9.28 
GREECE, 
to decide the fa-te of Phocis| a country which they had 
perfecuted witli unrelenting hofliility in a war of ten 
years. The fentence was fuch as might be expected 
from the refentment of fuch judges. It was decreed 
that the Phocians fliould be excluded from the general 
confederacy of Greece, and for ever deprived of the 
right to fend reprefentatives to the council of Amphic- 
tyons: that their arms and horles flmuld be fold for 
the benefit of Apollo ; that they fhould be allowed to 
keep pofleflion of their lands, but compelled to pay an¬ 
nually from their produce the value of fixty thoufand 
talents, till they had completely indemnified the tem- 
jile ; that their cities fhould be difmantled, and reduced 
to diftindt villages, containing no more than fixty houfes 
each, at the dirtan'ce of a furlong from each other; and 
that the Corinthians, who had recently given them af- 
fiftance, (liould be deprived of the prefidency at the Py¬ 
thian games; which prerogative, togetlier with the fu- 
perintendence of the temple of Delphi, as well as the 
right of fuffrage in the Amphiftyonic council, loft: by 
the Phocians, Thould thenceforth be transferred to, and 
enjoyed by, the king of Macedon. 
This extraordinary decree, when communicated to 
the Phocians, filled them with fuch terror and dilmay, 
as rendered them totally incapable of adting with vi¬ 
gour or with union. They were unable to take mea- 
lures for repelling the invader; a few cities only, more 
daring than tlie reft, endeavoured to defend their walls; 
but their feeble reiiftance was foon overcome; all op- 
pofition ceafed ; and the Macedonians proceeded to ex¬ 
ecute the will of the Amphidtyonic council with inflexi¬ 
ble cruelty. The wretched Phocians beheld the de- 
ftrudtioh of their ancient monumenrs and trophies, their 
walls levelled with the ground, tlie fertile banks of tlie 
Cephifliis covered with delolation, and the venerable 
cities of Daulis, Penopeus, Lilasa, and Hyampolis, 
which had floiiriftied above nine centuries in i'plcndour 
and profperity, and which will ever flourifti in tlie long 
of Homer, fo totally demolilhed-as fcarcely to leave a 
veftige of their exiftence. After this terrible havoc, 
the inhabitants were driven like herds of cattle to fet- 
tlements allotted for them, and compelled to cultivate 
tlieir paternal fields for the benefit of haughty and un¬ 
relenting mafters. 
The unexpeifed news of thefe melancholy events 
reached Athens in five days. I he people immediately 
aifembled; a decree paffed, at the motion of Callil- 
thenes, which marked equally their refentment and dif- 
luay. It was refolved, “ that the Athenians, who ufu- 
ally refided in the country, fhould be fummoned to the 
defence of the city ; that thole, within the diftance of 
twelve miles round, fhould, along with their perfons, 
tranfport their moft valuable eftedts into the city or the 
Pirjeus ; that thofe at a greater diftance fliould refpec- 
tively convey themfelves and tlicir property to the 
iieareft plt^ces of ftiength in the Attic territory.” The 
people with one voice called aloud for arms : levies 
were prepared for the relief of Phocis; and their admi¬ 
ral Proxenus, who had lately returned, was ordered 
again to diiedt his courfe towards that country. T he 
king of Macedon, apprifed of thefe tranfadtions, npw 
wrote a letter to the Athenians in that ftyle of fiiperio- 
rity which the fuccefs of his arms entitled him to a(- 
fume. After acquainting them with his treatment of 
the Phocians, he mentions his being informed of their 
preparations for fiipj orting that impious people, and 
exhorts them to lay atide their unwarrantable defiga ; 
but adds, “ If you perflft, know tJiat we are prepared 
for repelling your hoftilities with firmnefs and vigour.” 
This mortifying letter was received at the tame inttant 
that the Athenian ambalfadors returned from Euboea, 
and brought fuch accounts of the deftriidlion of the 
Phocians, that it appeared impoflible to attbrd them any 
relief. All that remained was to fave from the ven¬ 
geance of their enemies the miferable wreck of that un¬ 
fortunate community. The Athenians paflTed a decree 
for providing them with fettlements in Attica, or in the 
colonial dependencies of the republic; a meafure which, 
though it was founded on gratitude and humanity to¬ 
wards ancient and faithful allies, gave great olFence to 
the ThelTalians and Theban.s, who were defirous to 
fhare with Philip in the fpoils of the ruined ftate. Or- 
chomenus-, Coroiiasa, Hyampolis, with other cities of 
lefs note in Roeotia, were, in confequence of tlie deftruc- 
tion of their Piiocian allies, again fubjefted to the do¬ 
minion of Thebes ; which, ^ this occafion, prepared 
to a6l with more than ufiial cruelty. But Philip, with 
a fudden turn of oppofite policy, efpoufed the caufe of 
the Boeotians with a generous ardour, extremely difa-. 
greeable to the Thebans. His humanity, whether real 
or pretended, was loudly extolled by his partifans. It 
redounded, however, more to his own glory, than to- 
the benefit of the Boeotians ; who, being expelled from 
their own country by Theban tyranny, fought refuge in 
the bofom of Atliens. 
Having thus terminated the facred war in g manner fo 
favourable to his own ambition, Philip, in the year be¬ 
fore Chrift 3^6, convened the members of the Amphic- 
tyonic council, to the number of two hundred, and af- 
fifted in the facrifices offered to Apollo. The name of 
the pious king of Macedon, who had been the principal 
inftrument of their fuccefs, refounded in the Poeans fung 
in honour of the god. The Amphiftyous ratified all 
the tranfadfions of Philip ; eredted his ftatue in the 
temple of Delphi, and acknowledged, by a folenin de¬ 
cree, the kingdom of Macedon as the principal member 
of the Hellenic body. Philip at the fame time appoint¬ 
ed deputies to prelide at the Pythian games, the cele¬ 
bration of which was nearly approaching, and to which 
moft of the Grecian ftates had already lent their repre- 
fejitatives. The Athenians, flung with indignation, ab- 
ftained from this feftival. An embalTy was therefore 
difpatched to them in the name of the Amphidtyons, 
requiring their concurrence with meafures embraced by 
the general council of Greece ; and remonftrating againft 
their difpleal'ure at the aggrandifement of a prince, with 
whom tliey had lb lately contradfed an alliance. The 
deliberations of the Athenian alfembly fhewed the ex¬ 
tent of their own folly, and evinced the confummate 
policy of Piiilip. They acknowledged, with dejedtion 
and anguifli, that they had negledled the many oppor- 
tunitie.s prefented them by the favour of heaven, lor 
reprefling the ambition of their rival; that the time of 
adting with vigour and effect was now no more ; that 
the caufe of Greece was an empty name, fince the Greeks 
furrendered their franchifes to the king of Macedon; 
and that it became their own republic to confult rather 
its fafety than its honour, and to maintain peace with a 
monarch againft whom they weie by no means prepared 
to wage war. Even Demofthenes recommended this 
refolution ; left, fays he, we Ihould ottend thofe, now 
aifembled, who call themfelves the Amphidtyons, and 
thus excite a general war againft ourielves. This opi¬ 
nion was univerfally approved : Macedon was,acknow¬ 
ledged a member of the Grecian confederacy ; and Ifo- 
crates, an Athenian of the higheft reputation, addrelfed 
a dil'courle to Philip, in which he exhorted him to dif- 
dain inglorious victories over liis countrymen and 
friends, to employ his authority to extinguilh for ever 
the animofities of Greece, and to dired the united ef¬ 
forts of that country, of which Macedon now formed 
the head, againft the wealth and encroachments of Per- 
fia, its ancient and inlidious enemy. 
, By his intrigues, Philip thus obtained more impor- 
tant advantages, than he could have gained by; a long 
feries of vidones; but the completeconquelt of Greece 
was a point not fo ealily elfected. The Lacediemonians, 
ever ready for war, folicited the alTiftance of Athens. 
The. latter ftate had received a coniiderable acceliion of 
ftrength^ as well as of honour and refped, from its hol- 
2 pitable 
