nt in his own powers of command: the Greek captains
out-manoeuvred him; and no sooner did he find one line of his defences
forced than his ill-founded confidence was exchanged for an alarm
as little reasonable. He hastily fell back upon Memphis, leaving the
fortified towns to the defence of their garrisons. These consisted of
mixed troops, partly Greek and partly Egyptian; between whom jealousies
and suspicions were easily sown by the Persian leaders, who by these
means rapidly reduced the secondary cities of Lower Egypt, and were
advancing upon Memphis, when Nectanebo in despair quitted the country
and fled southwards to Ethiopia. All Egypt submitted to Ochus, who
demolished the walls of the cities, plundered the temples, and after
amply rewarding his mercenaries, returned to his own capital with an
immense booty, and with the glory of having successfully carried through
a most difficult and important enterprise.

It has been well observed that "the reconquest of Egypt by Ochus must
have been one of the most impressive events of the age," and that it
"exalted the Persian Empire in force and credit to a point nearly as
high as it had ever occupied before." Ochus not only redeemed by means
of it his former failure, but elevated himself in the opinions of men to
a pitch of glory such as no previous Persian king had reached, excepting
Cyrus, Cambyses, and the first Darius. Henceforth we hear of no more
revolts or rebellions. Mentor and Bagoas, the two generals who had most
distinguished themselves in the Egyptian campaign, were advanced by the
gratitude of Ochus to posts of the highest importance, in which their
vigor and energy found ample room to display themselves. Mentor, who was
governor of the entire Asiatic sea-board, exerted himself successfully
to reduce to subjection the many chiefs who during the recent troubles
had assumed an independent authority, and in the course of a few
years brought once more the whole coast into complete submission and
dependence. Bagoas, carried with him by Ochus to the capital, became
the soul of the internal administration, and maintained tranquillity
throughout the rest of the Empire. The last six years of the reign of
Ochus form an exceptional period of vigorous and successful government,
such as occurs nowhere else in the history of the later Persian
monarchy. The credit of bringing about such a state of things may be due
especially to the king's officers, Bagoas and Mentor; but a p