Page:History of Greece Vol XI.djvu/263

 TAKES PYDNA AND POTIDAEA. 237 ponquering and handing over to them the important Athenian pos- session of Potidrea. 1 We know no particulars of these important transactions. Our scanty authorities merely inform us, that dtt ring the first two years (358-356 B. c.), while Athens was ab sorbed by her disastrous Social War. Philip began to act as her avowed enemy. He conquered from her not only Pydna and other places for himself, but also Potidoea for the Olynthians. We are told that Pydna was betrayed to Philip by a party of traitors in the town ; 2 and he probably availed himself of the secret pro- positions made by Athens respecting the exchange of Pydna for Amphipolis, to exasperate the Pydnaeans against her bad faith ; since they would have good ground for resenting the project of transferring them underhand, contrary to their own inclination. Pydna was the first place besieged and captured. Several of its inhabitants, on the ground of prior offence towards Macedonia, 3 are said to have been slain, while even those who had betrayed the town were contemptuously treated. The siege lasted long enough to transmit news to Athens, and to receive aid, had the Athenians acted with proper celerity in despatching forces. But either the pressure of the Social War or the impatience of personal ser- vice as well as of pecuniary payment or both causes operating together made them behindhand with the exigency. Several Athenian citizens were taken in Pydna and sold into slavery, some being ransomed by Demosthenes out of his own funds ; yet 1 Demosthenes, Philipp. ii. p. 71. s. 22. , oi npodovree TTJV Hvdvav Kai ru.7iXa xupia. TGJ Qihimru rti TTOT' trrap- Kdai Trp66rj%,ov TOVTO, on ~ai Trap' iiteivov 6upealf, >iaiv qyovvro ; Compare Olynthiac i. p. 10. s. 5. This discourse was pronounced in 355 B. c, thus affording confirmatory evidence of the date assigned to the surrender of Pydna and Potidaea. "What the " other places" here alluded to by Demosthenes are (besides Pydna and Potidaea), we do not know. It appears by Diodorus (xvi. 31) that Methone was not taken till 354-353 B. c. 3 The conquests of Philip are always enumerated by Demosthenes in this order, Amphipolis, Pydna, Potidaea, Methone, etc., Olynthiac i. p. 11. a. 9. p. 12. s. 13; Philippic i.p. 41. s. 6; De Coron&, p. 248. s. 85. See Ulpian ad Deir.ost icnem, Olynth. i. p. 10. s. 5; also Diodor. xvi. 3 nd Wcssclinir's note
 * Demosthen. adv. Leptinem, p. 476. s. 71 yepe di) KUKEIVO l^era