Page:History of Greece Vol XII.djvu/347

 GCKKK OPERATIONS AGAINST AXTIPATER. 315 ceding summer ; ^ for we find no mention made of these cities in the coming contest. The Athenians equipped a considerable land-force to join Leosthenes at Thermopylas ; a citizen force of 6000 infantry and 500 cavalry, with 2000 mercenaries besides. But the resolute opposition of the Bojotian cities hindered them from advancing beyond Mount Kithajron, until Leosthenes him- self, marching from Thermopylae to join them with a part of his army, attacked the Boeotian troops, gained a complete victory, and opened the passage. He now proceeded with the full Hel- lenic muster, including ^tolians and Athenians, into Thessaly to meet Antipater, who was advancing ft-om Macedonia into Greece at the head of the force immediately at his disposal — 13,000 infantry, and 600 cavalry — and with a fleet of 110 ships of war cooperating on the coast.^ Antipater was probably not prepared for this rapid and impos- ing assemblage of the combined Greeks at Thermopylae, nor for the energetic movements of Leosthenes. Still less was he pre- pared for the defection of the Thessalian cavalry, who, having always formed an important element in the Macedonian army, now lent their strength to the Greeks. He despatched urgent messages to the Macedonian commanders in Asia — Kraterus, Leonnatus, Philotas, etc., soliciting reinforcements ; but in the mean time, though inferior in numbers, he thought it expedient to accept the challenge of Leosthenes. In the battle which en- sued, however, he was completely defeated, and even cut off from the possibility of retreating into Macedonia ; so that no re- source was left to him except the fortified tovn of Lamia (near to the river Spercheius, beyond the southern border of Thessaly), where he calculated on holding out until relief came from Asia. Leosthenes immediately commenced the siege of Lamia, and pressed it with the utmost energy, making several attempts to storm the town ; but its fortifications were strong, with a garri- son ample and efficient — so that he was repulsed with consider- ' See the Fragments of Hyperides, p. 36, ed. Babington. /cat rrept tov Toi)^ Koivovc (Jv?.X6-}'ovg 'Axaiuv re Kal ^ApKudcjv we do not know what was done to these district confederacies, but it seems that some con- siderable change was made in them, at the time when Alexander's decrea for restoring the exiles was promulgated.
 * Diodor. xviii. 1 3.