Page:History of Greece Vol XI.djvu/346

 320 HISTORY OF GREECE. clear that ti prince who stretched his encroaching arms in all directions to Thermopylae, to Illyria, and to Thrace would not long suffer the fertile peninsula between the Thermaic and Strymonic gulf's to remain occupied by free Grecian communities. Accordingly, it seems that after the great victory of Philip in Thessaly over the Phokians (in the first half of 352 B. c.), the Olynthians manifested their uneasiness by seceding from alliance with him against Athens. They concluded peace with that city, ani manifested such friendly sentiments that an alliance began to be thought possible. This peace seems to have been concluded before November 352 B. c. 1 Here was an important change of policy on the part of the Olynthians. Though they probably intended it, not as a measure of hostility against Philip, but simply as a precaution to ensure to themselves recourse elsewhere in case of becoming exposed to his attack, it was not likely that he would either draw or recog- nize any such distinction. He would probably consider that by the cession of Potidasa, he had purchased their cooperation against Athens, and would treat their secession as at least making an end to all amicable relations. A few months afterwards (at the date of the first Philippic 2 ) we find that he, or his soldiers, had attacked, and made sudden excursions into their territory, close adjoining to his own. In this state of partial hostility, yet without proclaimed or vig- orous war, matters seem to have remained throughout the year 351 B. c. Philip was engaged during that year in his Thracian expedition, where he fell sick, so that aggressive enterprise was 1 Demosthen. cont. Aristokrat. p. 656. p. 129. EKEIVOI (Olynthians) j{ fisv iupuv aiiTov (Philip) TTJ^IKOVTOV rfkinnq uv Tuordf {itrqpXE, av/j.fia^oi n Tjffnv, Kal <5t' EKSLVOV TJ[UV tttotefitttrf ETrEid?) 6s elSov /J.EI& TJJ( irpbf avrovj irlaTEug yiyvofievov .... vpuf, ot)f laaaiv dnuvruv uv&pUTruv 7?(5t<rr' uv Kat rot)f EKEIVOV (jtihovf KOI aiirbv rbv Qihimrov uTTOKTEivavTaf, (jii^ovf 7T7rotr;vra, We know from. Dionysius that this oration was delivered between Mid- summer 352 B. c. and Midsummer 351 B. c. I have already remarked that it must have been delivered, in my judgment, before the month Masmakte- rion (November) 352 B. c. r^f oiiteiaf x&paf avrov orpamnf, elf Tlv'/.ag Kal XEppovrjaov Kal "
 * Demosthenes, Philippic i. p. 44. s. 2) ...... sTrl TUC i^aiipvric ravraf arrj