Alexander : a history of the origin and growth of the art of war from ...

IMPORTANCE OF PELIUM. 109the sole means of keeping the western tribes back of the watershed.He himself was heading for this locality along theErygon. Should the Autariatians fall upon his flank on themarch, as they threatened to do, their diversion might retardhim so much that the Illyrians would find time to invade andinflict immense damage on southern Macedonia before hecould reach the scene of action.Or in fact, as he had alreadyadvanced too far between the mountain ranges readily toreturn, the lUyrians might cut him off from Greece (whichrumor said was again becoming restless) by seizing the passeson the line of the Erygon, while keeping open their own communicationsand their entrance to Macedon by way of Pelium.This would be a most serious check, pei'haps a fatalone, to his Grecian affairs, by giving Thebes and Athens timefor preparation, not to speak of the danger to his own territoryfrom the uncivilized but brave and skillful Illyrians.Philotas, to be sure, held the Cadmaea at Thebes ; Parmenio,at home, had a goodly force of troops on hand, but even thesetwo were scarcely equal to so large an undertaking as anotheruprising In Greece, coupled with an incursion into Macedonby Clitus and Glaucias.The gap of Pelium had been seized by Philip as the resultof many wars. * It lies southeast of Lake Lychnitis (Ochrida),and is long and narrow, but widens out at intervals intolarger valleys.Through its entire length flows the Apsos tothe west into the Adriatic. Whoever holds the gap commandsnot only this river but the headwaters of the Erygon(Tzerna), which from this point flows northeasterly, and ofthe Haliacmon (Jendje Karasu), which flows through southernMacedonia, as weU. Pelium was a mountain fastness ofthe greatest importance ; and the town had considerablestrength. In the heart of the mountains, it was for the Macedoniansan outwork which protected the road running along