He also made the Macedonian nobles send their sons to be trained to arms at his court, so as to form a guard of honour, who were comrades, friends, and officers to the king.  In the meantime, wars were going on—one called the Social War and one the Sacred War—which wasted the strength of the Thebans, Spartans, and Athenians all alike, until Philip began to come forward, intending to have power over them all.  At first, he marched into Thrace, the wild country to the north, and laid siege to Methone.  In this city there was an archer, named Aster, who had once offered his service to the Macedonian army, when Philip, who cared the most for his phalanx, rejected him contemptuously, saying, “I will take you into my pay when I make war on starlings.”  This man shot an arrow, with the inscription on it, “To Philip’s right eye;” and it actually hit the mark, and put out the eye.  Philip caused it to be shot back again with the inscription, “If Philip takes the city, he will hang Aster.” And so he did.  Indeed he took the loss of his eye so much to heart, that he was angry if anyone mentioned a Cyclops in his presence.