profound and uninterrupted tranquillity; their commerce extended, and their
wealth encreased. To this conqueror they offered no resistance, but of
their own accord surrendered their cities and harbours; as soon, however,
as they learnt that he was dead, they resumed their independence. About
this time the greater part of their city was destroyed by a dreadful
inundation, which would have swept the whole of it away, if the wall
between it and the sea had not been broken down by the force of the waters,
and thus given them free passage. This misfortune seems only to have
encouraged the inhabitants to attend still more closely and diligently to
commerce, which they carried on with so much industry and skill, and in
such a profitable manner, that they soon rebuilt their city, and repaired
all the losses they had sustained. Their alliance was courted by all their
neighbours; but they resolved to adhere to a strict neutrality, and thus,
while war raged among other nations, they were enabled to profit by that
very circumstance, and thus became one of the most opulent states of all
Asia. Their commerce, as well as that of all the states on the
Mediterranean, being much molested and injured by the pirates, they
undertook, of their own accord, and at their own expence, to root them out;
and in this they completely succeeded.

But that commerce, on account of which they were so very anxious to keep at
peace, involved them in war. Their most lucrative trade was with Egypt.
When hostilities began between Ptolemy and Antigonus, the latter insisted
that they should join him; this they refused to do; upon which his fleet
blockaded Rhodes, to prevent their commerce with Egypt. The Rhodians were
thus compelled to act against him in their own defence, in order to free
their harbour. The raising of the blockade, and the defeat of his fleet,
incensed Antiochus; and to the remonstrances and entreaties of the Rhodians
to be permitted to remain at peace, he replied, "that they must declare war
against Ptolemy, admit his fleet into their harbour, and give hostages for