Page:History of Greece Vol XI.djvu/508

482 HISTORY OF GREECE. gods themselves had singled her out for that pious duty. 1 What part Thebes took in the nomination of Philip, or whether her le gates attended at the autumnal Amphiktyonie meeting, we do not know. But it is to be remembered that one of the twelve Am- [>hiktyonic double suffrages now belonged to the Macedonians themselves ; while many of the remaining members had become dependent on Macedonia the Thessalians, Phthiot Achgeans, Perrhsebians, Dolopians, Magnetes, etc. 2 It was probably not very difficult for Kottyphus and ^Eschines to procure a vote in- vesting Philip with the command. Even those who were not favorable might dread the charge of impiety if they opposed it. During the spring and summer of this year 339 B. c. (the in- terval between the two Amphiktyonic meetings). Philip had been engaged in his expedition against the Scythians, and in his battle, while returning, against the Triballi, wherein he received the se- vere wound already mentioned. His recovery from this wound was completed, when the Amphiktyonic vote, conferring upon him the command, was passed. He readily accepted a mission which his partisans, and probably his bribes, had been mainly concerned in procuring. Immediately collecting his forces, he marched southward through Thessaly and Thermopylae, proclaiming his purpose of avenging the Delphian god upon the unholy Lokriaus of Amphissa. The Amphiktyonic deputies, and the Amphiktyonic contingents in greater or less numbers, accompanied his march. In passing through Thermopylae, he took Nikaea (one of the towns most essential to the security of the pass) from the Thebans, in whose hands it had remained since his conquest of Phokis in 346 B. c., though with a Macedonian garrison sharing in the occupa- tion. 3 Not being yet assured of the concurrence of the Thebans in his farther projects, he thought it safer to consign this impcr- 1 ./Eschincs adv. Ktesiph. p. 72 ---- TUV fj.lv dtuv TJJV riyenoviav rf/f ciae- Setof Tjftlv TrapadfAuKOTuv, n?f <5e Aejicxr&evovf dupodoiciac t^nroduv 1 See Isokratcs, Orat. V. (Philipp.) s. 22, 23. 3 ./Eschines adv. Ktcsiph. p. 73. txEi6r) Qtinnrof avru BtTratolf TrapedwKC, etc. Compare Demoslhen. ad Philipp. Epistol. p. 153. iwxrrverai S vn Qaluv Ni'/caiov ftev <ppavtin /cart^wVjCtC.