Δημήτριος

[Demetrios] the son of Antigonos [I] and Ptolemy [I] agreed that there was a treaty of alliance between them for the liberation for all Greece and for the mutual defense of each others' territory.¹ And there was a competition between them as to which would be more of a hindrance in deed to what had been decided. And the Macedonian leader [sc. Demetrios], without a hint of sluggishness, arrives and casts out the garrison at Mounychia,² kills Dionysios who had been selected to lead it, and deposes Demetrios of Phaleron↗³ who had reduced the affairs in Athens↗ to an oligarchy; and he allowed [the Athenians] to be independently governed in accordance with their paternal custom, and [allowed] the Athenians and the Megarians to keep whatever was customary for them from their primordial government. But Ptolemy, having displayed an exceptional gentleness of manner and generosity in his deeds, inspired the Greeks to devote themselves even more to the hope of being liberated; especially since the encouraging nature of his words and the things that he did made them take heart, in the belief that what was being done occurred for the clear liberation of the Greeks and not out of a desire for empire. Indeed, he leaves the majority of the Greek cities autonomous and began announcing the Isthmian armistice,⁴ encouraging them to make the pilgrimage to Isthmia bearing olive branches as though [they would be gathering] for the purpose of liberation. Setting off from there he sailed to Egypt, having installed Leonidas at the head of the Greek command. He also gained control of all Libya, after Ophellas, the despot of Cyrene, was done away with by a trick at the instigation of Agathocles in Sicily↗.⁵ But the agreement between Ptolemy and Demetrios concerning the accord did not last long.