Page:History of Greece Vol VI.djvu/407

 BCEOTIAN MUSTER. 385 not quit their arms at one and the same moment. 1 He charac- terized the sentiment of the other bceotarchs as an unworthy manifestation of weakness, which, when properly considered, had not even the recommendation of superior prudence. For the Athenians had just invaded the country, and built a fort for the purpose of continuous devastation ; nor were they less enemies on one side of the border than on the other. Moreover, they were the most restless and encroaching of all enemies ; and the Boeotians, who had the misfortune to be their neighbors, could only be secure against them by the most resolute promptitude in defending themselves, as well as in returning the blows first given. If they wished to protect their autonomy and their prop- erty against the condition of slavery under which their neighbors in Euboea had long suffered, as well as so many other portions of Greece, their only chance was to march onward and beat these invaders, following the glorious example of their fathers and predecessors in the field of Koroneia. The sacrifices were favorable to an advancing movement, and Apollo, whose tem- ple the Athenians had desecrated by converting it into a for- 1 Thucyd. iv, 91. a-poatia^uv inaarovg icarH Ao^ovf, OTTUQ fir) adpooi ix^inoiEV TO. dirXa, Eireitie rovf BoiuToi)^ levai eni Toi> 'hftrjvalovf Kal rdv ayuva iroielcr&ai. Here Dr. Arnold observes : " This confirms and illustrates what has been said in the note on ii, 2, 5, as to the practice of the Greek soldiers piling their arms the moment they halted in a particular part of the camp, and always attending the speeches of their general without them." In the case here before us, it appears that the Boeotians did come by separate lochi, pursuant to command, to hear the words of Pagondas, and also that each lochus left its arms to do so ; though even here it is not absolutely certain that TU onTia does not mean the military station, as Dukas interprets it. But Dr. Arnold generalizes too hastily from hence to a cus- tomary practice as between soldiers and their general. The proceeding of the Athenian general Hippokrates, on this very occasion, near Delium, to be noticed a page or two forward, exhibits an arrangement totally different. Moreover, the note on ii, 2, 5, to which Dr. Arnold refers, has no sort of analogy to the passage here before us, which does not include the words ri-decrdai fa onXa ; whereas these words are the main matters in chapter ii, 2, 5. Whoever attentively compares the two, will see that Dr. Arnold, followed by Poppo and Gollcr, has stretched an explanation which suits the passage here before us to other passages where it is noway applicable. VOL. vr. 17 25oc.