Editing Alexander of Pherae (section)

==Reign==
The accounts of how Alexander came to power vary somewhat in minor points.  [[Diodorus Siculus]] tells us that upon the assassination of the tyrant [[Jason of Pherae]], in 370 BC, his brother [[Polydorus of Pherae|Polydorus]] ruled for a year, but he was then poisoned by Alexander, another brother.<ref name="ds">[[Diodorus Siculus]], xv. 60-61</ref>  However, according to [[Xenophon]], Polydorus was murdered by his brother Polyphron, who was, in turn,<ref name="xh">[[Xenophon]], ''[[Hellenica]]'' vi. 4. ~ 34</ref><ref>This date is at variance with [[Pausanias (geographer)|Pausanias]] (vi. 5)</ref><ref name="wess">Wesseling, ''On [[Diodorus Siculus]]'' xv. 75</ref> murdered by his nephew Alexander —son of Jason, in 369 BC.  [[Plutarch]] relates that Alexander worshipped the spear he slew his uncle with as if it were a god.<ref name="wess"/><ref>[[Plutarch]], ''Pelop.'' p. 293, &c.</ref>  Alexander governed tyrannically, and according to [[Diodorus Siculus|Diodorus]],<ref name="ds"/> differently from the former rulers, but Polyphron, at least, seems to have set him the example.<ref name="xh"/>  The states of [[Thessaly]], which had previously acknowledged the authority of [[Jason of Pherae]],<ref name="ds"/> were not so willing to submit to Alexander the tyrant, (especially the old family of the [[Aleuadae]] of [[Larissa]], who had most reason to fear him).  Therefore, they applied for help from [[Alexander II of Macedon]].

Alexander prepared to meet his enemy in [[Macedon]]ia, but the king anticipated him, and, reaching [[Larissa]], was admitted into the city.  Alexander withdrew to [[Pherae]] whilst the Macedonian King placed a garrison in Larissa, as well as in [[Crannon]], which had also come over to him.<ref name="ds"/>  But once the bulk of the Macedonian army had retired, the states of Thessaly feared the return and vengeance of Alexander, and so sent for aid to [[Thebes (Greece)|Thebes]], whose policy it was to put a check on any neighbour who might otherwise become too formidable.  Thebes accordingly dispatched [[Pelopidas]] to the aid of Thessaly.  On arrival of Pelopidas at Larissa, whence according to Diodorus, he dislodged the Macedonian garrison, Alexander presented himself and offered submission.  When Pelopidas expressed indignation at the tales of Alexander's profligacy and cruelty, Alexander took alarm and fled.<ref>[[Diodorus Siculus]], xv. 67</ref><ref name="plut">[[Plutarch]], ''Pelop.'' p. 291-297, d.</ref>

These events appear to refer to the early part of 368 BC.  In the summer of that year Pelopidas was again sent into [[Thessaly]], in consequence of fresh complaints against Alexander.  Accompanied by [[Ismenias]], he went merely as a negotiator, without any military force, and was seized by Alexander and thrown into prison.<ref name="plut"/><ref name="ds2">[[Diodorus Siculus]], xv. 71-75</ref><ref>[[Polybius]], viii. 1</ref>  The scholar [[William Mitford]] suggested that Pelopidas was taken prisoner in battle, but the language of [[Demosthenes]] hardly supports such an inference.<ref name="demo">[[Demosthenes]], ''Against Aristocrates'' p. 660</ref><ref>[[William Mitford]], ''History of Greece'' ch. 27. sec. 5</ref>  The Thebans sent a large army into Thessaly to rescue Pelopidas, but they could not keep the field against the superior cavalry of Alexander, who, aided by auxiliaries from [[Athens]], pursued them with great slaughter.  The destruction of the whole Theban army is said to only have been averted by the ability of [[Epaminondas]], who was serving in the campaign, but not as general.

In 367 BC, Alexander carried out a massacre of the citizens of [[Scotussa]].<ref name="plut"/><ref name="ds2"/><ref>[[Pausanias (geographer)|Pausanias]], ''Description of Greece'' vi. 5</ref>  A fresh Theban expedition into Thessaly, under [[Epaminondas]] resulted, according to [[Plutarch]], in a three-year truce and the release of prisoners, including Pelopidas.<ref name="plut"/><ref name="ds2"/>  During the next three years, Alexander seemed to renew his attempts to subdue the states of Thessaly, especially [[Magnesia (regional unit)|Magnesia]] and [[Phthiotis]],<ref name="plut"/> for upon the expiry of the truce, in 364 BC, they again applied to Thebes for protection from him.  The Theban army under Pelopidas is said to have been dismayed by an [[eclipse]] on 13 July 364 BC, and Pelopidas, leaving the bulk of his army behind, entered Thessaly at the head of three hundred volunteer horsemen and some mercenaries. At [[Battle of Cynoscephalae (364 BC)|Cynoscephalae]], the Thebans defeated Alexander, but Pelopidas was killed.<ref name="plut"/><ref name="ds3">[[Diodorus Siculus]], xv. 80</ref>  This was closely followed by another Theban victory under Malcites and Diogiton.  Alexander was then forced to restore the conquered towns to the Thessalians, confine himself to Pherae, join the [[Boeotian League]], and become a dependent ally of Thebes.<ref name="xh"/><ref name="plut"/><ref name="ds3"/>

If the death of [[Epaminondas]] in 362 freed Athens from fear of Thebes, it appears at the same time to have exposed it to further aggression from Alexander, who made a piratical raid on [[Tinos]] and other cities of the [[Cyclades]], plundering them, and making slaves of the inhabitants.  He also besieged [[Skopelos (town)|Peparethus]], and "even landed troops in Attica itself, and seized the port of [[Panormus (Attica)|Panormus]], a little eastward of [[Sounion]]."  The Athenian admiral Leosthenes defeated Alexander and managed to relieve Peparethus, but Alexander escaped from being blockaded in Panormus, took several Attic [[trireme]]s, and plundered the [[Piraeus]].<ref name="wess"/><ref>[[Diodorus Siculus]], xv. 95</ref><ref>[[Polyaenus]], vi. 2</ref><ref>[[Demosthenes]], ''c. Polycl.'' pp. 1207-1208</ref><ref>[[Connop Thirlwall]], ''History of Greece'' vol. v. p. 209</ref>