Page:History of Greece Vol VII.djvu/380

362 -'*<> HkVPJhY OF GREECE. Afijr this first burst both of grief and anger, however, they : gradually to look their actual situation in the face ; and the more energetic speakers would doubtless administer the salutary lesj/j cf reminding them how much had been achieved by their fore- fathers, sixty-seven years before, when the approach of Xerxe.-: threatened them with dangers not less overwhelming. Under the peril of the moment, the energy of despair revived in their bosoms ; they resolved to get together, as speedily as they could, both ships and money, to keep watch over their allies, espe- cially Euboea, and to defend themselves to the last. A Board of ten elderly men, under the title of Probuli, was named to review the expenditure, to suggest all practicable economies, and propose for the future such measures as occasion might seem to require. The propositions of these probuii were for the most part adopted, with a degree of unanimity and promptitude rarel/ seen in an Athenian assembly, springing out of that pressure and alarm of the moment which silenced all criticism. 1 Among other economies, the Athenians abridged the costly splendor of their choric and liturgic ceremonies at home, and brought back the recent garrison which they had established on the Laconian coast ; they at the same time collected timber, commenced the construction of new ships, and fortified Cape Sunium, in order to protect their numerous transport ships in the passage from Eubrca to Peiraeus. 2 countrymen warning beforehand : ISelv TU. TrpuypaTa up^ofieva KOI dai Kat irposL-slv roif uM.oif. This is the just view of the subject ; and, applying the measure proposed by Demosthenes, the Athenians had ample ground to be displeased with their orators. 1 Thucyd. viii, 1. JTUVTO <5e vrpuf rb napaxprina, irfpideef, oTrcp fyii.tl diy/wc TroiEiv, ITOI/J.OI rjaav evTdKreiv; compare Xenoph. Mem. iii, 5, 5. 8 Thucyd. viii, 1-4. About the functions of this Board of Probuli, much has been said for which there is no warrant in Thucydides : ruv re ard TTJV -Ko7.lv TI f evr&eiav outypoviaai, nai iipxyv Tiva vpsaflvTepuv avftouv &eGav eviaic- 711V. Upon which Dr. Arnold remarks : " That is, no measure was to bo sub- mitted to the people, till it had first been approved by this comv.il of elders." And such is the general view of the commentators. No such meaning as thir, however, is necessarily contained in the won!