Page:History of Greece Vol XI.djvu/338

 312 HISTORY OF GREECE. seize it. 1 Should the rumoi prove true, tLat this Philip were dead, they would soon make for themselves another Philip equally troublesome. After thus severely commenting on the past apathy of the citi- zens, and insisting upon a change of disposition as indispensable, Demosthenes proceeds to specify the particular acts whereby such change ought to be manifested. He entreats them not to be startled by the novelty of his plan, but to hear him patiently to the end. It is the result of his ovn meditations ; other citi- zens may have better to propose ; if they have, he shall not be found to stand in their way. What is past, cannot be helped ; nor is extemporaneous speech the best way of providing remedies for a difficult future. 2 He advises first, that a fleet of fifty triremes shall be immediate- ly put in readiness ; that the citizens shall firmly resolve to serve in person on board, whenever the occasion may require, and that triremes and other vessels shall be specially fitted out for half of the horsemen of the city, who shall serve personally also. This force is to be kept ready to sail at a moment's notice, and to meet Philip in any of his sudden out-marches to Chersonesus, to Thermopylae, to Olynthus, etc. 3 Secondly, that a farther permanent force shall be set on foot im- mediately, to take the aggressive, and carry on active continuous warfare against Philip, by harassing him in various points of his own country. Two thousand infantry, and two hundred horse, will be sufficient ; but it is essential that one-fourth part five hundred of the former and fifty of the latter shall be citizens of Athens. The remainder are to be forein mercenaries ; ten 1 Demosthenes, Philippic i. p. 43. s. 15. &f 6e vvv l^erf, ov6e 6t66vruv rtiv KaipiJv 'Afify'nroXiv 66a yap oi Ta%i) tnl TTjpepov eirrovTef ftu^iara elf Aeov teyovatv, etc. . . .Olfiai Toivvv ^}-w ravra S.eyetv exftv,fiij KU^/JUV el Tif u/./lof tirayyeA- ^.fTdi Tl. This deprecatory tone deserves notice, and the difficulty which thi speaker anticipates in obtaining a hearing.
 * Demosthenes, Philipp. i. p. 41, 45.