MENTOR AND HERMEIAS. 44 J in force and ciedit to a point nearly as high as it had i. %er occu- pied before. The Rhodian Mentor, and the Persian Bat/oas, both of whom had distinguished themselves in the Egyptian campaign, became from this time among his most effective officers. Bagoas accompanied Ochus into the interior provinces, retaining his full confidence ; while Mentor, rewarded with a sum of lOi) talents, and loaded with Egyptian plunder, was invested with the satrapy of the Asiatic seaboard. 1 He here got together a considerable body of Greek mercenaries, with whom he rendered signal service to the Persian king. Though the whole coast was understood to belong to the Persian empire, yet there were many separate strong towns and positions, held by chiefs who had their own military force ; neither paying tribute nor obeying orders. Among these chiefs, one of the most conspicuous was Hermeias, who resided in the stronghold of Atarneus (on the mainland opposite to Lesbos), but had in pay many troops and kept garrisons in many neighbor- ing places. Though partially disabled by accidental injury in child- hood, 2 Hermeias was a man of singular energy and ability, and had conquered for himself this dominion. But what has contribu'ed most to his celebrity, is, that he was the attached friend and ad- mirer of Aristotle ; who passed three years with him at Atarneus, after the death of Plato in 348-347 B. c. and who has com- memorated his merits in a noble ode. By treachery and false promises, Mentor seduced Hermeias into an interview, seized his person, and employed his signet-ring to send counterfeit orders whereby he became master of Atarneus and all the remaining places held by Hermeias. Thus, by successful perfidy, Mentor reduced the most vigorous of the independent chiefs on the Asi- atic coast ; after which, by successive conquests of the same kind, he at length brought the whole coast effectively under Persian dominion. 3 date of the first expedition, wherein Ochus failed, with that of the second, wherein he succeeded. 1 LModor. xvi. 50-52.
- Strabo, xvi. p. 610. Suidas v. Aristotelis -dAifiiaf BK nat66(.
3 Diodorus places the appointment of Mentor to the satrapy of tha Asiatic coast, and his seizure of Hermeias, in Olymp. 107,4 (349-348 B. c.), immediately after the successful invasion of Egypt. But this date cannot be correct, since Aristotle visited Hermeias -' Atar
