Page:History of Greece Vol XI.djvu/258

 232 HISTORY OF GREECE. fectly as we know the events, it seems clear that her efforts to meet this formidable revolt were feeble and inadequate ; evincing a sad downfall of energy since the year 412 B. c., when she had contended with transcendent vigor against similar and even great- er calamities, only a year after her irreparable disaster before Syracuse. Inglorious as the result of the Social War was, it had nevertheless been costly, and left Athens poor. The annual rev- enues of her confederacy were greatly lessened by the secession of so many important cities, and her public treasury was exhausted. It is just at this time that the activity of Demosthenes as a pub- lic adviser begins. In a speech delivered this year (355 B. c.), he notes the poverty of the treasury ; and refers back to it in dis- courses of after time as a fact but too notorious. 1 But the misfortunes arising to Athens from the Social War did not come alone. It had the farther effect of rendeiing her less competent for defence against the early aggressions of Philip of Macedon. That prince, during the first year of his accession (359 B. c.), had sought to conciliate Athens by various measures, but espe- cially by withdrawing his garrison from Amphipolis, while he was establishing his military strength in the interior against the Illy- rians and Paeonians. He had employed in this manner a period apparently somewhat less than two years ; and employed it with such success, as to humble his enemies in the interior, and get to- gether a force competent for aggressive operations against the cities on the coast. During this interval, Amphipolis remained a free and independent city ; formally renounced by Philip, and not assailed by the Athenians. Why they let slip this favorable op- portunity of again enforcing by arms pretensions on which thoy laid so much stress I have before partially (though not ve.y satisfactorily) explained. Philip was not the man to let them en- joy the opportunity longer than he could help, or to defer the mo- ment of active operations as they did. Towards the close of 358 I*, c., finding his hands free from impediments in the interior, he forthwith commenced the siege of Amphipolis. The inhabitants are said to have been unfavorably disposed towards him, and tc 1 Demosthenes alv. LepV.nem, p. 464. s. 26, 27; and De Corona, p. 302 s. 293.