Page:History of Greece Vol XI.djvu/266

 240 HISTORY OF GREECE. from whence, apparently, both had extracted valuable produce. In the interior of this region he founded a new city called Philip- pi, enlarged from a previous town called Krenides, recently founded by the Thasians ; and he took such effective measures for increasing the metallic works in the neighborhood, that they pres- ently yielded to him a large revenue ; according to Diodorus, not less than one thousand talents per annum. 1 He caused a new gold coin to be struck, bearing a name derived from his own. Tba fresh source of wealth thus opened was of the greatest moment to him, as furnishing means to meet the constantly increasing ex- pense of his military force. He had full employment to keep his soldiers in training : for the nations of the interior Illyrians, Paeonians, and Thracians humbled but not subdued, rose again in arms, and tried again jointly to reclaim their independence. The army of Philip under his general Parmenio, of whom we now hear for the first time defeated them, and again reduced them to submission. 52 It was during this interval too that Philip married Olympian, daughter of Neoptolemus prince of the Molossi, 3 and descended from the ancient Molossian kings, who boasted of an heroic JEakid genealogy. Philip had seen her at the religious mysteries in the island of Samothrace, where both were initiated at the same time. In violence of temper in jealous, cruel, and vindictive disposition she forms almost a parallel to the Persian queens Amestris and Parysatis. The Epirotic women, as well as the Thracian, were much given to the Bacchanalian religious rites, celebrated with fierce ecstasy amid the mountain solitudes in hon- or of Dionysius. 4 To this species of religious excitement Olym- pias was peculiarly susceptible. She is said to have been fond of tame snakes playing around her, and to have indulged in cere- monies of magic and incantation. 5 Her temper and character be- 1 Diodor. xvi. 4-8; Harpokration v. Aurov. Hcrodot. ix. 74. 4 Plutarch, Alexand. c. 2. 3. The Bacchse of Euripides contains a p merful description of these exciting ceremonies. taro^uf, nal Tovf iv&ovaiaofioiif tguyovaa papfiaptK^Tepov, oififif Yiporj&Ei ifa'thneTo rolg -diuaoif, etc. Compare Duris apud Athcnaum, xiii. p. 560.
 * Diodor. xvi. 22 ; Plutarch, Alexand. c. 3. 3 Justin, vii. 6.
 * Plutarch, Alexand. c. 2. ij de 'Ofa'fiiriuf fid^ov trepvv