<J 20 G R E 
the Atlienians to'recal their armament from the eafi, 
and to terminate the lafl: focial war, without obtaining 
any of the purpofes for which it Itad been undertaken. 
Tile confederates made good tlie claims which their 
furterings had urged ; regained complete freedom and 
independence; and lived twenty years exempt from 
fublidies and contingents, till they fubmitted, with the 
reft of Greece, to tlie fuperior fortune and intrigues of 
Philip, who paved the way to the irreftftible fuccefs of 
the Macedonian arms. 
From the TERMINATION of the THIRD SO¬ 
CIAL WAR, TO THE ASSASSINATION of PHI¬ 
LIP KING OF MACEDON. 
The peopling of Macedonia, as far back as the year 
hetore Chrift 814, is attributed to Caranus, an Argive 
prince of the race of Hercules, %vho, eluding the dan¬ 
gers which proved fatal to royalty in nioft comtininities 
of Greece, conduced a fmall colony of his adventurous 
countrymen, and, having conquered the warlike natives, 
fettled in Edefta, the capital of the province then named 
Emathia. According to ancient mythology, the gods 
took care of the infancy of Macedon, and fent, as ora¬ 
cles had announced, a herd of goats to conduct Caranus 
to his new capital of Edella, which thence changed its 
name to yEga;, the city of goats ; a fiction unworthy of 
record, did it not explain the reafou why goats were 
adopted as the enfigns of Macedon, and wliy the figures 
of thofe animals are ftill to be feen on the coins of Phi¬ 
lip and his fuccefibrs. Caranus, and the princes Coenus 
and Thyrimas, who immediately followed him, had oc- 
cafion to exercile their prudence as well as their valour. 
Their feeble colony of Greeks miglit have fallen a prey 
to the ferocity of the aboriginal tribes, had they not en¬ 
deavoured to gain, by good offices, the ancient inhabi¬ 
tants of Emathia, and the neighbouring diftricts. By 
this judicious fyfteiu, tlie followers of Caranus gra¬ 
dually alfociated with the warlike tribes in their neigh¬ 
bourhood, whom it would have been alike impoftible 
to extirpate, or to enflave ; and this generous policy, 
being embraced by their defcendants, may be regarded 
as the primary caufe of Macedonian greatnefs. 
Perdiccas, the firft of that name, fo far eclipfed the 
fame of his three predecefibrs, that he is accounted the 
founder of the monarchy by Herodotus and Thucydides. 
Five princes are faid to have intervened between him 
and Alexander I. who filled the Macedonian throne 
when Xerxes invaded Greece. Alexander adted an im¬ 
portant part in tlie affairs of Greece and Perfia, with, 
out iieglecfiiig the intereft of his own kingdom, which 
he extended to the river Nelfiis on the eaft, and to the 
Axius on the weft. His fon, Perdiccas II. inherited 
the abilities of his father; and was lucceeded by his 
fon Arciielaus I. who difplayed an enlightened policy, 
encouraged agriculture and the arts ; and was the friend 
of men of merit and genius, in all the various walks of 
literature and fcience. A reign of fix years was too 
Ihort a period for acconiplifiiing the important improve¬ 
ments which Archelaus had in view. By his death, ii\ 
the year before Chrift 405, the profperity of Macedon 
was interrupted foralmoft half a century, by afucceflion 
of ten princes or iifurpers, wliofe liKtory forms a perpe¬ 
tual feries of crimes and calamities. The fceptre, how. 
ever, finally remained in the family of Hercules; but 
almcift every prince of ilie blood had an ambition to 
reign, wliercby affaftination and ledition alternately fuc- 
ceeded each other. Bardyliis, an aflive and daring 
chief, who had rifen'from the condition of a private 
robber to the command of the Illyrian tribes, entered 
Macedon at the lie.id of a numerous army, dilpolfelled 
Amyntas li. tiie /ather of the illuftrious Philip, and 
placed Argasus on the throne', who confented to become 
tile tributary of his benefadtor. The 'Fhracians fup- 
ptMted ihe title of another prince named Paulanias ; 
but the afijftance of Thetfaly and Olynthus, in the year 
E C E. 
before Chr'ft 383, enabled Amyntas to refiime thd’ga'- 
veniment ; the Olynthians tefufing, however, to fur- 
render feveral places of importance which Amyntas had 
entrufted to their proteSlion, he complained to Sparta ; 
and that republic, as we have feen above, declared war 
againft Olynthus, and reinftated tlie Macedonian king 
in full poflellion of his dominions. 
The ftiort reign of his fon Alexander w'as difturbed 
by an iiivafion of the Illyrians, from whom hepurchafed 
a precarious peace. He left two brothers, Perdiccas 
and Pliiiip; both of whom being minors, Paufanias 
found means to iifurp the throne, in wliich he rvas liip- 
ported not only by the Thracians, but by a confiderable 
body of Greek mercenaries, as well as by a powFrfui 
party in Macedon. At length, Iphicrates the Athe. 
nian eftablifiied Perdiccas on the throne ; but as he was 
ftill in Ills minority, the kingdom was governed by his 
natural brother Ptolemy, who in his turn openly afpired 
to the crown. This ufurper was dethroned by Pelopi. 
das and the Thebans, who again reinftated Perdiccas in 
his dominions ; and, in order to fecure the dependence 
of Macedon on Thebes, carried into that city as hof- 
tages tliirty Macedonian youths, and with them Philip, 
the younger brother of the king. Perdiccas now, elated 
with the protection of the Thebans, forgot the grati- 
tilde lie owed to Iphicrates and the Athenians ; difputed 
the right of that people to Amphipolis, which had been 
acknowledged by the general council of Greece ; and 
his unfeafonable oppofition rendered fruitlefs their en¬ 
deavours to recover that important eftablifliment. The 
Athenians found an avenger in Bardyliis, to wdiom Per¬ 
diccas had denied the tribute that had been paid by ivis 
predecelFors Argreus and Alexander. Bardyliis there- 
lore maintained his claim by force of arms. The Mace¬ 
donians met him in the field, and were totally defeated ; 
Perdiccas was taken prifoner, and foon after died of his 
wounds ; leaving as his fucceflbr Amyntas, an infant 
Ion. Tlie Thracians now again fiipported tlie caufe of 
Paufanias, whom they prepared to fend back .info Ma- 
cedoii at the head of a numerous army ; but Arga-us, 
the ancient competitor of king Amyntas for the throne 
ot Macedon, renewed his pretenfions to that dignity ; 
and eafily perfuaded the Athenians, by the hopes of re¬ 
covering Amphipolis, to exert thcnifelves in his favour. 
Impelled by this objeCl;, the Athenians launched their 
fleet, and failed towards the coaft of Macedon, with 
three thoufand heavy-armed men, commanded by Man- 
tias. 
Such were the evils which opprefted Macedon, when 
the young and heroic Philip appeared, in the year be¬ 
fore Chrift 360, aflerting the rights of his infant nepliew 
againft two candidates for the throne, and four formi¬ 
dable arniie.s. The Athenian fleet had already anchored 
before the harbour of Methone ; Argaaiis, with his nu¬ 
merous followers, had encamped in tiie province of Pie- 
ria ; and their united forces prepared to march north¬ 
ward to Edella, or the ancient capital of Mace¬ 
donia, where they expetted to be joined by a powerful 
party, whom fear or inclination would bring to the ftaiid- 
ard of the banilhed king. The Macedonians who ad- 
liered to the intereft of Perdiccas, or rather of his infant 
fon Amyntas, were roiifed and animated by the manly 
exiiortations of Philip. His graceful perfon, infimiating 
addrefs, and winning affability, at once gained the unli¬ 
mited confidence of the Macedonians, who now unani- 
moully agreed to let afide the fuccelfion of Amyntas ; 
and Philip, who had hitherto polfelfed only the power 
of regent, was inverted with the royal title and autho¬ 
rity. After this elevation to the fupreme dignity, Phi¬ 
lip had no fooiier collected fufficient ftrength to take 
the field, than he diredled his whole force againft Ar- 
gteus, and defeated him in a general engagement, in 
wiiich ArgtEus liimfelf fell, with the flower of his army. 
The young king, having given Inch early proofs of 
his abilities in negociation and war, availed himfelf of 
i tlie 
