Philip's Loss of Popularity
I wish here to stop in my narrative in order to speak
note
briefly of the character of Philip, because this
was the beginning of the change and deterioration in it. For I think that no more telling
example can be proposed to practical statesmen
who wish to correct their ideas by a study of history. For
the splendour of his early career, and the brilliancy of his
genius, have caused the dispositions for good and evil displayed by this king to be more conspicuous and widely known
throughout Greece than is the case with any other man; as
well as the contrast between the results accompanying the
display of those opposite tendencies.
Now that, upon his accession to the throne, Thessaly,
Macedonia, and in fact all parts of his own kingdom were more
thoroughly loyal and well disposed to him, young as he was on
his succeeding to the government of Macedonia, than they had
ever been to any of his predecessors, may be without difficulty
inferred from the following fact. Though he was with extreme
frequency forced to leave Macedonia by the Aetolian and
-- 519 --
Lacedaemonian wars, not only was there no disturbance in
these countries, but not a single one of the neighbouring
barbarians ventured to touch Macedonia. It would be impossible, again, to speak in strong enough terms of the affection
of Alexander, Chrysogonus, and his other friends towards
him; or that of the Epirotes, Acarnanians, and all those on
whom he had within a short time conferred great benefits.
On the whole, if one may use a somewhat hyperbolical phrase,
I think it has been said of Philip with very great propriety,
that his beneficent policy had made him "The darling of all
Greece." And it is a conspicuous and striking proof of the
advantage of lofty principle and strict integrity, that the Cretans,
having at length come to an understanding with each other and
made a national alliance, selected Philip to arbitrate between
them; and that this settlement was completed without an
appeal to arms and without danger,—a thing for which it
would be difficult to find a precedent in similar circumstances.
From the time of his exploits at Messene all this was utterly
changed. And it was natural that it should be so. For his
purposes being now entirely reversed, it inevitably followed
that men's opinions of him should be reversed also, as well as
the success of his various undertakings. This actually was the
case, as will become evident to attentive students from what
I am now about to relate. . . .
