3oO HISTORY OF GREECE. the strength of the Olynthians fail, that they transmitted a last and most urgent appeal to Athens ; imploring the Athenians not to abandon them to ruin, but to send them a force of citizens in addition to the mercenaries already there. The Athenians com- plied, despatching thither seventeen triremes, two thousand hop- lites, and three hundred horsemen, all under the command of Chares. To make out anything of the successive steps of this important war is impossible ; but we discern that during this latter portion of the Olynthian war, the efforts made by Athens were considera- ble. Demosthenes (in a speech six years afterwards) affirms that the Athenians had sent to the aid of Olynthus four thousand citi- zens, ten thousand mercenaries, and fifty triremes. 1 He repre- sents the Chalkidic cities as having been betrayed successively to Philip by corrupt and traitorous citizens. That the conquest was achieved greatly by the aid of corruption, we cannot doubt ; but the orator's language carries no accurate information. Me- kyberna and Torone are said to have been among the towns betrayed without resistance. 2 After Philip had captured the thirty-two Chalkidic cities, he marched against Olynthus itself, with its confederate neighbors, the Thracian Methone and Apollonia. In forcing the passage of the river Sardon, he en- countered such resistance that his troops were at first repulsed ; and he was himself obliged to seek safety by swimming back across the river. He was moreover wounded in the eye by an Olynthian archer, named Aster, and lost the sight of that eye completely, notwithstanding the skill of his Greek surgeon, Kritobulus. 3 On arriving within forty furlongs of Olynthus, he sent to the inhabi- tants a peremptory summons, intimating that either they must evacuate the city, or he must leave Macedonia. 4 Rejecting this notice, they determined to defend their town to the last. A con- siderable portion of the last Athenian citizen-armament was still 1 Demosth. Fals. Leg. p. 426. 2 Diodor. xvi. 52.
- Kallisthenes ap. Stobaeum, t. vii. p. 92 ; Plutarch, Parallel, c. 8 ; DC-
mosth. Philipp. iii. p. 117. Kritobulus could not save the sight of the eye, but he is said to have prevented any visible disfigurement. "Magna et Cri- tobnlo fama est, extracta Philippi regis oculo sagitta et citra deformititfn oris cnrata, orbitate luminis" (Pliny, H. N. vii. 37). 4 Demosth. Philipp. iii. p. 113.
