Antiochus In Armenia
And, indeed, when at daybreak the king's friends
assembled as usual at his tent, and saw this strange spectacle,
they too felt emotions very like those of the king; while extreme
astonishment made them almost disbelieve the evidence of their
senses. However the council met, and a long debate ensued
as to what punishment they were to inflict upon Achaeus.
Finally, it was resolved that his extremities should be cut off,
his head severed from his body and sewn up in the skin of an
ass, and his body impaled. When this sentence had been
carried out, and the army learnt what had happened, there
was such excitement in the ranks and such a rush of the soldiers
to the spectacle, that Laodice on the acropolis, who alone
knew that her husband had left it, guessed what had happened
from the commotion and stir in the camp. And before long
a herald arrived, told Laodice what had happened to Achaeus,
and ordered her to resign the command and quit the
acropolis.
The citadel of Sardis surrendered. |
At first any answer was prevented
by an outburst of sorrow and overpowering
lamentation on the part of the occupants of
the acropolis; not so much from affection towards Achaeus,
as from the suddenness and utter unexpectedness of the
catastrophe. But this was succeeded by a feeling of
hesitation and dismay; and Antiochus, having got rid of
Achaeus, never ceased putting pressure on the garrison of
the acropolis, feeling confident that a means of taking it
would be put into his hands by those who occupied it, and
most probably by the rank and file of the garrison. And this
is just what did finally happen: for the soldiers split up into
factions, one joining Ariobazus, the other Laodice. This
produced mutual distrust, and before long both parties surrendered
themselves and the acropolis. Thus Achaeus, in spite
of having taken every reasonable precaution, lost his life by
the perfidy of those in whom he trusted. His fate may teach
posterity two useful lessons,—not to put faith in any one
lightly; and not to be over-confident in the hour of prosperity,
knowing that, in human affairs, there is no accident which we
may not expect. . . .
