Page:History of Greece Vol VI.djvu/414

 392 HISTORl OF GREECE. The victors retired to Tanagra, after erecting their troplij, burying their own dead, and despoiling those of their enemies An abundant booty of arms from the stripped warriors, long remained to decorate the temples of Thebes, and the spoil in other ways is said to have been considerable. Pagondas also resolved to lay siege to the newly-established fortress at Delium : but before commencing operations, which might perhaps prove tedious, since the Athenians could always reinforce the garrison by sea, he tried another means of attaining the same object. He despatched to the Athenians a herald, who, happening in his way to meet the Athenian herald, coming to ask the ordinary permission for burial of the slain, warned him that no such request would be entertained until the message of the Boeotian general had first been communicated, and thus induced him to come back to the Athenian commanders. The Boeotian herald was instructed to remonstrate against the violation of holy custom committed by the Athenians in seizing and fortifying the temple of Delium ; wherein their garrison was now dwelling, performing numerous functions which religion forbade to be done in a sacred place, and using as their common drink the water especially consecrated to sacrificial purposes. The Boeotians therefore solemnly summoned them in the name of Apollo, and the gods inmates along with him, to evacuate the place, carrying away all that belonged to them : and the herald gave it to be understood, that, unless this summons were complied with, no permission would be granted to bury the dead. Answer was returned by the Athenian herald, who now went to the Boeotian commanders, to the following effect : " The Athe- nians did not admit that they had hitherto been guilty of any wrong in reference to the temple, and protested that they would persist in respecting it for the future as much as possible. Their object in taking possession of it had been no evil sentiment towards the holy place, but the necessity of avenging the repeated invasions of Attica by the Boeotians. Possession of the territory, according to the received maxims of Greece, always carried along with it possession of temples therein situated, under obligation to fulfil all customary obligations to the resident god, as far as circumstances permitted. It was upon this maxim thai the Boeotians had themselves acted when they took possession of