Page:History of Greece Vol VII.djvu/207

189 FUNCTIONS AND POLICY OF THE DEMAGOGUES. 189 holding a function essentially inferior to that of the authorized magistrate or general. We observe here, that Athenagoras, far from being inclined to push the city into war, is averse to it, even beyond reasonable limit ; and denounces it as the interested policy of the oligarchi- cal party. This may show how little it was any constant interest or policy on the part of the persons called demagogues, to involve tksir city in unnecessary wars : a charge which has been fre- quently advanced against them, because it so happens that Kleon, in the first half of the Peloponnesian Avar, discountenanced the propositions of peace between Athens and Sparta. We see by the harangue of Athenagoras that the oligarchical party were the usual promoters of war : a fact which we should naturally expect, seeing that the rich and great, in most communities, have accounted the pursuit of military glory more conformable to their dignity than any other career. At Syracuse, the ascendency of Hermokrates was much increased by the invasion of the Athe- nians, while Athenagoras does not again appear. The latter was egregiously mistaken in his anticipations respecting the conduct of Athens, though right in his judgment respecting her true political interest. But it is very unsafe to assume that nations will always pursue their true political interest, where present temptations of ambition or vanity intervene. Positive informa- tion was in this instance a surer guide than speculations a priori founded upon the probable policy of Athens. But that the im- putations advanced by Athenagoras against the oligarchical youth, of promoting military organization with a view to their own separate interest, were not visionary, may be seen by the analogous case of Argos, two or three years before. The democracy of Argos, contemplating a more warlike and aggres- sive policy, had been persuaded to organize and train the select regiment of one thousand hoplites, chosen from the oligarchical youth : within three years, this regiment subverted the demo- cratical constitution. 1 Now the persons, respecting whose de- signs Athenagoras expresses so much apprehension, were exactly the class at Syracuse corresponding to the select thousand at Anros. Sec above, in this volume, clian. Ivi.