THE EARLY AGE OF GREECE VOL.I by W.Ridgeway 1901

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WHENCE CAME THE ACHEANS ? 381
382
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IX. :!.") (Shuckhiii-rirs tians.).
fi
Aniiui, Audit. I. 1. (i.
IV. ;5S.
WHENCE CAME THE ACHEANS ?
It
may also be noted that in the legends already ((uoted
both roads are clearly indicated. Thus the experience the barbarity of Thracians and Gauls, as has been
Hyperborean
the case more than once already*."
maidens and their offerings came from Scythia np the Danube
Later on Perseus seems to have employed his Gaulish
valley until the}- reached the mouth of the Save, then they
neighbours against the independent Thracian tribes such as the
passed up the valley of that river as f;xr as the land of the
Dardaniil
lapodes, where they crossed Mount Ocra down to Tergeste,
Nor was this the first occasion on which a king of Macedon
whence they turned south to Dodona.
had employed the services of Celts, for there were a thousand
On the other hand, Heracles clearly passed np by the other
of these warriors in the army with which Antigonns Doson
route, through the Tauriscan country, when he wended his way
invaded Laconia in 221 B.C.*
over the Alps to the 'shady founts of the Istor,' in the recesses
Half a century earlier Pyrrhus on his return from Italy had
of the Hercynian forest.
declared war on Antigonus Gonatas, defeated him and his
The difficulty experienced by the Roman governors of
Gallic mercenaries and had driven them into the maritime
Macedonia in protecting that country from continual invasions
cities, while he made himself master of Upper Macedonia and
well illustrates the words put by Polybius in the mouth of
of Thessaly. He dedicated with an inscription in the temple of
Lyciscus the Acarnanian envoy, Avho at Spai'ta (211 B.C.)
Itonian Athena between Pherae and Larisa the arms which he
defended the Macedonians against the Aetolians, who talked
'took from the bold Gauls.' The shields of the Macedonians he
pompously about their having resisted the invasion of Delphi
dedicated to Zeus at Dodona'*. These Gauls were probably
by the barbarians, and alleged that for this Greece ought to
some of those who had not joined in or had survived the attack
have been grateful to them.
" But if for this one service .some
on Delphi and had not crossed to Asia.
gratitude is owing to the Aetolians, what high honour do the
When Alexander made his expedition against the Getae and
Macedonians deserve, who throughout nearly theii' whole lives
took their city which lay about a parasang from the Danube,
are ceaselessly engaged in a struggle with the barbarians for
"
envoys came to him from all the independent nations which
the safety of the (iJi'oeks ? For that (Jreece would have been
dwelt on the Danube and from Syrmus the king of the Triballi
continually involved in grc.vat dangers
if we had not had the
and also from the Celts who dwelt on the Ionian Gulf." The
Macedonians and the ambition of their kings as a bari'iei- who
latter were of tall stature, and on being asked by Alexander
is ;*
ignoi-ant there is a very striking ])r()of
of this. For
what they dreaded most, answered " Lest the sky should fall
no sooner had the (Jauls conceived a (ontt'm])t
for the Macedonians,
on them." Though the king was displeased at their want of
bv their victory (ver l'lolein\- (\'iaunus, than thiid