Page:History of Greece Vol XII.djvu/61

 RISING OF THEBES. 29 the enemy, and brought off his army without loss.' Moreover these Illyrians, who had not knowh how to make use of such ad- vantages of position, abandoned themselves to disorder as soon as their enemy had retreated, neglecting all precautions for the safety of their camp. Apprised of this carelessness, Alexander made a forced night-march back, at the head of his Agrianian division and light troops supported by the remaining army. He surprised the Illyrians in their camp before daylight. The suc- cess of this attack against a sleeping and unguarded army was so complete, that the Illyrians fled at once without resistance. Many were slain or taken prisoners ; the rest, throwing away their arms, hurried away homeward, pursued by Alexander for a considerable distance. The lUyrian prince Kleitus was forced to evacuate Pelion, which place he burned, and then retired into the territory of Glaukias.^ Just as Alexander had completed this victory over Kleitus and the Taulantian auxiliaries, and before he had returned home, news reached him of a menacing character. The Thebans had declared themselves independent of him, and were besieging his garrison in the Kadmeia. Of this event, alike important and disastrous to those who stood forward, the immediate entecedents are very imperfectly known to us. It has already been remarked that the vote of submission on the part of the Greeks to Alexander as Imperator, during the preceding autumn, had been passed only under the intimidation of a present Macedonian force. Though the Spar- tans alone had courage to proclaim then- dissent, the Athenians, Arcadians, ^tolians, and others, were well known even to Alex- ander himself, as ready to do the like on any serious reverse to the IMacedonian arms.^ Moreover the energy and ability dis- played by Alexander had taught the Persian king that all dan- ger to himself was not removed by the death of Philip, and induced him either to send, or to promise, pecuniary aid to the anti-Macedonian Greeks. We have already noticed the mani- festation of anti-Macedonian sentiment at Athens — proclaimed by several of the most eminent orators — Demosthenes, Lykur- ' Arrian, i. 6, 3-18, * Anian, i. e 19-23. ^ Arrian, i. 7, 5. 3*