Page:Constantinople by Brodribb.djvu/40

 did not forget that she was a Greek city, and ought indeed to be forgiven and saved. So, at the prompting of Demosthenes, she sent ships and soldiers and a good worthy man, the honest upright Phocion, to command them, and the Byzantines received the welcome succour with joy and gratitude. The siege was raised, and the city now, like its sister Perinthus, delivered from the terror of the restless king of Macedon, voted, in full assembly, a decree of honour and a crown of gold of unusual size and splendour to the generous people of Athens.

For some time subsequent to this memorable and successful defence of their city against the power of Macedon we hear but little of the Byzantines. On the occasion of Alexander's expedition into Thrace and his advance to the Danube, they furnished him with a flotilla for operations on that river. We may hence conclude that they had thought it best to become his allies. The city seems to have retained its independence, but it never reduced to subjection any considerable portion of the adjacent regions of Thrace or impressed its Greek civilization on that barbarous country. In fact, it lost ground, and from this time almost down to the Christian era it had to struggle hard for existence against the Thracian tribes, by whom it was harassed with a ceaseless and most troublesome warfare. The citizens could never thoroughly shake off their enemy; no sooner was one attack repelled than another worse and more alarming threatened them. Such is the picture which the historian Polybius gives us of the unhappy lot of the