left to Antiochus Hierax. It
would seem that after this he never visited those countries again.

One of the notable incidents of the war against Syria was an offer
of help to Egypt from the Romans. From the middle of the reign of
Philadelphus till the fifth year of this reign, for twenty-two years,
the Romans had been struggling with the Carthaginians for their very
being, in the first Punic war, which they had just brought to a close,
and on hearing of Ptolemy's war in Syria, they sent to Egypt with
friendly offers of help. But their ambassadors did not reach Alexandria
before peace was made, and they were sent home with many thanks. The
event serves to show the trend of the aspirations of this now important
nation, which was afterwards destined to engulf the kingdoms of Egypt
and Syria alike.

After Euergetes had, as he thought, established his authority in Asia,
a party hostile to him came forward to oppose him. The Rhodians, with
their wise policy, who had hitherto given no decided support to either
empire, now stepped forward, setting to other maritime cities the
example of joining that hostile party. The confederates formed a fleet,
with the assistance of which, and supported by a general insurrection of
the Asiatics, who were exasperated against the Egyptians on account of
their rapacity, Seleucus Callinicus rallied again.

[Illustration: 157.jpg AN ABYSSINIAN SLAVE]

He recovered the whole of upper Asia, and for a time he was united with
his brother, Antiochus Hierax. The insurrection in Egypt must have
been of a very serious nature, and Ptolemy, being pressed on all
sides, concluded a truce of ten years with Seleucus on basis of _uti
possidetis_. Both parties seem to have retained the places which they
possessed at the time, so that all the disadvantage was on the side of
the Seleucidae, for the fortified town of Seleucia, for example, remained
in the hands of the Egyptians, whereby the capital was placed in a
dangerous position. A part of Cilicia, the whole of Caria, the Ionian
cities, the Thracian Chersonesus, and several Macedonian towns likewise
continued to belong to Egypt. Soon after his re-appearance in Egypt,
Euergetes was solicited by Cleomenes, the King of Sparta, to grant the
assistance of his arms in the struggle which that republic was then
supporting with Antigonus, the ruler of Macedon, and with the members
of the Achaian league. But the battle of Sellasia proved that the aid
offered was inad