Ochus, who obtained the crown in the manner related above, was the most cruel and sanguinary of all the Persian kings.  He is indeed the only monarch of the Achaemenian line who appears to have been bloodthirsty by temperament.  His first act on finding himself acknowledged king (B.C. 359) was to destroy, so far as he could, all the princes of the blood royal, in order that he might have no rival to fear.  He even, if we may believe Justin, involved in this destruction a number of the princesses, whom any but the most ruthless of despots would have spared.  Having taken these measures for his own security, he proceeded to show himself more active and enterprising than any monarch since Longimanus.  It was now nearly half a century since one of the important provinces of the Empire—­Egypt—­had successfully asserted its independence and restored the throne of its native kings.  General after general had been employed in vain attempts to reduce the rebels to obedience.  Ochus determined to attempt the recovery of the revolted province in person.  Though a rebellion had broken out in Asia Minor, which being supported by Thebes, threatened to become serious, he declined to be diverted from his enterprise.  Levying a vast army, he marched into Egypt, and engaged Noctanebo, the king, in a contest for existence.  Nectanebo, however, having obtained the services of two Greek generals, Diophantus, an Athenian, and Lamius, a citizen of Sparta, boldly met his enemy in the field, defeated him, and completely repulsed his expedition.  Hereupon the contagion of revolt spread.  Phoenicia assumed independence under the leadership of Sidon, expelled or massacred the Persian garrisons, which held her cities, and formed an alliance with Egypt.  Her example was followed by Cyprus, where the kings of the nine principal towns assumed each a separate sovereignty.

The chronology of this period is somewhat involved; but it seems probable that the attack and failure of Ochus took place about B.C. 351; that the revolts occurred in the next year, B.C. 350; while it was not till B.C. 346, or four years later, that Ochus undertook his second expedition into these regions.  He had, however, in the meanwhile, directed his generals or feudatories, to attack the rebels, and bring them into subjection.  The Cyprian war he had committed to Idrieus, prince of Caria, who employed on the service a body of 8000 Greek mercenaries, commanded by Phocion, the Athenian, and Evagoras, son of the former Evagoras, the Cyprian monarch; while he had committed to Belesys, satrap of Syria, and Mezseus, satrap of Cilicia, the task of keeping the Phoenicians in check.  Idrieus succeeded in reducing Cyprus; but the two satraps suffered a single defeat at the hands of Tennes, the Sidonian king, who was aided by 40,000 Greek mercenaries, sent him by Nectanebo, and commanded by Mentor the Rhodian.  The Persian forces were driven out of Phoenicia; and Sidon had ample time to strengthen its