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Often appears with: conquest, plunder, and captives · strategy and the aims of war · faction, party, and civil strife · siege and fortification · diplomacy and embassies · counsel and advisers to rulers · aratus of sicyon · tyranny and despotism · treaties, truces, and peacemaking · the rise and fall of greatness · tegea civil war · tamynae sacrifice
Usually: narrative (5) · argument (3) · censure (3) · indignation (3) · skepticism (3) · speech or oration (2) · betrayal (2) · the fall of the great (2) · detachment (2) · lament (2)
“By these arts this union, the last hope of Greece, the last hope of ancient liberty, was torn into pieces; and such imbecility and distraction introduced, that the arms of Rome found little difficulty in completing the ruin which their arts had commenced.” Alexander Hamilton; John Jay; James Madison, The Federalist Papers · vivid
“the proclamation and summons to assemble in arms should have been made some time before, when they were told that their enemies the Aetolians were approaching the frontier: not then, when they learnt that their benefactors and preservers the Macedonians were coming with their king.” Polybius, The Histories of Polybius, Vol. 1 (of 2) · observation
“For Philip was unanimously elected general-in-chief by land and sea, not, as my opponent ventured to assert, as one who had wronged Thessaly; but on the ground of his being a benefactor of Greece: an honour which no one had previously obtained.” Polybius, The Histories of Polybius, Vol. 1 (of 2) · observation
“The present juncture, Athenians, all but proclaims aloud, that you must yourselves take these affairs in hand, if you care for their success.” Demosthenes, The Olynthiacs and the Phillippics of Demosthenes · precept
“In such circumstances delay is useful, for the reasons assigned by Titus Livius when speaking of Sulpitius. In no other circumstances, however, can an engagement be avoided without dishonour or danger.” Niccolò Machiavelli, Discourses on the First Decade of Titus Livius · precept
“Philip saw this (for it was not hard to see), he tried, by dispensing money to the traitors whom each state contained, to throw them all into collision and stir up one against another; and thus, amid the blunders and perversity of others, he was making his own preparations, and growing great to the danger of all.” Demosthenes, The Public Orations of Demosthenes, volume 2 · insight
“The worst feature in the past is that in which lies our best hope for the future.” Demosthenes, The Public Orations of Demosthenes, volume 2 · insight
Madison argues that repeated Greek reliance on foreign armies turns into mastery by the invader, culminating in Roman destruction of the Achaean League and the chaining of Achaia.
his neighbors, the Achaeans, and who, as an enemy to Macedon, had interest enough with the Egyptian and Syrian princes to effect a breach of their engagements with the league. The Achaeans were now reduced to the dilemma of submitting to Cleomenes, or of supplicating the aid of Macedon, its former oppressor. The latter expedient was adopted. The contests of the Greeks always afforded a pleasing opportunity to that p…
In the struggle involving Philip of Macedon and the island of Euboea, Phocion fortifies his troops near Tamynae, defeats attackers after a sacrifice, expels Plutarch of Eretria, takes Zaretra, and releases Greeks to prevent Athenian cruelty.
Phocion's arrival, they went out to welcome him in their private boats and barges, with streamers and garlands, and received him at landing with every demonstration of joy and pleasure. When king Philip was effecting his entry into Euboea, and was bringing over troops from Macedonia, and making himself master of the cities, by means of the tyrants who ruled in them, Plutarch of Eretria sent to request aid of the Ath…
Philip of Macedonia offends by locals throwing stones, then executes them, becomes harsher and sexually abusive, undermines Aratus in Greece during Messenian sedition, and at Ithomatas sacrifices to Jupiter with Aratus present.
so that once they threw stones at him as he was going back from supper to his tent. At which Philip being much offended, immediately fined them twenty talents; and finding afterwards that they still went on disturbing matters and doing mischief in his affairs, he put them to death. But with his run of good success, prosperity began to puff him up, and various extravagant desires began to spring and show themselves in…
Arguing that Philip’s tactics can undermine Athenian resources, Demosthenes calls for immediate aid and rapid preparations for an alliance, while reminding Athenians that Olynthian fears will keep them steadfast.
it part of your good fortune, that many fit suggestions will occur to some speakers at the moment, so that from them all you may easily choose what is profitable. The present juncture, Athenians, all but proclaims aloud, that you must yourselves take these affairs in hand, if you care for their success. I know not how we seem disposed in the matter. [Footnote: This is a cautious way of hinting at the general relucta…
He elaborates that intrenchment works only when the enemy dares not attack, compares Hannibal, Fabius, and Philip of Macedon’s shifting tactics, and concludes that avoiding battle only works with exceptional advantages.
danger of your being besieged, and presently reduced by famine and forced to surrender. Wherefore it is most mischievous to seek to avoid battle in either of these two ways. To intrench yourself in a strong position, as Fabius was wont to do, is a good method when your army is so formidable that the enemy dare not advance to attack you in your intrenchments; yet it cannot truly be said that Fabius avoided battle, bu…
After an Aetolian raid, Philip reaches Corinth too late and marches toward Tegea, where Spartan civil strife arises as Ephors choose sides and Adeimantus is murdered by allied youth.
[Sidenote: Adeimantus assassinated.] +22.+ To return from this digression. When the Aetolians had reached their homes in safety after this raid upon the Peloponnese, Philip, coming to the aid of the Achaeans with an army, arrived at Corinth. Finding that he was too late, he sent despatches to all the allies urging them to send deputies at once to Corinth, to consult on the measures required for the common safety. Me…
Philip campaigns from Megalopolis to Argos while Apelles plots against Aratus, recruiting his enemies and securing Eperatus of Pharae as Achaean strategus while rejecting Aratus’s candidate Timoxenus.
[Sidenote: Election of Eperatus as Achaean Strategus.] +82.+ Meanwhile Philip left Megalopolis, and marching by way of Tegea arrived at Argos, and there spent the rest of the winter, having gained in this campaign an admiration beyond his years for his general conduct and his brilliant achievements. But, in spite of all that had happened, Apelles was by no means inclined to desist from the policy on which he had ent…
The speaker defends Philip of Macedon by contrasting his destruction of the Delphic usurpers with Aetolian and allied failures, claiming Philip’s actions preserved Greece and earned him command by Greece.
[Sidenote: Philip elected generalissimo against Persia in the congress of allies at Corinth, B.C. 338.] “Chlaenaes said, then, that Philip son of Amyntas became master of Thessaly by the ruin of Olynthus. But I conceive that not only the Thessalians, but the other Greeks also, were preserved by Philip’s means. For at the time when Onomarchus and Philomelus, in defiance of religion and law seized Delphi and made them…
Demosthenes urges Athenians to stop Philip of Macedon’s aggressions after the Peace, arguing that poor leadership—flattery and slander of opponents—has made Athens complacent and unprepared.
Demosthenes, and the speech may have been more than once revised by him before publication or republication. In which form it was delivered there is not sufficient evidence to show.] {1} Many speeches are made, men of Athens, at almost every meeting of the Assembly, with reference to the aggressions which Philip has been committing, ever since he concluded the Peace, not only against yourselves but against all other…
Demosthenes sets out the context of the Phocian War and Hellenic disunity under Philip of Macedon, claiming that Athens’ negotiated Peace was shaped by others’ corrupt negotiations, not by his own actions.
should remind you of the state of affairs subsisting during that period, so that you may view each group of actions in the light of the circumstances of the time. {18} When the Phocian war had broken out[n] (not through any action of mine, for I had not yet entered public life), your own attitude, in the first place, was such, that you wished for the preservation of the Phocians, although you saw that their actions …
Seneca narrates a story of Philip of Macedon and a shipwrecked rescuer’s ungrateful soldier, who demanded an estate instead of repayment; Philip punished him and publicly framed hospitality as sacred.
taken from him. But who would be affected by the spectacle of his punishment? The crime which he had committed would prevent his being pitied even by any humane person. XXXVIII. Will Philip then give you a thing because he has promised to give it, even though he ought not to do so, even though he will commit a wrong by doing so, nay, a crime, even though by this one act he will make it impossible for shipwrecked men…