Page:History of Greece Vol VIII.djvu/224

 202 HISTORY OF GREECE was the only way of striking the guilty, of saving the innocent, and of preserving Athens from the ingratitude and impiety of condemning to death, without trial as well as contrary to law, generals who had just rendered to her so important a service. And what could the people be afraid of? Did they fear lest the power of trial should slip out of their hands, that they were so impatient to leap over all the delays prescribed by the law ? l To the worst of public traitors, Aristarchus, they had granted a day with full notice for trial, with all the legal means for making his defence : and would they now show such flagrant contrariety of measure to victorious and faithful officers ? " Be not ye (he said) the men to act thus, Athenians. The laws are your own work ; it is through them that ye chiefly hold your greatness : cherish them, and attempt not any proceeding without their sanction." 2 Euryptolemus then shortly recapitulated the proceedings after the battle, with the violence of the storm which had prevented approach to the wrecks ; adding that one of the generals, now in peril, had himself been on board a broken ship, and had only escaped by a fortunate accident. 3 Gaining courage from his own harangue, he concluded by reminding the Athenians of the bril- liancy of the victory, and by telling them that they ought in jus- tice to wreath the brows of the conquerors, instead of following those wicked advisers who pressed for their execution.4 It is no small proof of the force of established habits of public discussion, that the men in mourning and with shaven heads, who had been a few minutes before in a state of furious excitement, should patiently hear out a speech so effective and so conflicting with their strongest sentiments as this of Euryptolemus. Per- haps others may have spoken also ; but Xenophon does not men 1 It is this accusation of " reckless hurry," irpoTrereia, which Pausanias brings against the Athenians in reference to their behavior toward the six generals (vi, 7, 2). ot)f nuT-iara fiiytoToi ore, ^v^arrovref, UVEV TOVTUV //7?J 3 Xenoph. Hellen. i, 7, 35. rovruv tie fiaprvpef oi cu-Sevres U.KO rov avrn uurov, uv elf TUV i'fierepuv arpciTTjyuv im Karadvajjf vfcjf ffw#e?c. etc. The speech is contained in Xenoph. Hellen. i, 7, 16-36.
 * Xenoph. Hellen. i, 7, 30 MT) iips Zf -ye, u 'A.'drjvaiot u/W eavrCiv ovraf