Read the _History_ of the events that happened after the death
of Alexander the Great, by Dexippus,[444] in four books; also
his _Historical Epitome_, a chronicle going down to the time of
Claudius.[445] Also read his _Scythica_, describing the wars between
the Scythians[446] and Romans and other things of note. His style
is free from redundancies, massive,[447] and dignified; he might be
called a second Thucydides, although he writes more clearly. His
characteristics are chiefly shown in his last-mentioned work.
In his record of events after the death of Alexander, he relates
how the throne fell to his brother Arrhidaeus, the son of Philip
of Macedon and Philinna of Larissa. The yet unborn child of Roxana
by Alexander, should it be a son, was to be associated with him
in the government, together with Perdiccas, who was chosen by the
Macedonians to administer the affairs of the empire. The division of
Alexander’s empire. In Asia, Ptolemy Lagus obtained the government of
Egypt, Libya, and the country beyond adjacent to Egypt, Cleomenes,
who had been appointed by Alexander satrap of this district, being
made subordinate to him. Laomedon of Mytilene obtained Syria;
Philotas Cilicia; Pithon Media; Eumenes Cappadocia, Paphlagonia, and
the shores of the Euxine as far as Trapezus (Trebizond); Antigonus
Pamphylia and Cilicia as far as Phrygia; Asander Caria; Menander
Lydia; Leonnatus the Phrygian Hellespont. In Europe, Lysimachus
obtained Thrace and the Chersonese; Antipater the whole of Macedonia,
Greece, Illyria, the country of the Triballi and the Agrianes, and
all the mainland over which he had been appointed sole commander
from the time of Alexander. The general charge of affairs and the
defence of the kingdom was entrusted to Craterus; Perdiccas obtained
the chiliarchy[448] of Hephaestion, the highest dignity amongst the
Macedonians.
Porus and Taxilus were rulers of India, to Porus being allotted the
country between the Indus and the Hydaspes, the rest to Taxilus.
Pithon received the country of the neighbouring peoples, except the
Paramisades. The districts near the Caucasian mountains, conterminous
with India, were given to the Bactrian Oxyartes, the father of
Roxana, whose son, born after his father’s death, was also called
Alexander. Siburtius ruled the Arachosians and Gedrosians; Stasanor
of Soli the Arei and Drangi; Philip the Sogdiani; Radaphernes the
Hyrcanians; Neoptolemus the Carmanians; Peucestes the Persians.
Oropius was ruler of Sogdiana, not by inheritance from his father,
but by favour of Alexander. When in consequence of a revolt he was
accused and threatened with the loss of his kingdom, he held it in
conjunction with Philip. Babylon was given to Seleucus, Mesopotamia
to Archelaus. Such were the countries and their rulers as distributed
by Perdiccas after the death of Alexander. In this and other parts of
his narrative Dexippus is generally in agreement with Arrian.[449]