Page:History of Greece Vol XI.djvu/309

 DECLINE OF CITIZEN SOLDIER V. 283 alus ! of peaceful existence was most diversified, and the activity of industrial pursuit most continuous. It was a fatal severance ot the active force of society from political freedom and intelligence breakin"- up that many-sided combination, of cultivated thought with vigorous deed, which formed the Hellenic ideal and throw ing the defence of Greece upon armed men looking up only to their general or their paymaster. But what made it irreparably fatal, was that just at this moment the Grecian world was thrown upon its defence against Macedonia led by a young prince of in- defatigable enterprise ; who had imbibed, and was capable even of improving, the best ideas of military organization 2 started by Epaminondas and Iphikrates. Philip (as described by his enemy Demosthenes) possessed all that forward and unconquerable love of action which the Athenians had manifested in 431 B. c., as we know from enemies as well as from friends ; while the Macedo- nian population also retained, amidst rudeness and poverty, that military aptitude and readiness which had dwindled away within the walls of the Grecian cities. Though as yet neither disciplined nor formidable, they were an excellent raw material for soldiers, in the hands of an organizing genius like Philip. They were still (as their predecessors had been in the time of the first Perdikkas, 3 when the king's wife baked cakes with her own hand on the hearth), mountain shep- herds ill-clothed and ill-housed eating and drinking from ' Thucyd. ii. 41 (the funeral harangue of Perikles) fiweAwv re /le;&, TTJV re nohiv naaav rq{ 'E/lAarfof Traidevatv elvat, Kal ai?' ticaaTov donelv uv pni TUV O.VTOV uvdpa Trap' TJU&V tnl jrAftcrr' uv eidq KOI //era %apiruv aukier* uv evTpair&uf TO aufia avrapKEf irape^eaiJat. 2 The remarkable organization of the Macedonian army, with its syste- matic combination of different arms and sorts of troops was the work of Philip. Alexander found it ready made to his hands, in the very first months of his reign. It must doubtless have been gradually formed ; year after year improved by Philip ; and we should be glad to be enabled to trace the steps of his progress. But unfortunately we are left without any infor- mation about the military measures of Philip, beyond bare facts and results. Accordingly I am compelled to postpone what is to be said about the Mace- donian military organization until the reign of Alexander, about whose eperations we have valuable details. 3 Herodot. viii. 137.
 * ?ooden platters and cups destitute to a great degree, not mere-