Whilst the greatest effort has been made to ensure the quality of this text, due to the historical nature of this content, in some rare cases there may be minor issues with legibility. Still more noteworthy, if possible, is the story of the Sacred Band of Thebans, a company of one hundred and fifty pair of friends. Two by two in a bond of sacred friendship these sol diers enlisted for a life-and-death struggle to gether; and such heroes they were, through being such friends, that their band was never overborne in conflict until the great battle of Chaeronea; and then they all stood and fell together, 'faithful unto death.' When Philip of Macedon looked down upon those three hundred hero-friends, dead in their armour, heaped one upon another, having met the spears of the phalanx face to face,' he marvelled at the sight; and learning that it was the Band of Friends, he burst into tears, and said, Perish those who would suspect these men of doing or abetting anything base!

Still more noteworthy, if possible, is the story of the Sacred Band of Thebans, a company of one hundred and fifty pair of friends. Two by two in a bond of sacred friendship these sol diers enlisted for a life-and-death struggle to gether; and such heroes they were, through being such friends, that their band was never overborne in conflict until the great battle of Chaeronea; and then they all stood and fell together, 'faithful unto death.' When Philip of Macedon looked down upon those three hundred hero-friends, dead in their armour, heaped one upon another, having met the spears of the phalanx face to face,' he marvelled at the sight; and learning that it was the Band of Friends, he burst into tears, and said, Perish those who would suspect these men of doing or abetting anything base!