Page:History of Greece Vol XI.djvu/524

 li/0 HISTORY OF OKEECK. that tb Allied Grecian army met Philip near Chasroneia ; the last Boeotian town on the frontiers of Phokis. He seems to have been now strong enough to attempt to force his way into Boeotia, and is said to have drawn down the allies from a strong position into the plain, by laying waste the neighboring fields. 1 His num- bers are stated by Diodorus at thirty thousand foot and two thou- sand horse ; he doubtless had with him Thessalians and other allies from Northern Greece ; but not a single ally from Pelopon nesus. Of the united Greeks opposed to him, the total is not known. 3 We can therefore make no comparison as to numbers, though the superiority of the Macedonian army in organization is incontestable. The largest Grecian contingents were those of Athens, under Lysikles and Chares and of Thebes, commanded by Theagenes; there were, besides, Phokians, Achoeans, and Corinthians probably also Eubceans and Megarians. The Lacedaemonians, Messenians, Arcadians,- Eleians, and Argeians, took no part in the war. 3 All of them had doubtless been solicited on both sides ; by Demosthenes as well as by the partisans of Philip. But jealousy and fear of Sparta led the last four state> rather to look towards Philip as a protector against her thougb on this occasion they took no positive part. The command of the army was shared between the Athenians and Thebans, and its movements determined by the joint decision of their statesmen and generals. As to statesmen, the presence of Demosthenes at least ensured to them sound and patriotic counsel powerfully set forth ; as to generals, not one of the three was fil for an emergency so grave and terrible. It was the sad fortune of Greece, that at this crisis of her liberty, when everything was staked on the issue of the campaign, neither an Epaminondas nor an Iphikrates was at hand. Phokion was absent as commander of the Athenian fleet in the Hellespont or the JEgean. 4 Portents were said to have occurred oracles, and prophecies, were in cir- culation calculated to discourage the Greeks ; but Demosthe- nes, animated by the sight of so .numerous an army hearty and 1 Polysunus, iv. 2, 14. 3 Diodorus affirms that Philip's army was superior in number; JustU States the reverse (Diodor. xvi. 85 ; Justin, ix.3). 3 Pausanias, iv. 2, 82 ; v. 4, 5 ; viii. 6, 1. 4 Plutarch, Phokion, c. 16.