o
match for the cool skill and larger army of Ptolemy; the elephants were
easily stopped by iron hurdles, and the Egyptian army, after gaining a
complete victory, entered Gaza, while Demetrius fled to Azotus. Ptolemy,
in his victory, showed a generosity unknown in modern warfare; he not
only gave leave to the conquered army to bury their dead, but sent back
the whole of the royal baggage which had fallen into his hands, and also
those personal friends of Demetrius who were found among the prisoners;
that is to say, all those who wished to depart, as the larger part of
these Greek armies were equally ready to fight on either side.

By this victory the whole of Phoenicia was again joined to Egypt, and
Seleucus regained Babylonia. There, by following the example of Ptolemy
in his good treatment of the people, and in leaving them their own laws
and religion, he founded a monarchy, and gave his name to a race of
kings which rivalled even the Lagidae. He raised up again for a short
time the throne of Nebuchadnezzar. But it was only for a short time. The
Chal-dees and Assyrians now yielded the first rank to the Greeks who
had settled among them; and the Greeks were more numerous in the Syrian
portion of his empire. Accordingly Seleucus built a new capital on
the river Orontes, and named it Antioch after his father. Babylon then
yielded the same obedience to this new Greek city that Memphis paid
to Alexandria. Assyria and Babylonia became subject provinces; and
the successors of Seleucus, who came to be known as Selucids, styled
themselves not kings of Babylon but of Syria.

When Antigonus, who was in Phrygia on the other side of his kingdom,
heard that his son Demetrius had been beaten at Gaza, he marched with
all his forces to give battle to Ptolemy. He soon crossed Mount Taurus,
the lofty range which divides Asia Minor from Syria and Mesopotamia, and
joined his camp to that of his son in Upper Syria. But Ptolemy had gone
through life without ever making a hazardous move; not indeed without
ever suffering a loss, but without ever fighting a battle when its loss
would have ruined him, and he did not choose to risk his kingdom against
the far larger forces of Antigonus. Therefore, with the advice of his
council of generals, he levelled the fortifications of Acre, Joppa,
Samaria, and Gaza, and withdrew his forces and treasure into Egypt,
leaving the desert between himself and the army of Antigonus.

Antigonus could not safely