Page:History of Greece Vol XI.djvu/236

 '210 HISTORY OF GREECE. ness. It would appear that Perdikkas, shortly before his death; had sustained a severe defeat, with the loss of four thousand men, from the Illyrians : his death followed, either from a wound then received, or by the machinations of his mother Eurydike. Per- haps both the wound in battle and the assassination, may be real facts. 1 Philip at first assumed the government of the country as guar- dian of his young nephew Amyntas the son of Perdikkas. But the difficulties of the conjuncture were so formidable, that the Ma- cedonians around constrained him to assume the crown. 2 Of his three half-brothers he put to death one, and was only prevented from killing the other two by their flight into exile ; we shall find them hereafter at Olynthus. They had either found, or were thought likely to find, a party in Macedonia to sustain their pre- tensions to the crown. 3 The succession to the throne in Macedonia, though descending in a particular family, was open to frequent and bloody dispute be- tween the individual members of that family, and usually fell to the most daring and unscrupulous among them. None but an en- ergetic man, indeed, could well maintain himself there, especially under the circumstances of Philip's accession. The .Macedonian monarchy has been called a limited monarchy ; and in a large sense of the word, this proposition is true. But what the limita- tions were, or how they were made operative, we do not know. That there were some ancient forms and customs, which the king habitually respected, we cannot doubt ; 4 as there probably were also among the Illyrian tribes, the Epirots, and others of the neighboring warlike nations. A general assembly was occasion- ally convened, for the purpose of consenting to some important proposition, or trying some conspicuous accused person. But 1 Diodor xvi. 2; Justin, vii. 5; Quint. Curt. vi. 48, 26. ' Justin, vii. 5. Amyntas lived through the reigu of Philip, and was nft< nvards put to death by Alexander, on the charge of conspiracy. See Justin, xii 6 ; Quintus Curtius, vi. 34, 17 ; with the note of Miitzel. 3 Justin, viii. 3. "Post hsec Olynthios aggreditur (Philip): receperant enim per misericordiam, post csedem unius, duos fratres ejus, qnos Philip- pas, ex noverc& genitos, velut participes regni, interficere gestiebat" 4 Arrian, Exp. Alex. iv. 11. ov pit?, i'M& vopv Mcwedovuv { Alexander and his ancestors before him).