42.0 The Difcovery, Settlement, and Commerce Book I. 
that Part of his Dominions more fecure ; and for the fame 
Reafon that his Father alfo had eredted Fortreffes on the 
Frontiers of Ethiopia , viz. that he might hunt Elephants, 
of which he had always many in his Service. An antient 
W riter obferves, that Ptolemy Philadelphus was reputed the 
firft Prince that had difciplined Elephants a ; which, he 
thinks, is to be underftood either of his being the fil'd: 
Greek Prince that had thole Animals in his Army *, or elfe, 
that he was the fil'd of Alexander' s Succeffors that ufed 
them : For, as he obferves, before the Conqued ol the In- 
dies by Alexander , Porus had many Elephants trained to 
War, in his Army : But, without doubt, the true Senfe 
of this Affertion is no more than this, that Ptolemy Phi- 
ladelphus was the fird of the Weftern Princes, who brought 
Elephants into the Field, of his own ; for thofe that Se- 
leucus , and the red of the Syrian Monarchs had, were ob- 
tained from other Princes •, whereas Ptolemy had them of 
his own, taken and tamed by his Officers. This Ptolemy 
the third, or Ptolemy Euergetes, reigned twenty-five Years ; 
and died in the Year before Chrid 221. He was the lad 
of his Race that governed with any Temper, or Virtue, 
all that fucceeded him giving themfelves up to unbounded 
Luxury and Vice. 
13. On the Death of his Father Ptolemy Euergetes , Pto- 
lemy Philopater mounted the Throne ; to which he is fup- 
pofed to have made his Way, by poifoning that Prince: 
But it is certain, that he murdered his Brother Magas , and 
foon after Cleomenes , King of Sparta , who had taken Re- 
fuge in his Dominions, and had been in great Favour with 
his Father. This Ptolemy was like wife charged with the 
Murder of his Mother ; and through his whole Reign gave 
fignal Proofs of a bafe and barbarous Difpofition, which, 
probably, induced the Governor he had placed in Syria , 
whofe Name was Theodotus , to give up the bed Part of 
that Country to Antiochus , who, likewife, prepared to 
invade Egypt •, but, being hindered from the Profecution of 
that Defign, by domedic Troubles, he was forced to con- 
tent himlelf with reducing Philadelphia , which, as we have 
before diewn, was a new City built by Ptolemy Philadelphus , 
in Arabia b * 
This gave the Egyptian Monarch time to breath ; and, 
finding that it was impoffible for him to continue his idle 
and luxurious Courfe of Life, without running the Hazard 
of lofing his whole Dominions, he affembled an Army of 
fe venty thoufand Foot, five thoufand Horfe, and feventy- 
three Elephants ; and marching with it through the Deferts 
which feparate Egypt from Palejline , encamped at Ra- 
phia , where he was met by Antiochus , with an Army little 
inferior to him in Foot, and fuperior in Horfe and Ele- 
phants. Here Ptolemy ran a great Rifk of being killed by 
Theodotus , who deferted from him, and who, being well ac- 
quainted with the Egyptian Manner of encamping, went, 
with two of his Friends, in the Dufk of the Evening, di- 
redtly to Ptolemy s Tent, with a fettled Defign to have 
killed him *, but, not finding him there, he murdered his 
chief Phyfician, and two other Perfons, who were in the 
Tent; and, in the Confufion this occafioned, made his 
Efcape. Soon after, this Quarrel was decided by a Battle, 
in which Ptolemy was victorious : And it is very remark- 
able, that his Wife Arfinoe , who was alfo his Sifter, re- 
mained by his Side, during the whole Engagement. By 
this Vidtory he recovered all his Dominions ; and might, 
if he had purfued his Advantage, have deprived his Enemy 
of moft of his ; which he neglebted, that he might return 
home the fooner, to a Life of Eafe and Pleafure : And 
during the reft of his Reign, which lafted fixteen Years, he 
continued in a conftant Courfe of Debaucheries, which car- 
ried him to his Grave c . 
He was fucceeded by his Son Ptolemy Epiphanes , a Child 
of five Years old, of whom the Romans undertook the 
Guardianffiip, and thereby preferved his Kingdom. This 
young Prince followed his Father’s Steps very exactly ; and 
thereby provoked the Egyptians to endeavour to depofe 
him *, which, however, he efcaped : And, thinking to mend 
his Affairs, by entering into foreign Wars, one of his Fa- 
vourites poifoned him, when he had fat on the Throne 
twenty-four Years. He was fucceeded by his Son, Ptolemy 
Philometor , a Child, who, when he grew up, ffiewed fo 
little Spirit, that the Egyptians fet up his Brother Ptolemy 
Phyfcon : Upon which Civil Wars enfued, and the King- 
dom had been conquered by Antiochus , but that the Ro- 
mans again interpofed •, and new Difturbances breaking out, 
Philometor , who was baniffied his Kingdom, to move the 
Compaffion of the Senate, travelled from Brundufmm to 
Rome , on Foot *, and the next Year Phyfcon came thither 
on the fame Errand. The former of thefe Princes was of 
a generous and beneficent Difpofition, but the latter of a 
bafe and barbarous Temper •, and yet the Romans , from a 
Principle of Intereft, protected him. He was fucceeded 
by his Son Ptolemy Lathyrus , who was a very bad Man, 
and continually embroiled with his Subje&s, who, for 
lome time, expelled him, and fet up his Brother Alexan- 
der *, but afterwards reftored him, and he held the Crown, 
in all, from his Father’s Death, thirty-fix Y ears d . 
He was fucceeded by his Daughter Berenice , who there- 
upon took the Name of Cleopatra ; for, as the Kings of 
Egypt were called Ptolemies , fo the Queens were commonly 
called Cleopatras. After this great Confufion followed, 
till, in the Year before Chrift, the Egyptians fet Ptolemy 
Auleies , who was the Baftard Son of Lathyrus , upon the 
Throne : He had his Surname of Auletes , which fignifies 
the Piper , from his Fondnefs for Mufic ; and is remark- 
able only, for giving Julias Cafar fix thoufand Talents, 
that he might remain in quiet Poffeffion of his Kingdom , 
in which the Romans maintained him by Force, when he had 
loft the Affedtions of his Subjedls. After a Reign of fourteen 
Years, he died, and left the Kingdom to his eldeft Son 
and Daughter •, for he had two Sons, and two Daughters ; 
but the eldeft of his Children was his Daughter Cleopatra , fo 
famous, or rather infamous, in Hiftory, for her Amours, 
firft with Cafar, and then with Anthony ; which Exceffes 
were not only fatal to herfelf, but to her Country e . 
It is eafy to conceive, that, under fuch a Race of Princes, 
nothing is to be expedited from the obfcure Hiftories that 
are left us of their Times, in relation to the Commerce of 
the Indies , in any Degree comparable, to what has been re- 
lated of the Reigns of Philadelphus and Euergetes \ but, 
from the Fragments of Agathar chides, who was Tutor to 
one of the Ptolemies that yet remain, we gather, that this 
Commerce was, by them, not only maintained, but ex- 
tended ; and the Reafon of this was plain, becaufe it 
brought in vaft Quantities of Gold, precious Stones, 
Spices, and other rich Commodities, efpecially agreeable 
to Princes of a luxurious and diffipating Temper. Thus, 
for Inftance, when it was once known, that in a rocky 
Ifland, in the Arabian Gulph, which was called Ophiodes , , 
or The Serpents IJland , from its being over-run with thofe : 
venomous Creatures, there were many bright Topazes. . 
Orders were immediately given for cleanfing it ; and a cer- • 
tain Number of People fettled there to find and dig out : 
thofe precious Stones for the King alone f . 
In the Days of Ptolemy Philadelphus , Care would have : 
been taken to cultivate and improve this Eland ; fo that, , 
at leaft, the People, who were thus employed, might have : 
been plentifully fubfifted : But a contrary Policy now pre- - 
vailed •, the Iftand was left naked and deftitute of all Things, , 
and the People on it fupplied, at ftated Times, with Pro- - 
vifions by the King’s Ships ; and, all this, to fecure the ’ 
Monopoly of thefe precious Stones, which, in thofe Days, , 
were highly valued. Again, on the Difcovery of Gold :! 
Mines on the Frontiers of Ethiopia , thefe were not left to : 
the Induftry of private Perfons, or leafed out by the Crown ; ; 
but Multitudes of People, condemned on frivolous Pre- 
tences, were hurried away thither ; and, being guarded by j 
Bodies of Soldiers, of different Nations, that they might .1 
have no Opportunity of converfing with them, they were < 
compelled to work in the moft fiaviffi Manner *, and, this i; 
too, without any Refpitef or Relief, till they periffied under :: 
fuch intolerable Hardffiips s . 
The Trade, all this Time, was carried on in the fame c 
Manner as before •, annual Voyages were made to the Ports : 
of Arabia , where the Indian Merchants reforted, and the , 
c P totem, in Canone. Polyb. lib- xv. JuJlin. t 
e Ptolem in Canone. Cicero ad t 
S Diodor. Sicul, lib. iii. 
Commodities t 
a Agatha r chides de Rubro Mari , p.l. b Polybius, lib. v. Poly&nus , lib. v. c. I 
lib. xxx. d Ptolem. in Canone. Paufanais in Atticis. Porphyrius in Greeds Eufebianis Scaligeri. 
Familiar es, lib . viii. Epijl. 4. Ccefar. Comment, lib. iii. f Agatharchid.de Rubro Mari,p. 23. 
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