HISTORY OF GREECE. CHAPTER XCI. FIRST PERIOD OF THE REIGN OF ALEXANDER THE My last preceding volume ended with the assas- age. Greece at dependence Macedo nian kings. It demonstrates the altered complexion of Gre State of cian history, that we are now obliged to seek for Alexander's marking events in the succession to the Macedo- accessionnian crown, or in the ordinances of Macedonian on the kings. In fact, the Hellenic world has ceased to be autonomous. In Sicily, indeed, the free and constitutional march, revived by Timoleon, is still destined to continue for a few years longer; but all the Grecian cities south of Mount Olympus have descended into dependents of Macedonia. Such dependence, established as a fact by the battle of Charoneia and by the subsequent victorious march of Philip over Peloponnesus, was acknowledged in form by the vote of the Grecian VOL. XII. B Unwilling subjection of the Greeks Grecian intelligence on Macedonia. synod at Corinth. While even the Athenians had been compelled to concur in submission, Sparta alone, braving all consequences, continued inflexible in her refusal. The adherence of Thebes was not trusted to the word of the Thebans, but ensured by the Macedonian garrison established in her citadel, called the Kadmeia. Each Hellenic city, small and great,-maritime, inland, and insular— (with the single exception of Sparta), was thus enrolled as a separate unit in the list of subjectallies attached to the imperial headship of Philip. Under these circumstances, the history of conquered Greece loses its separate course, and becomes influence of merged in that of conquering Macedonia. Nevertheless, there are particular reasons which constrain the historian of Greece to carry on the two together for a few years longer. First, conquered Greece exercised a powerful action on her conqueror"Græcia capta ferum victorem cepit." The Macedonians, though speaking a language of their own, had neither language for communicating with others, nor literature, nor philosophy, except Grecian and derived from Greeks. Philip, while causing himself to be chosen chief of Hellas, was himself not only partially hellenised, but an eager candidate for Hellenic admiration. He demanded the headship under the declared pretence of satisfying the old antipathy against Persia. Next, the conquests of Alexander, though essentially Macedonian, operated indirectly as the initiatory step of a series of events, diffusing Hellenic language (with some tinge of Hellenic literature) over a large breadth of Asia,opening hat territory to the better observation, CHAP. XCI.] GREEKS-UNWILLING SUBJECTS TO MACEDONIA. 3 in some degree even to the superintendence, of intelligent Greeks-and thus producing consequences important in many ways to the history of mankind. Lastly, the generation of free Greeks upon whom the battle of Charoneia fell, were not disposed to lie quiet if any opportunity occurred for shaking off their Macedonian masters. The present volume will record the unavailing efforts made for this purpose, in which Demosthenes and most of the other leaders perished. Alexander's not Hellenic. Alexander (born in July 356 B.C.), like his father Basis of Philip, was not a Greek, but a Macedonian and character Epirot, partially imbued with Grecian sentiment and intelligence. It is true that his ancestors, some centuries before, had been emigrants from Argos; but the kings of Macedonia had long lost all trace of any such peculiarity as might originally have distinguished them from their subjects. The basis of Philip's character was Macedonian, not Greek: it was the self-will of a barbarian prince, not the ingenium civile, or sense of reciprocal obligation and right in society with others, which marked more or less even the most powerful members of a Grecian city, whether oligarchical or democratical. If this was true of Philip, it was still more true of Alexander, who inherited the violent temperament and headstrong will of his furious Epirotic mother Olympias. and educa Alexander. A kinsman of Olympias, named Leonidas, and Boyhood an Akarnanian named Lysimachus, are mentioned tion of as the chief tutors to whom Alexander's childhood was entrusted'. Of course the Iliad of Homer was Plutarch, Alexand. c. 5, 6. He receives instruction from Aristotle. among the first things which he learnt as a boy. Throughout most of his life, he retained a passionate interest in this poem, a copy of which, said to have been corrected by Aristotle, he carried with him in his military campaigns. We are not told, nor is it probable, that he felt any similar attachment for the less warlike Odyssey. Even as a child, he learnt to identify himself in sympathy with Achilles,—his ancestor by the mother's side, according to the Æakid pedigree. The tutor Lysimachus won his heart by calling himself PhoenixAlexander, Achilles-and Philip, by the name of Peleus. Of Alexander's boyish poetical recitations, one anecdote remains, both curious and of unquestionable authenticity. He was ten years old, when the Athenian legation, including both Eschines and Demosthenes, came to Pella to treat about peace. While Philip entertained them at table, in his usual agreeable and convivial manner, the boy Alexander recited for their amusement certain passages of poetry which he had learnt-and delivered, in response with another boy, a dialogue out of one of the Grecian dramas'. At the age of thirteen, Alexander was placed under the instruction of Aristotle, whom Philip expressly invited for the purpose, and whose father Nikomachus had been both friend and physician of Philip's father Amyntas. What course of study Alexander was made to go through, we unfortunately cannot state. He enjoyed the teaching of Aristotle for at least three years, and we are told that he devoted himself to it with ardour, con 1 Æschines cont. Timarch. p. 167. CHAP. XCI.] EARLY YOUTH OF ALEXANDER. tracting a strong attachment to his preceptor. His powers of addressing an audience, though not so well attested as those of his father, were always found sufficient for his purpose: moreover, he retained, even in the midst of his fatiguing Asiatic campaigns, an interest in Greek literature and poetry. Early poliand matuit of tical action Alexander -his father. discord. At what precise moment, during the lifetime of his father, Alexander first took part in active service, we do not know. It is said that once, when quite a youth, he received some Persian envoys quarrels during the absence of his father; and that he sur- with his prised them by the maturity of his demeanour, as Family well as by the political bearing and pertinence of his questions'. Though only sixteen years of age, in 340 в.C. he was left at home as regent while Philip was engaged in the sieges of Byzantium and Perinthus. He put down a revolt of the neighbouring Thracian tribe called Mædi, took one of their towns, and founded it anew under the title of Alexandria; the earliest town which bore that name, afterwards applied to so many other towns planted by him. In the march of Philip into Greece (338 B.C.), Alexander took part, commanded one of the wings at the battle of Charoneia, and is said to have first gained the advantage on his side over the Theban sacred band2. Yet notwithstanding such marks of confidence and cooperation, other incidents occurred producing bitter animosity between the father and the son. By his wife Olympias, Philip had as offspring 1 Plutarch, Alex. 5. 2 Plutarch, Alex. 9. Justin says that Alexander was the companion of his father during part of the war in Thrace (ix. 1). |