University of Virginia Library

The Argument.

When Alexander the Great, after all his Conquests (shining with the glory of innumerable victories was returned backe to Babylon, where the Ambassadours of the whole world did attend his coming, as one who was expected to command over all there, being admired by the Grecians, adored by the Barbarians, and as it were drunk with the delights of an extraordinary prosperity, he suffered himselfe to be transported with an inundation of pleasure; till sitting at one of his feasts by the meanes of the sonne of Antipater, one of his Cup-bearers, in the best both of his age and fortune, he was suddenly poysoned.

Incontinent after his death, those who were in greatest estimation with himselfe during his life, and then with the Armie, assembled themselves together neglecting for a long time his funerals, whilest busied about the disposing of his Empire: at last (after divers opinions) it was concluded, that if Roxane, the widow of their Soveraigne, (who was then at the point to be delivered of her birth) happened to beare a sonne, he should succeed in his Fathers place, and till he were come to some maturity of age, Perdiccas, Leonatus, Craterus, and Antipater were appointed to be his Tutors: But the foot-men in a disdaine, that their advice was not required, proclaimed Arideus, Alexanders bastard brother, King, and gave him a guard, of which Meleager procured himselfe to be made Captaine. At this sudden alteration, the horse-men being troubled, following Perdiccas, pitched their Camp without the City, yet on the end, this tumult being by the eloquence of Perdiccas appeased, all the Captains re-assembled themselves, and having divided the Provinces, made an agreement, which lasted not long.

For, such was the vehement ambition of those great men, that with all manner of hostility, they studied how to undermine one another, and first of all Meleager after a pretended reconciliation though having fled to a Temple for refuge) was slaine by the appointment of Perdiccas, who (after aspiring to a superiority over the rest) whilest he went to warre against Ptolomie in Ægypt, by a sudden mutiny of his owne Souldiers, was miserably murdered. Then the onely Captaine of his faction who remained alive, was Eumenes, a man singularly valorous, who encountring with Craterus and Neoptolemus, by the death of themselves defeated their Army, whereby being highly advanced, he was greatly envied: and (Leonatus having lately before dyed in a conflict betwixt him and the Athenians.) Antigonus in the name of

the rest, was sent against him with a great Army, betwixt whom there having passed divers skirmishes with a variable successe, and some private conference without agreement: In the end, he was betrayed by his owne Souldiers, and delivered bound to Antigonus, who shortly after caused to take his life.

Then Antigonus (his rivals in the authoritie being removed out of his way) did aspire to that himselfe, from which he was sent to seclude others, and having murdered divers of the governours, he disposed of their Provinces as he pleased: whereof Cassander, Ptolomie, and Lysimachus, advertised by Seleucus, who fled for feare of incurring the like danger; did enter together in a league against Antigonus.

Now at this time Olympias plagued all the faction of Cassander in Macedonie, having caused Arideus and his Queen Eurydice to be put to death; by which, and by some other cruelties (having lost the favour of the people) she was constrained, when Cassander came against her, to retyre her selfe within a Town; which (by reason of the scarcitie of victuals (not being able to defend) she rendered, together with her selfe to Cassander, by whom notwithstanding of his promise to the contrary) she was violently deprived of life, and so having proceeded so farre in wickednesse, he thought it no time to retyre till he had extinguished all his Masters race; whereupon he caused Roxane and her sonne to be murthered, and soone after, Hercules, Alexanders bastard sonne; which multitude of murthers, gave to him the Crowne of Macedonie, and to me the subject of this Polytragicke Tragedie.