Page:History of Greece Vol XI.djvu/241

 ATHENS. AMPHIPOLIS. 215 occupying for the most part the towns, villages, and plains, 1 and restricting the native Macedonians to the defensible, yet barren hills. Philip marched to attack them, at the head of a force which he had now contrived to increase to the number of ten thou- sand foot and six hundred horse. The numbers of Bardylis were about equal ; yet on hearing of Philip's approach, he sent a pro- position tendering peace, on the condition that each party should retain what it actually possessed. His proposition being rejected, the two armies speedily met. Philip had collected around him on the right wing his chosen Macedonian troops, with whom he made his most vigorous onset : manoeuvring at the same time with a body of cavalry so as to attack the left flank of the Illyrians. The battle, contested with the utmost obstinacy on both sides, was for some time undecided ; nor could the king of Macedon break the oblong square into which his enemies had formed themselves. But at length his cavalry were enabled to charge them so effec- tively in flank and rear, that victory declared in his favor. The Illyrians fled, were vigorously pursued with the loss of seven thousand men, and never again rallied. Bardylis presently sued for peace, and consented to purchase it by renouncing all his con- quests in Macedonia ; while Philip pushed his victory so strenu- ously, as to reduce to subjection all the tribes eastward of Lake Lychnidus. 2 These operations against the inland neighbors of Macedonia must have occupied a year or two. During that interval, Philip left Amphipolis to itself, having withdrawn from it the Macedo- nian garrison as a means of conciliating the Athenians. We might have expected that they would forthwith have availed them- selves of the opening and taken active measures for regaining 1 Arrian, vii. 9, 2, 3 gained by Philip against the Illyrians ; wherein, observing that their chosen troops were in the centre, he placed his own greatest strength in his right wing, attacked and beat their left wing ; then came upon their centre in flank and defeated their whole army. Whether this be the battle alluded to, we cannot say. The tactics employed are the same as those of Epami- nonclas at Leuktra and Mantinca; strengthening one wing peculiarly for the offensive, and keeping back the rest of the army upon the defen-
 * Diodor. xvi. 4-8. Frontinus (Strategcm. ii. 3, 2) mentions a battio