from whom he had received some personal cause of discontent, and took his son with him in this expedition. Though the Scythians had a very numerous arny, he defeated them without any difficulty. He got a very great booty, which consisted not in gold or silver, the use and value of which the Scythians were not as yet so unhappy as to know, but in cattle, in horses, and a great number of women and children.

At his return from Scythia, the Triballi, a people of Mesia, disputed the pass with him, laying claim to part of the plunder he was carrying off. Philip was forced to come to a battle, and a very bloody one was fought, in which great numbers on each side were killed on the spot. The king himself was wounded in the thigh, and with the same thrust had his horse killed under him. Alexander flew to his father's aid, and, covering him with his shield, killed or put to flight all who attacked him.

SECTION VI.

PHILIP APPOINTED GENERALISSIMO OF THE CREEKS. ATHENI

ANS AND THEBANS UNITE AGAINST HIM. HE GAINS

A BATTLE AT CHERONEA,

THE Athenians had considered the siege of Byzantium as an absolute rupture, and an open declaration of war. The king of Macedon, who was apprehensive of the consequences of it, and dreaded very much the

• A. M. 3666. Ant. J. C. 338. Plut. in Phoc. p. 748. VOL. 4.

73

power of the Athenians, whose hatred he had drawn upon himself, made overtures of peace, in order to soften their resentments. Phocion, little suspicious, and apprehensive of the uncertainty of military events, was of opinion that the Athenians should accept his offers. But Demosthenes, who had studied more than Phocion the genius and character of Philip, and was persuaded that, according to his usual custom, his only view was to amuse and impose upon the Athenians, prevented their listening to his pacific proposals.

P It was very much the interest of this prince to terminate immediately a war, which gave him great cause of disquiet, and particularly distressed him by the frequent depredations of the Athenian privateers, who infested the sea bordering upon his dominions. They entirely interrupted all commerce, and prevented his subjects from exporting any of the products of Macedonia into other countries; or foreigners from importing into his kingdom the merchandise it wanted. Philip was sensible that it would be impossible for him to put an end to this war, and free himself from the inconveniences attending it, but by exciting the Thessalians and Thebans to break with Athens. He could not yet attack that city, with any advantage, either by sea or land. His naval forces were at this time inferior to those of that republic; and the passage by land to Attica would be shut against him, as long as the Thessalians should refuse to join him, and the Thebans should oppose his passage. If, with the view of prompting them to declare war against Athens, he should ascribe

P Demost. pro Ctes. p. 497, 498.

no other motive for it than his private enmity, he was very sensible that it would have no effect with either of the states: but that in case he could once prevail with them to appoint him their chief, upon the specious pretence of espousing their common cause, he then hoped it would be easier for him to make them acquiesce with his desires, either by persuasion or deceit.

This was his aim, the smallest traces of which it highly concerned him to conceal, in order not to give the least opportunity for any one to suspect the design he meditated. In every city he retained pensioners, who sent him notice of whatever passed, and by that means were of great use to him; and were accordingly well paid. By their machinations he raised divisions among the Ozola of Locris, otherwise called the Locrians of Amphissa, from their capital city: their country was situated between Etolia and Phocis; and they were accused of having profaned a spot of sacred ground, by ploughing up the Cirrhean field, which lay very near the temple of Delphos. The reader has seen that a like cause of complaint occasioned the first sacred war. The affair was to be heard before the Had Philip employed in his own favour any known or suspicious agent, he plainly saw that the Thebans and the Thessalians would infallibly suspect his design, in which case, all parties would not fail to stand upon their guard.

Amphyctions.

But Philip acted more artfully, by carrying on his designs, by persons in the dark, which entirely prevented their taking air. By the assiduity of his pensioners in Athens, he had caused Eschines, who was

entirely devoted to him, to be appointed one of the pylagori, by which name those were called, who were sent by the several Greek cities to the assembly of the Amphyctions. The instant he came into it, he acted the more effectually in favour of Philip, as a citizen of Athens, which had declared openly against this prince, was less suspected. Upon his remonstrances, a dep. utation was appointed, in order to visit the spot of ground, of which the Amphissians had hitherto been considered as the lawful possessors, but which they now were accused of usurping, by a most sacrilegious

act.

Whilst the Amphyctions were visiting the spot of ground in question, the Locrians fall upon them unawares, pour in a shower of darts, and oblige them to fly. So open an outrage drew resentment and war upon these Locrians. Cottyphus, one of the Amphyctions, took the field with the army intended to punish the rebels; but many not coming to the rendezvous, the army retired without acting. In the following assembly of the Amphyctions, the affair was debated very seriously. It was there Eschines exerted all his eloquence, and, by a studied oration, proved to the deputies, or representatives, either that they must assess themselves to support foreign soldiers and punish the rebels, or else elect Philip for their general. The deputies, to save their commonwealth the expense, and secure them from the dangers and fatigues of a war, resolved the latter. Upon which, by a pub. lic decree," ambassadors were sent to Philip of Macedon, who in the name of Apollo and the Amphyctions, implore his assistance; beseech him not to

neglect the cause of that god, which the impious Amphissians make their sport; and notify to him, that for this purpose all the Greeks, of the council of the Amphyctions, elect him for their general, with full power to act as he shall think proper."

This was the honour to which Philip had long aspired, the aim of all his views, and end of all the engines he had set at work till that time. He therefore did not lose a moment, but immediately assembles his forces, and marches, by a feint, towards the Cirrhean field, forgetting now both the Cirrheans and Locrians, who had only served as a specious pretext for his journey, and for whom he had not the least regard; he possessed himself of Elatea, the greatest city in Phocis, standing on the river Cephissus, and the most happily situated for the design he meditated, of awing the Thebans, who now began to open their eyes, and to perceive the danger they were in.

This news being brought to Athens in the evening, spread a terror through every part of it. The next morning an assembly was summoned, when the herald, as was the usual custom, cries with a loud voice, "who among you will ascend the tribunal ?" However, no person appears for that purpose; upon which he repeated the invitation several times, but still no one rose up, though all the generals and orators were present; and although the common voice of the country, with repeated cries, conjured some body to propose a salutary counsel: for, says Demosthenes, from

Demost. pro. Ctes. p. 501-504.

Diod. 1, xvi. p. 474-477.