22 HISTORY OF GREECE at a time when they might by their own efforts have upheld the existing autonomy both for Athens and for Greece generally He now seconded or invited Darius, at a time when Greece sin- gle-handed had become incompetent to the struggle against Alexander, the common enemy both of Grecian liberty and of the Persian empire. Unfortunately for Athens as well as for himself, Darius, with full means of resistance in his hands, played his game against Alexander even with more stupidity and im- providence than Athens had played hers against Philip. While such were the aggressions of Macedonian officers in the exercise of their new imperial authority, throughout Greece and the islands — and such the growing manifestations of repugnance to it at Athens — Alexander had returned home to push the pre- parations for his Persian campaign. . He did not however think it prudent to transport his main force into Asia, until he had made his power and personal ascendency felt by the Macedonian dependencies, westward, northward, and north-eastward of Pella — Illyrians, Pteonians, and Thracians. Under these general names were comprised a number^ of distinct tribes, or nations, warlike and for the most part predatory. Having remained un- conquered until the victories of PhUip, they were not kept in subjection even by him without difficulty : nor were they at all likely to obey his youthful successor, until they had seen some sensible cA-idence of his personal energy. Accordingly, in the spring, Alexander put himself at the head of a large force, and marched in an easterly direction from Am- phipolis, through the narrow Sapiean pass between Philippi and the sea.2 In ten days' march he reached the difficult mountain path over which alone he could cross Mount Hiemus (Balkan.) Here he found a body of the free Thracians and of armed mer- chants of the country, assembled to oppose his progress ; posted • Strabo speaks of the Thracian h9vri as twenty-two in nnmber, capabit of sending out 200,000 foot, and 15,000 horses (Strabo, vii. Fragm. Vatic 48). '^ Strabo, vii. p. 3-31 (Fragm.); Arrian, i. 1, 6; Appian, Bell. Civil, iv 87, 105, 106. Appian gives (iv. 103) a good general description of tba almost impassable and trackless country to the north and north-east of Philippi.
