ARCHELAUS.

By some authorities, Archelaus is branded with the twofold stigma of base birth and sanguinary crime. These charges, however, rest upon slender authority. It is more satisfactorily ascertained that he was a prince of eminent talents, and that the kingdom of Macedonia was more indebted to him than to any of its preceding monarchs, for the advance in all that was truly glorious. To extend civilization, and to provide for the defence of his kingdom, were his absorbing cares. To attain the first of these objects, it was necessary to begin by securing the second; and he, therefore, increased and disciplined his military force, formed magazines of arms and stores, and fortified some of his principal towns. The only war in which Archelaus was engaged, was with the city of Pynda, in the province of Pieria, which had revolted from him. That place was compelled to surrender, and its inhabitants were exiled from Pynda, and sent to dwell sixty miles further from the sea-shore, that they might not easily receive succour from Athens, or any other of the Grecian

states.

Undisturbed by foreign and domestic foes, Archelaus ardently cultivated the arts of peace. Agriculture was encouraged, and an invaluable benefit was conferred on the kingdom, by the formation of roads to connect distant districts. Learning, literature, and art, found in him an admirer, and a munificent patron. Socrates was invited to his court, and Euripides became his guest. The celebrated Zeuxis, also, attracted by his liberality and courtesy, adorned the royal palace with some of the productions of his matchless pencil. Archelaus, moreover, instituted games, in imitation of southern Greece, dedicated to Jupiter and the Muses, and bearing the name of the Olympian.

In the midst of all this splendour, Archelaus perished by the hand of a traitor. Craterus, who is said to have been his favourite, prompted by ambition, or revenge for personal dishonour, or by both united, conspired against him, and slew him, after he had reigned thirteen years.

The nameless crime which led to the death of Archelaus, shows how impotent civilization is to save man from the corruptions of a fallen nature. He exhibited, in all his actions, a more enlightened mind than any of his ancestors; yet he was equally deficient in moral conduct. The "works of the

flesh" were the glory of the heathen world. Too frequently, they were looked upon as godlike actions, and the shameful indulgence of them was hence practised, especially by those who had power on the earth. Their very gods and goddesses were represented as beings with like passions as themselves, and some systems of religion taught that the delights of heaven consisted in these things. A paradise of sensual gratifications was held to be the acme of bliss by some philosophers. They had no notion of the "beauty of holiness," and of the delights that are to be found in the " way of righteousness." The Bible, and the Bible alone, teaches such exalted doctrines, and the experience of the faithful proves

them true.

The murder of Archelaus, says Heeren, was followed by a stormy period, wrapped in obscurity: the unsettled state of the succession raised up many pretenders to the throne, each of whom easily found the means of supporting his claims, either in some of the neighbouring tribes, or in one of the Grecian republics. Craterus was the first who usurped the throne of Macedonia; but he held his station for the brief space of four days only, at the expiration of which time he met with the death he had inflicted on his prince. He fell by the hands of violence.

ORESTES.

Orestes, the infant son of Archelaus, now became nominally king, under the guardianship of his relative ropus. But ropus was an ambitious man. The title and authority of regent were not sufficient to satisfy him, and he is said to have attained the supreme power by the murder of his infant ward.

During the sway of Eropus, who continued as guardian. and as king for a period of six years, Agesilaus, king of Sparta, returned out of Asia into Greece. The Spartan monarch sent to him, as he had done to others, to desire a free passage. Eropus replied, "I will consider of it." "Let him consider," rejoined Agesilaus, "but let us march." This resolution of Ageailous overawed ropus, and his march was accomplished without opposition.

After the death of Aropus, B. c. 394, the throne was ascended by his son Pausanius.

PAUSANIUS.

Pausanius was less fortunate than his father, for he was precipitated from the giddy height before the expiration of twelve months. He was cut off, and his throne seized by

Amyntas.

AMYNTAS II.

Amyntas II. was the son of Philip, and nephew of Perdiccas II., whose cause had been first espoused and then abandoned by the Thracian monarch Sitalces.

Amyntas was not suffered to reign in peace. A rival appeared in the person of Argæus, a brother of the slain Pausanius. Argæus, by intrigue, obtained the support of a numerous body of Macedonian malcontents, and began the strife.

But it was not upon the Macedonians alone that Argeus depended. At this date, there existed on the western frontier of Macedonia a prince able and willing to avail himself of its weakness. This was Bardyllis, the sovereign of Illyria, who from being a bandit leader had become the supreme ruler of the Illyrians. It was on Bardyllis that Argæus chiefly relied for support in the enterprise: and his hopes were not disappointed. After an obstinate resistance, Amyntas was defeated, and compelled to retire into Thessaly, leaving the kingdom in the hands of Argæus.

But the sovereignty thus obtained was a mere viceroyship under Illyrian control. Hence, in two years, the tide of popular favour returned towards Amyntas, and the Thessalians furnishing him with an auxiliary force, he entered Macedonia, and obliged his competitor to retire. On the return of Amyntas, the Illyrian monarch was neutral, from which some suppose that he had received a large bribe from the exiled monarch. Be this as it may, the neutrality of Bardyllis enabled him to resume the throne.

The most important event which occurred during the reign of Amyntas, was his contest with Olynthus. At the period. of his expulsion from the kingdom, he ceded to the Olynthians a considerable extent of territory contiguous to their own. Whether this cession was conditional or final, it is impossible to ascertain. The probability is, however, that it was final, and that it was given to the Olynthians to prevent its falling into the hands of his rival, or that it might involve that republic in a quarrel with Argæus. But under whatsoever con

ditions this territory might have been given, when Amyntas was re-established on his throne, he demanded its restitution. His pretext was, that the transfer was designed only to be temporary, while the Olynthians contended that it was final, and prepared to defend their title by force of arms.

Amyntas knew that he was not able to contend with so powerful a people as the Olynthians single handed, and he had recourse to the Spartans for assistance. That republic had long looked with a jealous eye on the power of the Olynthians, whence they readily yielded to his request. They sent 13.000 auxiliary troops to the aid of Amyntas; and when these were defeated by the Olynthians, they sent a new army, under the command of Tallutius, the brother of Agesilaus, to renew the war.

Tallutius was a man of great courage, and vigorous in action. Before the Olynthians were ready to take the field, he wasted their country, and enriched the soldiers with the distribution of the plunder. But his triumph was brief. The Olynthians, having received succours, quitted their city, and, in an action, which was long and obstinately contested, they defeated the Spartans. Tallutius and 1200 men were left siain on the field.

This slaughter was but the signal for renewed action. A third army, under the command of Agesipolis, their king, hastened to the aid of Amyntas. At his approach, the Olynthians perceived that they should be at length besieged; and they protracted the war for one year, in order to raise fortifications, and to prepare for the fearful contingency. About the end of that time, Agesipolis died, and Polyudas was sent from Sparta to take the command. The tide of success now turned against the Olynthians. Polyudas gained several victories over their forces, and at length compelled them to submit to the Macedonians, B. c. 380.

After this, Amyntas strengthened himself by an alliance with the Athenians. He also strengthened the interest of the Macedonian monarchy, by uniting himself in marriage with the granddaughter of the prince of Lyncestis, or Lyncus,* who claimed descent from the royal Corinthian family of the Bacchide. Justin describes this princess as a monster of iniquity, and as concluding a long career of crime by accelerating the death of her husband. But the death of Amyntas appears to have occurred in the course of nature. He died

*This was a small territory in the west of Macedonia, on the frontier of Epirus.

at an advanced age, respected by the Grecian states, and beloved by the Macedonians, B. c. 370.

Amyntas left three sons; namely, Alexander, who as cended the throne, and Perdiccas and Philip, who were yet in their boyhood.

ALEXANDER II.

The commencement of the reign of Alexander was disturbed by an incursion of the Illyrians; and as he was not prepared to meet them in the field, he was under the necessity of purchasing peace, either by a sum of money or the promise of a tribute.

The

In these dark ages, this concession was reckoned a stain upon his character. But this was soon effaced by the spirit and success of his proceedings on another occasion. Thessalians were oppressed by Alexander of Phœrea, who sought, by the aid of the poorer classes, to make himself absolute lord of the whole country. The nobility applied to the Macedonian monarch for assistance, which he readily promised. Alexander the Phœrean, having intelligence of these negotiations, marched towards the frontier, for the purpose of giving battle on the territory of his enemy. The Macedonian monarch, however, contrived to elude him, and to reach Larissa, the Thessalian capital, where he was joined by the malcontents. This promptitude saved Thessaly from the tyranny of the Phorean. Their combined force was too numerous for him to encounter, and he therefore retired to Phœrea.

Having settled affairs in Thessaly, the Macedonian monarch placed garrisons in Larissa and Cranon, and then withdrew to his own country. He returned, to perish by the hand of violence; for he was assassinated shortly after, during a martial dance, by Ptolemy Alorites, who was either an illegitimate brother of the king, or a member of one branch of the royal family, в. c. 368.

PERDICCAS III.

Alexander's crown belonged by right to his brother, Perdiccas, the second son of Amyntas. Accordingly, Perdiccas claimed it; but Pausanius, an exiled prince of the royal family, appeared on the stage of ambition to dispute it with him. Having engaged a body of Grecian mercenaries, he