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DEMETRIUS POLIORCETES
301 285 a.C.
B.C.
301. — Deinetrins, in his flijjlit from Ipsus, proceeds to Eplie.siis, then sails towards (Irecce. He still possessed Ephesus, (Irecce,
some Aegean islands, some towns on the Asiatic coast and in the Hellespont, Tyre, .Sidon, and Cyprus ; and his fleet
eonnnanded the sea. He goes from Ephesus, by way of the C'yclades, to the Isthmus of Corinth. Most of the Greek
cities fall away from him, but he retains Corinth, Megara, and Chalcis.
From the Isthmus Demetrius goes to the Thracian Chersonese and makes war on Lysimachus.
300.— Seleuciis, in view of the close friendship between Ptolemy and Lysinuichus, allies himself with Demetrius.
Demetrius, with all his fleet, goes to Syria, landing on the way at many ])laces on the Asiatic Coast, especially in
Cilicia, where he secures the treasury at Cyinda, and meets iSeleucus in conference at Rhesus on the southern
boundary of Cilicia. Cilicia is given to Demetrius and I'leistarchus driven out.
296.— Demetrius returns to Greece from Asia, and loses a large part of his fleet in a storm otT the Attic coast.
295.—His attack on Attica meeting with little success, Demetrius goes to the Peloponnesc and besieges Messene. Failing to
take the place he returns to Attica. His fleet captures Aegina and .Salamis, his army takes Eleusis and Rhamnus,
Athens and Piraeus are besieged.
I'tolemy of Egyjit sends l.^iO shijjs to the aid of Athens, but Demetrius is so strongly reinforced from the Peloponnese
and Cyprus that the Egyptian fleet has to retire
Demetrius compels Athens to capitulate.
Pyrrhus, lielped \>y Egvpt, recovers tlie Kingdom of Epirus.
Demetrius, meanwhile, invades Laconia, defeats the Spartans twice, and besieges Sparta.
While Demetrius is in Greece his Asiatic possessions are lost. Lysimachus captures Ephesus and other Asiatic coast
towns ; Ptolemy of Egypt captures Cyprus, except Salamis, which he besieges ; Seleucus confjuers Cilicia.
294.—Demetrius goes to Macedonia, by way of Dium, and becomes King of Macedonia and of Thessaly.
293.—Demetrius founds the fortress of Demetrias in Magnesia ; marches to Boeotia, which submits to him. On Cleonymus the
Spartan coming to their aid, the Boeotians again defy Demetrius, but he marches against Thebes, and they submit for
the second time.
292.—Lysimachus, in a campaign against Droniichactes, prince of the Getae, is taken prisoner with his anjiy. On his making
conce.s.sions to the (ietae he is relea-sed.
291.—Boeotia again revolts from Denietriu.s. Pyrrhus invades Tliessaly, and advances as far as Thermopylae. Demetrius
marclies south, besieges and captures Thebes. Pyrrhus retreats to Epirus.
290.— Demetrius, with a fleet, goes to Corcyra to aid Lanas.sa, a wife of Pyrrhus, witli whom she liad quarrelled. Demetrius
captures Corcyra and Leucas.
289.—Demetrius wages w'ar against Aetolia and Pyrrhus of Epirus. He marches to Aetolia, and then to Epirus.
Pyrrhus marches to Aetolia, misses Demetrius and his army, but meets Demetrius' otficer, Pantauchus, \\ hom he
severely defeats.
288.—Pyrrhus now invades Macedon as far as Edessa, without meeting with opposition, Demetrius being ill at Pella. On the
appearance of Demetrius and his army, Pyrrhus retires to Epirus.
Pyrrhus makes peace with Demetrius. While Demetrius is making preparations for war in Asia, Pyrrhus breaks off
the peace and joins Ptolemy, Seleucus, and Lysimachus against Demetrius.
287.— While Demetrius goes north to defend Macedon against Lysimachus, Pyrrhus marches into Macedon and occf^iies
Herrhoea, whence he subjugates the country.
Demetrius returns and encamps over against Pyrrhus ; but on his troops deserting to Pyrrhus, he takes to flight.
Pyrrhus is proclaimed King of Macedon. Lysimachus arrives, and it is arranged between them that Lysimachus
should have the smaller portion of Macedon, near Thrace, and that Pyrrhus should have tlie rest.
Demetrius, in his flight, goes to Ca.ssandrea, tlience to Thessaly, where he assembles his forces, and inarches to
Thebes, and then to Athens, which he besieges. Athens had liberated herself from Demetrius, who, however, still
retained the Piraeus, Eleusis, and other fortified places in Attica.
Pyrrhus now marches to Athens, when Demetrius retires, making terms with Pyrrhus.
Demetrius, with a large fleet and army, sails across the Aegean to Miletus, and wins many places, including Sardes.
.Agathocles, son of Lysimachus, arrives with an army in Ionia.
Demetrius marches into Phrygia, a province belonging to Seleucus. He is followed by Agathocles. Though his
forces are in straits for ))rovisions, and he loses many men in crossing the Lycus, he has the advantage over
Agathocles in several actions. He then marches over Mt. Taurus to Tarsus; and Agathocles in his rear bars the
passes.
286.—Seleucus, with a large army, marches to Cilicia ; whereupon Demetrius retreats into Mt. Taurus. Seleucus occupies the
passes leading into Syria. Demetrius wins some unimportant actions, but during his illness in the winter many of
his troops go over to Seleucus.
285.— In the spring Demetrius, feigning a march into Cilicia, turns suddenly and crosses Mt. Amanus into Syria, ravaging the
country as far as Cyrrhestica.
A battle is fought here between the forces of Seleucus and Demetrius. The troops of Demetrius go over to Seleucus,
and Demetrius, who finds the passes of Mt. Amanus barred against him, surrenders. Demetrius was held as a
prisoner in Apamea, where he