Page:History of Greece Vol VI.djvu/402

 8#0 HISTORY OF GREECE. up to Siphae, In full expectation that it would be betrayed to him.- But the execution of this enterprise was less happy than that against Megara. In the first place, there was a mistake as to the day understood between Hippokrates and Demosthenes : in the next place, the entire plot was discovered and betrayed by a Phocian of Phanoteus (bordering on Chaeroneia) named Nico- machus, communicated first to the Lacedaemonians and through ihem to the boeotarchs. Siphee and Chasroneia were immediately placed in a state of defence, and Demosthenes, on arriving at the former place, found not only no party within it favorable to him, but a formidable Boeotian force which rendered attack unavail ing : moreover, Hippokrates had not yet begun his march, so that the defenders had nothing to distract their attention from Siphae. 3 Under these circumstances, not only was Demosthenes obliged to withdraw without striking a blow, and to content himself with an unsuccessful descent upon the territory of Sikyon, 3 but all the expected internal movements in Bosotia were prevented from breaking out. It was not till after the Boeotian troops, having repelled the attack by sea, had retired from Siphae, that Hippokrates com- menced his march from Athens to invade the Boeotian territory near Tanagra. He was probably encouraged by false promises from the Boeotian exiles, otherwise it seems remarkable that he should have persisted in executing his part of the scheme alone, after the known failure of the other part. It was, however, ex- ecuted in a manner which implies unusual alacrity and confidence. The whole military population of Athens was marched into Boeo- tia, to the neighborhood of Delium, the eastern coast-extremity of the territory belonging to the Boeotian town of Tanagra ; the expedition comprising all classes, not merely citizens, but also metics or resident non-freemen, and even non-resident strangers then by accident at Athens. Of course this statement must be understood with the reserve of ample guards left behind for the city : but besides the really effective force of seven thousand hoplites, and several hundred horsemen, there appear to have been not less than twenty-five thousand light-armed, half-armed, 1 Thucyd. iv, 77. 2 Thuryd. iv. 89. "Thucvd. iv 101.