DEMETRIUS. lUl Not long after, Cllles, Ptolemy's lieutenant, with a pow- erful army, took the field, and, looking upon Demetrius as already defeated by the previous battle, he had in his imagination driven him out of Syria before he saw him. But he quickly found himself deceived ; for Demetrius came so unexpectedly upon him that he surprised both the general and his army, making him and seven thou- sand of the soldiers prisoners of war, and possessing him- self of a large amount of treasure. But his joy in the victory was not so much for the prizes he should keep, as for those he could restore ; and his thankfulness was less for the wealth and glory than for the means it gave him of requiting his enemy's former generosity. He did not, however, take it into his own hands, but wrote to his father. And on receiving leave to do as he liked, he sent back to Ptolemy Cilles and his friends, loaded with pres- ents. This defeat drove Ptolemy out of Syria, and brought Antigonus from Celaenas, to enjoy the victory, and the sight of the son who had gained it. Soon after, Demetrius was sent to bring the Nabathaean Arabs into obedience. And here he got into a district without water, and incurred considerable danger, but by his resolute and composed demeanor he overawed the bar- barians, and returned after receiving from them a large amount of booty, and seven hundred camels. Not long after, Seleucus, whom Antigonus had formerly chased out of Babylon, but who had afterwards recovered his domin- ion by his own efforts and maintained himself in it, went with large forces on an expedition to i^educe the tribes on the confines of India and the provinces near Mount Cauca- sus. And Demetrius, conjecturing that he had left Meso- potamia but slenderly guarded in his absence, suddenly passed the Euphrates with -his army, and made his way into Babylonia unexpectedly ; where he succeeded iu capturing one of the two citadels, out of which he ex-
