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After the capture of Olynthus, he celebrated the Olympian festival1 to the gods in commemoration of his victory, and offered magnificent sacrifices; and he organized a great festive assembly at which he held splendid competitions and thereafter invited many of the visiting strangers to his banquets. [2] In the course of the carousals he joined in numerous conversations, presenting to many guests drinking cups2 as he proposed the toasts, awarding gifts to a considerable number, and graciously making such handsome promises to them all that he won over a large number to crave friendship with him. [3]

At one time in the course of the drinking bout, noticing Satyrus,3 the actor, with a gloomy look on his face, Philip asked him why he alone disdained to partake of the friendly courtesy he offered; and when Satyrus said that he wished to obtain a boon from him but he feared lest, if he disclosed the request he had decided upon, he should be refused, the king, exceedingly pleased, affirmed that he granted forthwith any favour he might ask. He replied that there were two virgin daughters of a friend of his who were of marriageable age among the captive women; these girls he wished to obtain, not in order to derive any profit if he were granted the gift, but to give them both a dowry and husbands and not permit them to suffer any indignity unworthy of their years. [4] Thereupon Philip gladly acceded to his request and immediately made a present of the girls to Satyrus. And by dispensing many other benefactions and gifts of every kind he reaped returns many times greater than his favour; for many who were incited by hopes of his beneficence outstripped one another in devoting themselves to Philip and in delivering their countries to him.

1 The Macedonian Olympia celebrated at Dium. See D. M. Robinson, TAPA (1934), 117: ἐς [τὸ] ἱερὸν τοῦ Διὸς τ[οῦ] Ὀλυμπίου, and note.

2 Cp. Dem. 19.139: καὶ τελευτῶν ἐκπώματ᾽ ἀργυρᾶ καὶ χρυσᾶ προὔπινεν αὐτοῖς.

3 This episode about Satyrus is recounted by Dem. 19.193 ff.

Diodorus Siculus. Diodorus of Sicily in Twelve Volumes with an English Translation by C. H. Oldfather. Vol. 4-8. Cambridge, Mass.: Harvard University Press; London: William Heinemann, Ltd. 1989.

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    • Demosthenes, On the False Embassy, 139
    • Demosthenes, On the False Embassy, 193
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