Page 525 But the King forbore Force for some time, to the end they might have space to recollect themselves, not thinking that one only City would engage with so great an Army. For Alexander had with him above Thirty thousand Foot, and Three thousand Horse, all old Experienc'd Soldiers, (Conquerors almost in every Battel under Philip,) in whose Valour he so far confided, that he doubted not but by them to put an End to the Persian Monarchy. However, if the Thebans had yielded to the present Difficulty of the Time, and had sent Ambassadors to the Macedonians with Terms of Peace, he had no doubt comply'd with them, and granted whatever they would have desir'd. For he wish'd greatly to have all Quiet in Greece, and to be Free and Undisturb'd in his War against the Persians. But when he saw that he was slighted by the Thebans, he resolv'd to destroy the City, and by that means to terrify all others that for the future should dare to Rebel. And now when the Army was drawn out in Battalia ready to engage, the King caus'd Proclamation to be made, that any of the Thebans should have Liberty to come in to him, and whosoever did, should enjoy the Common Liberty of Greece. On the other side, the Thebans, to shew themselves as forward in their Ambition as the Enemy; by the Voice of a Crier from an high Tower made another Proclamation, That whosoever had a Desire to join with the great King and the Thebans, to defend the Liberties of the Graecians, and kill the Tyrant of Greece, should be receiv'd by them. This touch'd him to the Quick, and he was thereupon so inrag'd, that he vow'd all sorts of Death to the Thebans, and so commanded the Engines to be prepar'd in order to an Assault, and other Things to be made ready for an Engagement.
In the mean time, the Greeks considering the utter Ruin that seem'd to hang over the Heads of the Thebans, were greatly affected with the Miseries wherewith they were like to be overwhelm'd, yet none durst appear to Relieve the City, for that they had rashly and inconsiderately brought apparent Destruction upon themselves: However, the Thebans were very forward and resolute to venture all to the utmost Extremity, though they were a little startled with some Prophecies and Prodigies from the Gods. The most Remarkable was, that in the Temple of Ceres, a slender Spider's Web was observ'd to spread out it self as broad as a Cloak, and to represent the Rainbow in an Arch'd Circumference. Concerning which, the Oracle at Delphos gave them this Answer:
And the Oracle in their own Country return'd them this other:
This Prodigy happen'd about Three Months before the King came against Thebes. About the time of the King's Arrival, the Statues plac'd in the Forum seem'd to sweat to that degree, that great Drops in every part stood upon them. Moreover the Magistrates were inform'd, that in the Lake of Onchestus were heard Voices like roaring and bellowing of Oxen. And that the Waters in Dirce were to the view as if they had been all turn'd into Blood. There were others from Delphos that reported, that the Roof of the Temple, built by the Thebans out of the Spoils of the Phocians, appear'd to be besmear'd over with Blood.
Those who addicted themselves to the Interpretation of Prodigies, said, That the Web portended the Departure of the Gods from the City; by the Colour of the Rainbow, was signify'd various Troubles and Turmoils; by the appearance of Sweat, extream Miseries; and by the Blood, Slaughters and Destructions in the City.
Therefore they advis'd the Thebans, that insomuch as the Gods plainly pointed at the Ruin of the City, That they should not engage in Fight with the Enemy, but rather seek to agree Matters some other way, which was much more safe.
But the Thebans abated nothing of their Courage, but on the contrary push'd forward by the Heat of their Spirits, encourag'd one another with the Remembrance of their famous Victory at the Battel of Leuctra, and other Successes gain'd by their former Valour.
The Histories of Herodotus written in 440 BC is considered to be the founding work of history in Western literature. His history included stories and fables but he claimed to have traveled extensively and learned about many countries through direct observation.
The thesis of Stolen Legacy is that the Egyptians created what is wrongly called Greek philosophy. Dr. James argues that the African origin of Greek Philosophy is well known but rarely discussed. Ancient Greek historians such as Herodotus and Diodorus the Sicilian wrote in significant detail about the contributions of Egypt. Egyptian technology and libraries were unmatched and Greek philosophers such as Pythagoras and Plato studied there. The contribution of Africa to the intellectual foundation of modern knowledge is tremendous but unacknowledged.
The Library of History by Diodorus the Sicilian is one of the most highly regarded universal histories in antiquities. His work includes the history of Egypt, Asia, Africa, Greece and Europe. His book is a must read for research of ancient history.
Bible Study The King James Bible (kjv), World English Bible (web) and Bible in Basic English (bbe) are all examples of public domain books. The King James Bible (kjv) online uses the content from these books and open source software to enhance Bible study capabilities. The site includes the verse of the day, search tools, christian literature and links to related content. It demonstrates the use of open source to create a valuable service.