conferred upon him this of an independent Prince, till nineteen Years after the 
Dominion, moved by Envy and Ambition, would have Death of Alexander , and the Extindlion of his Family ; 
deprived him of it : But he was fo prudent a Statefman, fo that is to fay, in the Year before Chrift 304 c . 
great a Captain, and fo gracious a Matter, that his Army, 2. There is great Probability, that Alexander , who had 
and his Subjects, adhered to him fteadily, and enabled fo much Affedtion for Ptolemy , confided to him fome of 
him to refill effedlually all the Attempts that were made his principal Defigns. To which Opinion I incline, for 
to his Prejudice. two Reafons : The firft is, that Ptolemy himfelf wrote a 
A Rumour prevailed thro’ the Macedonian Army, that kind of Military Hiftory of that Prince, on the Credit of 
where Alexander s Body was intombed, that Country which Arrian, from whom we have the beft Account of 
fhould enjoy Peace and Felicity beyond any other. Ptolemy , Alexander ’ s Projects, chiefly relies : And the fecond, that 
knowing how great an Effect fuch fuperftitious Opinions Ptolemy not only executed feveral Schemes that his Matter 
have upon the Minds of the Vulgar, contrived, under had left unfinifiied, but appeared to adl, in all Things, 
colour of conveying it to the Temple of Jupiter Ammon , to upon the like Principles, especially in protedting to the ut- 
get the Corpfe of his Matter into Egypt , where it was firft moft, and ufing all his Endeavours for the Good of his 
depofited at Memphis , and was afterwards tranfported to Subjedts, which gained him fo high aCharadter, that when 
3 Arrian. Strabo, JuJlia. Plutarch. CP Curt . b DC dor. Si cut. lib. xviii. Strabo- lib. xriL p. 7 o r .. c Died. SicuL lib. XX. 'Judin, lib. xv. 
Numb. 29. 5 N ' his 
/ 
