Page:History of Greece Vol XI.djvu/286

 200 HISTORY OF GREECE. clans. Paeonians, and Illyrians, who were never long at rest, an4 who had combined to regain their independence. 1 ]t appears to have been in 354-353 B. c., that he attacked Methone, the last remaining possession of Athens on the Macedonian coast. Sit uated on the Thermaic Gulf, Methoue was doubtless a convenient station for Athenian privateers to intercept trading vessels, not merely to and from Macedonian ports, but also from Olynthus and Potidae; so that the Olynthians, then in alliance with Philip against Athens, would be glad to see it pass into his power, and may perhaps have lent him their aid. He pressed the siege of the place with his usual vigor, employing all the engines and means of assault then known ; while the besieged on their side were not less resolute in the defence. They repelled his attacks for so long a time, that news of the danger of the place reached Athens, and ample time was afforded for sending relief, had the Athenians been ready and vigorous in their movement. But unfortunately they had not even now learnt experience from the loss of Pydna and Potidzea. Either the Etesian winds usual in summer, or the storms of winter, both which circumstances were taken into ac- count by Philip in adjusting the season of his enterprises 2 or (which is more probable) the aversion of the Athenian respecta- ble citizens to personal service on ship-board, and their slackness even in pecuniary payment caused so much delay in prepara- tions, that the expedition sent out did not reach Methone until toe late. 3 The Methonaeans, having gallantly held out until all their means were exhausted, were at length compelled to surrender. Diodorus tells us that Philip granted terms so far lenient as to al- low them to depart with the clothes on their backs. 4 But this can 1 Diodor. xvi. 22. 2 See a striking passage in Demosthenes, Philipp. i. p. 48. s. 35. There was another place called Methone the Thracian Methone situated in the Chalkidic or Thracian peninsula, near Olynthus and Apollonia of which we shall hear presently. 3 Demosthenes, Philipp. i. p. 50. s. 40 ; Olynth. i. p. 11. s. 9. 4 Diodoras (xvi. 31-34) mentions the capture of Methone by Philip twice, in two successive years : first, in 354-353 B. c. ; again, more copiously, in 353-352 B. c. In my judgment, the earlier of the two dates is the rooro probable. In 353-352 B. c., Philip carried on his war in Thrace, near Ab- dera and Maroneia and also his war against Onomarchus in Thessaly ; which transactions seem enough to fill up the time. From the language