Page:Plutarch's Lives (Clough, v.5, 1865).djvu/145

DEMETRIUS. 137 just and honorable which had been determined upon by the king as necessary to the general good. In this man- ner, we are told, was brought about the marriage of An- tiochus and Stratonice. To return to the affairs of Demetrius. Having obtained the crown of Macedon, he presently became master of Thessaly also. And, holding the greatest part of Pelo- ponnesus, and, on this side the Isthmus, the cities of Me- gara and Athens, he now turned Tiis arms against the Boeotians. They at first made overtures for an accom- modation; but Cleonymus of Sparta having ventured with some troops to their assistance, and having made his way into Thebes, and Pisis, the Thespian, who was their first man in power and reputation, animating them to make a brave resistance, they broke off the treaty. No sooner, however, had Demetrius begun to approach the walls with his engines, but Cleonymus in affright secretly withdrew ; and the Boeotians, finding themselves aban- doned, made their submission. Demetrius placed a gar- rison in charge of their towns, and, having raised a large sum of money from them, he placed HieronjTnus, the historian, in the office of governor and military com- mander over them, and was thought on the whole to have shown great clemency, more particularly to Pisis, to whom he did no hurt, but spoke with him courteously and kindly, and made him chief magistrate of Thespise. Not long after, Lysimachus was taken prisoner by Dromi- chaetes, and Demetrius went off instantly in the hopes of possessing himself of Thrace, thus left without a king. Upon this, the Boeotians revolted again, and news also came that Lysimachus had regained his liberty. So De- metrius, turnmg back quickly and in anger, found on com- ing up that his son Antigonus had akeady defeated the Boeotians in battle, and therefore proceeded to lay siege again to Thebes.