vent, untoward in appearance, proved the turning-point in
Seleucus's fortunes. It threw him into irreconcilable hostility with
Antigonus, while it brought him forward before the eyes of men as
one whom Antigonus feared. It gave him an opportunity of showing his
military talents in the West, and of obtaining favor with Ptolemy, and
with all those by whom Antigonus was dreaded. When the great struggle
came between the confederate monarchs and the aspirant after universal
dominion, it placed him on the side of the allies. Having recovered
Babylon (B.C. 312), Seleucus led the flower of the eastern provinces to
the field of Ipsus (B.C. 301), and contributed largely to the victory,
thus winning himself a position among the foremost potentates of the
day. By the terms of the agreement made after Ipsus, Seleucus was
recognized as monarch of all the Greek conquests in Asia, with the sole
exceptions of Lower Syria and Asia Minor.

The monarchy thus established extended from the Holy Land and
the Mediterranean on the west, to the Indus valley and the Bolor
mountain-chain upon the east, and from the Caspian and Jaxartes towards
the north, to the Persian Gulf and Indian Ocean towards the south. It
comprised Upper Syria, Mesopotamia, parts of Cappadocia and Phrygia,
Armenia, Assyria, Media, Babylonia, Susiana, Persia, Carmania, Sagartia,
Hyrcania, Parthia, Bactria, Sogdiana, Aria, Zarangia, Arachosia,
Sacastana, Gedrosia, and probably some part of India. Its entire area
could not have been much less than 1,200,000 square miles. Of these,
some 300,000 or 400,000 may have been desert; but the remainder was
generally fertile, and comprised within its limits some of the very most
productive regions in the whole world. The Mesopotamian lowland, the
Orontes valley, the tract between the Caspian and the mountains, the
regions about Merv and Balkh, were among the richest in Asia, and
produced grain and fruits in incredible abundance. The rich pastures
of Media and Armenia furnished excellent horses. Bactria gave an
inexhaustible supply of camels. Elephants in large numbers were readily
procurable from India. Gold, silver, copper, iron, lead, tin, were
furnished by several of the provinces, and precious stones of various
kinds abounded. Moreover, for above ten centuries, the precious metals
and the most valuable kinds of merchandise had flowed from every quarter
into the region; and though the Macedonians may have carried off, or
wasted, a co