, the
son of Perdiccas, on his accession, who also cut straight roads, and
otherwise put the kingdom on a better footing as regards horses, heavy
infantry, and other war material than had been done by all the eight
kings that preceded him. Advancing from Doberus, the Thracian host first
invaded what had been once Philip's government, and took Idomene by
assault, Gortynia, Atalanta, and some other places by negotiation, these
last coming over for love of Philip's son, Amyntas, then with Sitalces.
Laying siege to Europus, and failing to take it, he next advanced into
the rest of Macedonia to the left of Pella and Cyrrhus, not proceeding
beyond this into Bottiaea and Pieria, but staying to lay waste Mygdonia,
Crestonia, and Anthemus.

The Macedonians never even thought of meeting him with infantry; but the
Thracian host was, as opportunity offered, attacked by handfuls of their
horse, which had been reinforced from their allies in the interior.
Armed with cuirasses, and excellent horsemen, wherever these charged
they overthrew all before them, but ran considerable risk in entangling
themselves in the masses of the enemy, and so finally desisted from
these efforts, deciding that they were not strong enough to venture
against numbers so superior.

Meanwhile Sitalces opened negotiations with Perdiccas on the objects of
his expedition; and finding that the Athenians, not believing that he
would come, did not appear with their fleet, though they sent presents
and envoys, dispatched a large part of his army against the Chalcidians
and Bottiaeans, and shutting them up inside their walls laid waste their
country. While he remained in these parts, the people farther south,
such as the Thessalians, Magnetes, and the other tribes subject to the
Thessalians, and the Hellenes as far as Thermopylae, all feared that the
army might advance against them, and prepared accordingly. These fears
were shared by the Thracians beyond the Strymon to the north, who
inhabited the plains, such as the Panaeans, the Odomanti, the Droi,
and the Dersaeans, all of whom are independent. It was even matter of
conversation among the Hellenes who were enemies of Athens whether he
might not be invited by his ally to advance also against them. Meanwhile
he held Chalcidice and Bottice and Macedonia, and was ravaging them
all; but finding that he was not succeeding in any of the objects of
his invasion, and that his army was without provisions and was suffering