Alexander, As We Have Already Seen, Bestowed
Much Care On His Fleet, While Engaged In The Conquest Of Asia; And When He
Died At Babylon, Had Formed The Design Of Placing His Fleets, In Every Port
Of His Dominions, On A Regular And Extensive Scale.
But the advantages of
Macedonia for commerce were neglected in the midst of his vast plans
elsewhere, and the Macedonians, at the period of his death, were still
inattentive to maritime affairs.
Philip, the antagonist of the Romans, of whose power and success he was not
only jealous but apprehensive, as soon as he resolved to engage in
hostilities with them, applied himself to maritime affairs. His
determination seems to have been fixed when he learnt that the Romans had
been defeated at the Lake of Thrasymenus: he instantly formed the plan of
invading Illyrium, and then crossing over to Italy. But the latter step
could not be taken, nor, indeed, could he expect to cope with the Romans,
till he had formed a fleet, and trained his subjects to the management of
it. At this period the Macedonians seem to have had some merchant ships;
for we are informed that a petty king of Illyria seized some of them in the
port of Leucas, and also all that his squadron met with on the coast of
Greece, as far as Malea. This insult and attack afforded Philip an
excellent reason for declaring war against Illyricum: he began by
exercising the Macedonians in the art of navigation; he built ships after
the Illyrian manner, and he was the first king of Macedonia that put to
sea 100 small vessels at one time.
He was urged still more strongly to go on with his plan of invading Italy,
when he learnt the result of the battle of Cannae; he immediately formed an
alliance with Hannibal, and engaged to invade Italy with 200 sail of ships,
and plunder its eastern coasts: in return for this service he was to retain
all the islands in the Adriatic, lying near the coast of Macedonia, that he
might subdue.
His first naval enterprize was the siege of Oricum on the coast of Epirus,
and of Apollonia on the coast of Macedonia, both of which he carried on at
the same time, with 120 ships of two banks of oars. He was, however,
successfully opposed by the Roman consul Laevinus, who obliged him to burn
great part of his fleet, and raise the siege of Doth the places.
About twelve years afterwards, or about 200 years before Christ, Philip
engaged in a maritime war with Attalus, king of Pergamus, and the Rhodians,
near the isle of Chio: the fleet of Philip consisted of fifty-three decked
vessels and 150 gallies; besides these he had several ships called pristis,
from the figure of a large fish which was affixed to, or engraved on their
bows, either to distinguish them, or as a mark of their swift sailing. The
fleet of his opponents consisted of sixty-five covered ships, besides those
of their allies, the people of Byzantium.
Notwithstanding, however, the exertions he made to acquire a naval force
equal to that of the Romans, and the experience which his subjects
gradually obtained in maritime affairs, he was not able to sustain their
attacks, either by land or sea, but was compelled in a very few years to
sue for peace. This he obtained, on the condition, that he should deliver
up to the Romans all his covered gallies, and reserve to himself only a few
smaller vessels: he was permitted, however, to retain one galley of sixteen
banks of oars, a vessel rather for shew than use.
The success of the Romans, the extent of their conquests, and the ambitious
views, which seemed wider and wider in proportion to their successes,
alarmed Antiochus, king of Syria, who, not intimidated by the fate of
Philip, resolved to declare war against them. They were never averse to
engage in hostilities. The fleet of Antiochus consisted of 100 ships; that
of the Romans was nearly equal in number; the ships of Antiochus, however,
were inferior to those of his opponents in respect to strength and size,
though surpassing them in swiftness. The hostile fleets met and engaged on
the coast of Ionia; that of Antiochus was defeated, and would have been
utterly captured or destroyed, had it not been for the swiftness of the
vessels. In order to repair his loss, Antiochus sent for additional vessels
from Sicily and Phoenicia; but these were taken on their passage by the
Rhodians, who were at this time in alliance with the Romans. The Rhodians,
however, in their turn were attacked and defeated by the fleet of
Antiochus, near Samos, whither they had gone to join a Roman squadron.
In the meantime the Romans had collected a fleet of eighty ships, and with
these they fought one hundred ships of their opponent off the coast of
Ionia; the victory of the former was decisive, all the ships of Antiochus
being captured or destroyed. This disaster, in connection with a signal
defeat he sustained by land, compelled him to submit; and the Romans,
always attentive to their maritime interests, which however they had not
hitherto pushed nearly to the extent which they might have done, refused to
grant him peace, except on the conditions, that he should cede all that
part of Asia which lies between the sea and Mount Taurus; that he should
give up all his vessels except ten; and that these should not, on any
account, sail beyond the promontories of Cilicia. The Romans, extremely
strict, and even severe, in enforcing the conditions of peace, not only
destroyed fifty covered galleys, but, the successor of Antiochus having
built additional vessels to the ten he was by treaty allowed to keep, they
compelled him to burn them.
The temporary success of the Carthaginians against the Romans induced
Philip, king of Macedon, to engage in that war which proved his ruin.
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