Page:History of Greece Vol X.djvu/274

 252 HISTORY OF GREECE. boea ; one of those Condottieri (to use an Italian word familial in the fourteenth century), who, having a band of mercenaries under his command, hired himself to the best bidder and to the most promising cause. These mercenaries served under Iphi- krates for three years, 1 until he was dismissed by the Athenians from his command and superseded by Timotheus. What successes they enabled him to obtain for Athens, is not clear ; but it is cer- tain that he did not succeed in taking Amphipolis. He seems to have directed one or two attempts against the town by other offi- cers, which proved abortive ; but he got possession of some Am- phipoh'tan prisoners or hostages, 3 which opened a prospect of accomplishing the surrender of the town. It seems evident, however, in spite of our great dearth of infor- mation, that Iphikrates during his command between 369-365 B. C. did not satisfy the expectations of his countrymen. At that time, those expectations were large, as testified by sending out not only Iphikrates to Macedonia and Thrace, but also Timotheus (who had returned from his service with the Persians in 372-371 B. c.) to Ionia and the Hellespont, in conjunction with Ariobar- zanes the satrap of Phrygia. 3 That satrap was in possession of Sestos, as well as of various other towns in the Thracian Cher- sonesus, towards which Athenian ambition now tended, according to that new turn, towards more special and separate acquisitions for Athens, which it had taken since the battle of Leuktra. But 1 Demosthen. cont. Aristokrat. p. 669, s. 149, c. 37. 8 Demosthen. cont. Aristokr. p. 669, s. 149, c. 37. The passage in which the orator alludes to these hostages of the Amphi- politans in the hands of Iphikrates, is unfortunately not fully intelligible without farther information. (Charidemus) Tipurov /nevrovc; 'A,u0f TTO/IITWJ> dpr/pavf, of Trap' 'Apira/loii Tiafiuv '10 IK parr; ? edune v%.aTTeiv avrti, ipjj^i- aajifvuv iifiuv uf i>fj.uf KO/iiaai, trapeduKEV 'A^iTro/lmuf Kal rov p.r/ 7.a- delv 'Afj.tyitro'kiv, Tovr 1 kfinodiov /career??. Who Harpalus was, or what is meant by Iphikrates "obtaining (or capturing) from him the Amphipolitan hostages " we cannot determine. Possibly Harpalus may have been commander of a body of Macedonians or Thracians acting as auxiliaries to the Amphipolitaas, and in this charac- ter exacting hostages from them as security. Charidcmus, as we see after- wards when acting for Kersobleptes, received hostage, from idc innaoitanto of Sestos (Demosth. cont. Aristokrat. p. 679, c. 40 s. iti/. 9 Demosthen. De Ehodior. Libertat. c. 5, p. 193