31.26
During
the time that Philip was in Achaia, Philocles, one of his generals, started
from Euboea with 2000 Thracians and Macedonians for the purpose of
ravaging the Athenian territory. He crossed the forest of Cithaeron in the
neighbourhood of Eleusis, and there he divided his forces. Half were sent
forward to harry and plunder the fields in all directions, the other half he
concealed in a position suitable for an ambuscade so that if an attack were
made from the fort at Eleusis upon his plunderers he might take the
assailants by surprise. His ruse, however, was detected, so he recalled the
scattered pillagers and made a regular attack upon the fort. After a fruitless
attempt in which many of his men were wounded he retired and joined forces
with Philip who was on his way from Achaea. The king himself made an
attempt on the same fort but the arrival of the Roman ships from the Piraeus
and the presence of a reinforcement which had been thrown into the place
compelled him to abandon the undertaking. He then sent Philocles with a
part of his army to Athens, and with the rest he proceeded to the Piraeus in
order that while Philocles kept the Athenians within their city by approaching
the walls and threatening an assault, he might seize the opportunity of
storming the Piraeus whilst it was left with a feeble guard. But the assault on
the Piraeus proved to be quite as difficult as the one on Eleusis, as practically
the same troops defended both. Leaving the Piraeus he hurried up to Athens.
Here a force of infantry and cavalry from the city attacked him within the
dilapidated Long Walls which connect the Piraeus with Athens and he was
repulsed. Seeing that any attempt on the city was hopeless he divided his
army with Philocles and set himself to complete the devastation of the
country. His former work of destruction had been confined mainly to the
sepulchres round the city; now he determined to leave nothing free from
profanation and gave orders for the temples which the people had
consecrated in every deme to be destroyed and set on fire. The land of Attica
was famous for that class of building as well as for the abundance of native
marble and the genius of its architects, and therefore it afforded abundant
material for this destructive fury. He was not satisfied with overthrowing the
temples with their statues, he even ordered the blocks of stone to be broken
in pieces lest if they retained their shape they might form imposing ruins.
When there was nothing left on which his rage, still insatiate, could wreak
itself he left the enemy's territories for Boeotia and did nothing more worth
mentioning in Greece.
