MACEDONIA. 



were reduced into one nation. Although the Macedonians 

 were always gtiverned by kings, they prcfervcd as great or 

 even greater hbcrty than mod of the Grecian common- 

 wealths : their munarchs always ruling them according to 

 the maxims of natural etiuity. This was the original 

 conftitution, and it may be faid, very much to their 

 honour, that it was not fubvertcd but with the kingdom. In 

 Cdlos where the p\inilhment was capital, the caufe was heard 

 by tiie army or by the people ; and till they condemned 

 the party, the king did not pretend to put him to death. 

 Alexander in many inllanccs adiiercd to this cnttom ; A- 

 though a rigid regard to the conlUtntion of his country was 

 not always the ruling principle in a Macedonian monarch, as 

 we are informed by I'olybius. The throne was iiereditary ; 

 and continued in tlie race of Caranns, till the (laughter of 

 Alexander's family ; and in general the cldefl fon fucceed- 

 ed. The ancient kings of Macedon made no ollentatious 

 difplay of regal dignity. Alexander the Great was the fir ft who 

 wore a diadem and rich robes of ftate, which were transferred 

 to his fuccelTors. The people were loyal and attached to 

 their prince. With regard to marriage, the Macedonian 

 kings were not very fcrupulous ; as they had frequently le- 

 vcral wives and a number of concubines. In the education 

 of their children they were very exemplary, their fons being 

 placed under the tuition of the bell mafters, who inculcated 

 the love and praflice of great and glorious aftions ; and their 

 daughters were initiated m the praftice of every virtue. In 

 the conduft of their own affairs they were moderate and pru- 

 dent, affefting no magnificent entertainments, condefcending 

 to their fubjects, and habituated to bufinefs. Their chief 

 djverfion was hunting-. Thefe princes wck generally learned, 

 or at lead patrons of learned men. In the mo!l folemii ads 

 of their aduiiniflration, they maintained fuch a xlecorum as 

 rather endeared them to than awed their fubjefts. They 

 heard caufes in perfon, and fuffered thofe who pleaded be- 

 fore them to fpeak with the greatell freedom. After their 

 deaths, the Macedonian kings were interred in the royal fepul- 

 chre ; and as they were beloved whilll they lived, the people 

 mourned for them when they died as for their common parents. 



The Macedonians, with refpeft to religion, followed the 

 opinions embraced by the rell of the Greeks, worlTiipping 

 many gods, and indulging a great variety of ridiculous rites. 

 Jupiter, Hercules, and Diana, were the objefts of their 

 fpecial reverence. They were flrict in their morals, and 

 temperate in their ordinary mode of living, but magnificent 

 and felf-indulgent in their feafts. At thefe feafts no women 

 were admitted ; and it was an inviolable rule that nothing 

 fhould be divulged, that palled at their convivial meetings. 

 They ufed their captives as concubines, but held it dif- 

 honourable to marry them. In capital cafes, judgment was 

 given by the voice of the army ; in cafes of doubt torture 

 was allowed ; and their punilhments were various. Some- 

 times, but chiefly on extraordinary occafions, and in con- 

 formity to foreign cuiloms, the criminal was thrufc through 

 with darts, or crucified with his head downwards, or thrown 

 chained into rivers ; however, the moll frequent punifliment, 

 and that which feems to have been legal, was Honing to death, 

 in which the army, as they had been coiulituted judges, 

 were executioners. 



As there were feveral mines in Macedonia, there was un- 

 der its feveral kings a variety of lilver and gold coins ; of 

 the latter fort were the Philippics, fo cal'ed from bearing 

 the bull of Philip, the father of Alexander. Thefe were 

 for a long time the mod current coin-s in Greece. 



The language of the Macedonians differed very much 

 from the feveral dialcfls of the Greek ; infomuch that 

 the natives of Greece, who ferved in Alexander's army, 



were not able to underdand a difcotirle delivered in tlie 

 Macedonian tongue. 



Their military difcipline deferves particular notice, as it 

 ferved to raife them from being a mean and obfciire people 

 to be lords of Greece. At fird they were brave and war- 

 like, and bv degrees they became invincible from the union 

 of fuperior courage with military flcill. Their army con- 

 fided of their natural born fubjefts, their allies, and mer- 

 cenaries. The natives ferved at their own expence, and con- 

 tented themfelves with the fpoil of their enemies. The 

 allies were compofed of the refpedlive quotas ol ThefTaly, 

 P^EOnia, and other dependent provinces, and of auxihary 

 troops furnillicd by Greece. The raei-cenaries were foldiers 

 of fortune, who lerved only for pay. The Theffalians fnr- 

 nilhcd liorl'e, and there were alfo many troops of Macedo- 

 nian cavalry ; the difcipline of which was fo drift, that if 

 any of the private men lod their horles, either by fickntfs or 

 in aftion, their officers were obhged to furnidi others out of 

 their own dables. I'he infantry were compofed of three 

 bodies, viz. the light-armed, the peltada;, who were 

 better armed, and the heavy-armed foldiers, of whom the 

 phalanx was compofed. Thefe troops were adapted to all 

 forts of enterprifes. The heavy-armed foot were generally 

 drawn up in the centre of the army, in a fquare body, called 

 the phalanx. This confided, according to Polybius, of i6 

 in flank, and 500 in front, all pikemen, the foldiers llanding 

 fo clofe, that the pikes of the fifth rank reached their points 

 beyond the front of the battle. As to the arms of the 

 Macedonians, they were offenfive and defenfive. At firll 

 their targeteers had only wooden bucklers, or fuch as were 

 made of a kind of wicker ; but in procefs of time, they had 

 them of leather and brafs. Their fwords, like thofe of 

 other Greeks, were made both for pufliing and cutting ; 

 and they alfo made-ufe of dagijers. Their fpears were both 

 long and fhort ; they had alio bread-plates made of linen 

 quilted to a proper thicknefs, and a particular kind of mili- 

 tary flioe. When the army was in the field, the phalanx 

 was drawn up generally in the centre. The horfe and light- 

 armed troops in two lines on the right and left. Imme- 

 diately before battle, the king or general ufually made an 

 oration, of which the foldiers expreflcd their approbation 

 by cladiing their arms ; but if it did not afieft them, they 

 remained lilent. When they charged, they exclaimed, Alala ! 

 Alala ! and when they defired quarter, they held their fpears 

 aloft in the air. All authors agree in reprefenting the hardi- 

 nefs, frugality, and good order of the jilacedoniau troops. 

 Their camp was always fortified with a good ditch and en- 

 trenchment. Their tents were fmall, made of ikins, and 

 when folded up, they made ufe of them in paffing rivers. 

 The king's tent was pitched in the centre, and confided of 

 two rooms, one in which he fiept and the other in which he 

 law company ; and before the door of it, his guards did 

 duty. I'lie military fignals of the Macedonians were either 

 trumpets or fires. On a march the cavalry and light-armed 

 troops took pod in the van, the phalanx in the centre, and 

 the baggage in the rear, unlefs they apprehended a fudden 

 engagement ; in which cafe they marched in order of battle. 

 Every foldier had a kind of knapfack, and the army was at- 

 tended with a certain number of carts and waggons; but the 

 Macedonians did not allow either women or ufelefs fervants 

 to follow the camp. The plunder was fometimes didributed 

 among the foldiers, at other times colledted and fold for the 

 ufe of the king, or for the army. In quarters, the army 

 was preferved from corruption, and its difcipline maintained 

 by military games, in which rewards, both honorary and 

 lucrative, were bedowed. After vicloiies, the kings were 

 accuftoraed to reward all who diftinguilhed themfelves. 



Thofe 



