p, Philip was made president of the council,--a
position he had long coveted,--and leader of the Pyth'i-an games held in
honor of Apollo.

When the war was ended, Philip quietly went back to Macedon. He was,
however, merely waiting for a favorable opportunity to reenter Greece,
and punish the Athenians for listening to Demosthenes' speeches against
him.

In the mean while, Philip's gold had been very busy, and he was buying
up as many friends and allies as he could. Many of his gifts had the
desired effect, and were not like the gold cup which he sent to
Demosthenes. This, you know, had wholly failed in its purpose, for the
orator went on talking more eloquently than ever against the Macedonian
king.

He finally roused the Athenians to the point of arming to meet Philip,
when they heard that he was really coming at last to make himself master
of Greece. Their allies, the Thebans, joined them; and the two armies
met at Chaer-o-ne'a, in Boeotia, where a terrible battle was fought.

Demosthenes had joined the army; but as he was no soldier, and was not
very brave, he fled at the very first onset. Dashing through the bushes,
he was suddenly stopped by some spiky branches that caught in his cloak
and held him fast. The orator was so frightened that he thought the
enemy had captured him, and, falling upon his knees, he began to beg
that his life might be spared.

While Demosthenes was thus flying madly, his friends and fellow-citizens
were bravely meeting the Macedonians; but, in spite of all their
courage, they were soon forced to yield to the Macedonian phalanx, and
the battlefield was left strewn with their dead.

Alexander, Philip's son, who was then only eighteen years of age,
commanded one wing of his father's army, and had the glory of completely
crushing the Sacred Battalion of the Thebans, which had never before
been beaten.

This brilliant victory at Chaeronea made Philip really master of all
Greece; but he generously refrained from making the Athenians recognize
him openly as their lord, although he made their government do whatever
he pleased.

As Greece was now obedient to him, the ambitious Philip began to plan
the conquest of Asia and the downfall of the Persian Empire. To get as
large an army as possible, he invited all the Greeks to join him,
artfully reminding them of all they had suffered at the hands of the
Persians in the past.

His preparations were nearly finished, and he was on the point of