G R E 
to heaven; and, with all the powers and faculties of 
mind and body, avenge the abominable violation of the 
confecrated territory. Do you, Amphiflyons! deter¬ 
mine as wifdoin (hall diredl. Your offerings are pre¬ 
pared, your vidims are brought to the altar; you are 
ready to offer folemn prayers for bleffings on yourfelves, 
and on the republics which you reprefent. But confi- 
der with wliat voice, with what heart, with what con¬ 
fidence, you can breathe out your petitions, while you 
fuffer the profanation of the Amphilfeans to pafs unre¬ 
venged. Hear the words of the imprecation, not only 
againft thofe who cultivate the Confecrated ground, but 
againft thofe who negled to punifh them ; “ May they 
never prefent an acceptable offering to Apollo, Diana, 
Latona, or Minerva the provident; but may all their 
facrifices and religious rites be for ever rejeded and 
abhorred !” 
The warmth of .^fchines occafioned the iitmofl con- 
fufion fn the affembly, and thus laid the foundation of 
the third facred war, in the year before Chrift 339. 
It was determined, after violent contentions, that the 
Amphidyons fliouid next day repair to the Cirrhean 
plain, in order to burn, cut down, and deflroy, the 
houfes and plantations which had fo long adorned or 
defiled that devoted territory. The ravagers met with 
little oppofition in performing this pious devaiftation ; 
but as they returned towards the temple, they were 
overtaken by a numerous party of Amphiffeans, who 
threw them into diforder, took feveral prifoners, and 
purfued the reft to Delphi. The fignal of war was now 
raifed ; the infulted Amphidlyons, in whofe perfons 
the fandity of religion had been violated, complained 
to their refpedive republics, while the recent audacity 
of the Amphiffeans aggravated their ancient crimes and 
enormities. But the council loudly declaimed againft 
the lukewarm indifference of the Grecian ftates, in a war 
which fo deeply concerned the national religion. It be¬ 
came the Amphidyons, therefore, as the minifters of 
Apollo, and the guardians of his temple, to feek out 
and employ fome more powerful inftrument of the di¬ 
vine vengeance. Philip of Macedon had formerly given 
proof of his pious zeal in the Phocian war. That prince 
was now named as a general the bed qualified to defend 
the caufe of Apollo and the facred fiirine, and a depu¬ 
tation of the Amphidyons was fent to Philip in Thrace. 
He received their melfage with great cordiality, and 
declared his veneration for the commands of the coun¬ 
cil, which he fhould be ever ready to obey. The vigi¬ 
lant prince foon provided a fufficient number of tranf- 
ports to convey his army into Greece, notwiihftanding 
the Athenians had taken a decided part againft him, 
and that their admirals Chares and Proxenus were pre¬ 
pared to intercept his palfage with a fuperior naval 
force. To baffle this oppofition, Philip, as ufual, em¬ 
ployed a ftratagem. A light brigantine was difpatchcd 
to Macedon with letters of fuch import as gave reafon 
to believe that he purpofed immediately returning into 
Thrace. Befides writing to Antipater, his principal 
confidant, he took care to mafk his artifice, by fending 
letters to his queen Olympias. The brigantine defign- 
edly fell into the hands of the Athenians. 'Thedif- 
patches v/ere feized and read; but the letter for the 
queen was politely forwarded to its deftination. The 
Athenian admirals quitted their ftation, and Philip ar¬ 
rived, without oppofition, on the coaft of Locris, from 
whence he proceeded to Delphi. 
Though the Macedonians were more than feemed 
necelfary for the redudtion of Ampliiffa, the king dif- 
patched circular letters through moft'parts of Greece, 
requiring trom the Thebans, Peloponne-fians, and other 
ftates, the afliftance of their combined arms to maintain 
the cauie of the Amphiftyons and Apollo. The The¬ 
bans, intimidated by a powerful army in their neigh¬ 
bourhood, fent a fniall body of infantry to join the 
ftandard of Philip. The Lacedtemonians, long difgufted 
VoL. VIII. Mo. 5 j6. 
E C E. 933 
with the meafu/es of Greece, were firm in preferving a 
fullen neutrality; while the Athenians, awakened by 
the aftivity of Demofthenes to a fenfe of their danger, 
oppofed Philip with ten thoufand mercenaries, defpifing 
the threats of the oracle againft thofe who took part with 
Amphiffir; The king of Macedon, however, without 
waiting for any farther reinforcement than 1 hat which he 
had received from the Thebans, befieged, took, and 
garrifoned, that unfortunate city; and having routed 
and put to flight the Athenian mercenaries, foon fpread 
tlie terror of his arms around the neighbouring territory. 
The Atlienians, now dreading that they rnuft foon have 
their own walls to defend againft tlie vidlorious invader, 
fent an embaffy to Megara, Euboea, Leucas, Corinth, 
Corcyra, and Achaia, each of which favourably received 
the ambaffadors, and entered into a league againft Ma¬ 
cedon. Thebes fludluated in uncertainty, hating the 
Athenians as rivals, and dreading Philip as a tyrant. 
The fituation of the Theban territory, through which 
Philip inuft march before he could invade Attica, ren¬ 
dered the decifion of that people peculiarly important. 
To gain or to retain their friendfliip, the intrigues of 
Pliilip, and the eloquenceof Athens had been employed 
with unwearied affiduity. The Thebans temporifed, 
deliberated, refolved, and changed their refolutions. 
The partifans of Athens were molt numerous, thofe of 
Macedon moft aflive^ while the great body of the The¬ 
ban people heard the clamours and arguments of both 
parties with that ftupid indifference, and took their 
meafures witli that lethargic flownefs which difgraced 
their character. To fix their wavering irrefolution, 
Philip at lengtli determined to feize on Elataea, a city 
conveniently fituate for receiving reinforcements from 
Theffaly and Macedon, commanding the paffage into 
Boeotia, diftant only two days march from Attica, and 
whicli, being garrifoned by a powerful army, might con¬ 
tinually alarm the fafety of Thebes and Athens. Philip 
drew the greater part of his troops thither, repaired and 
ftrengthened the walls, and having thus fecured himfelf 
from furprife, watched a favourable opportunity of in- 
flifting puniftiment on the Athenians, who had given him 
fufficient ground to reprefent them as the enemies of the 
Amphiftyonic council, by whofe authority the king of 
Macedon affeifted to be guided in all liis operations. 
On the firft tidings that Philip had taken poffeffion of 
Elataea, the people of Athens were all confternation and 
alarm, until Demoftlienes exhorted them to lhakc off 
the unmanly terror which had furprifed them; and, in- 
ftead of fearing for themfelves, to fear only for their 
neighbours, whofe territories were more immediately 
threatened, and who muft fuftain tiie firft fiioek of the 
invafion. “ Let your forces,” continued he, “ imme¬ 
diately march to Eleufis, in order to fhow the TliebanS, 
and all Greece, that as thofe who have fold their coun¬ 
try are fupported by the Macedonian forces at Elata.'a, 
fo you are ready to defend with your hereditary courage 
and fortune thofe who fight for liberty. Let ambaffa- 
dors be fent to Thebes, to remind that republic of the 
good offices conferred by your anceftors; to alfure the 
Thebans, that you do not confider them as aliens; that 
the people of Athens have forgot all former holtilities 
with the citizens of Greece, and will never forfake the 
caufe of their common country, which is in a peculiar 
manner the caufe of Thebes.” Thefe propofals being- 
received with general approbation, Demofthenes was 
immediately difpatched to Thebes ; the I'hebans re¬ 
ceived with gratitude the proffered afliftance of Athens; 
and the Athenian army liaving foon after taken the 
field, were admitted within the Theban walls, and 
treated w’ith all the diftinClions of ancient hofpitality. 
Meanwhile Philip having advanced towards the Boeo¬ 
tian frontier, his detached parties w-ere foiled in two 
fkirmiflies with tile confederates. Regardlefs of thefe 
loll'es, he proceeded with his main body, thirty-two 
thoufand ftrong, to the plain of Cliteronxa, which was 
II E conlidered 
