way leaving two sons and one
daughter. When the brothers began to quarrel with each other about the
supreme office, Antiochus the son of Antiochus the Great sheltered the
younger, who had been driven out, in order that under the pretext of
defending him he might interfere in Egyptian politics. In a campaign
directed against Egypt he conquered the greater part of the country
and spent some time in besieging Alexandria. As the unsubdued sought
refuge with the Romans, Popilius was sent to Antiochus and bade him
keep his hands off Egypt; for the brothers, comprehending the designs
of Antiochus, had become reconciled. When the latter was for putting
off his reply, Popilius drew a circle about him with his staff and
demanded that he deliberate and answer standing where he was.
Antiochus then in fear raised the siege. The Ptolemies (such was the
name of both princes) on being relieved of foreign dread fell into
renewed disputing. Then they were reconciled again by the Romans on
the condition that the elder should have Egypt and Cyprus, and the
other one the country about Cyrene, which was likewise part of Egypt
at that time. The younger one was vexed at having the inferior portion
and came to Rome where he secured from the government a grant of
Cyprus in addition. Then the elder once more effected an arrangement
with the younger son by giving him some cities in exchange for Cyprus
and being rated to contribute money and grain.

[Sidenote: B.C. 164 (_a.u._ 590)] Antiochus subsequently died, leaving
the kingdom to a child of the same name whom the Romans confirmed in
possession of it and sent three men (with sufficient show of reason,
for he was a minor) to act as his guardians. They on finding elephants
and triremes contrary to the compact ordered the elephants all to be
slain and administered everything else in the interest of Rome.
Therefore Lysias, who had been entrusted with the surveillance of the
king, incited the populace to cast out the Romans and also kill
Gaius[39] Octavius. When these plans had been carried out Lysias
straightway despatched envoys to Rome to offer a defence for what had
been done. Demetrius the son of Seleucus son of Antiochus, who was
staying in Rome as a hostage at the time of his father's death and had
been deprived of the kingdom by his uncle Antiochus, asked for his
ancestral domain when he learned of the death of Antiochus, but the
Romans would neither help him to get it nor permit him to set o