Page:History of Greece Vol XI.djvu/340

 314 HISTORY OF GREECE. profits of Philip from his captures at sea would be arrested. 1 The quarters of the armament might be established, during winter or bad weather, in Skiathos, Thasos, Lemnos, or other adjoining isl- ands, from whence they could act at all times against Philip on his own coast ; while from Athens it was difficult to arrive thither either during the prevalence of the Etesian winds or during winter the seasons usually selected by Philip for his ag- gressions. 2 The aggregate means of Athens (Demosthenes affirmed) in men, money, ships, hoplites, horsemen, were greater than could be found anywhere else. But hitherto they had never been prop- erly employed. The Athenians, like awkwcird pugilists, waited for Philip to strike, and then put up their hand to follow his blow. They never sought to look him in the face nor to be ready with a good defensive system beforehand nor to anticipate him in offensive operations. 3 While their religious festivals, the Pana- thenaic, Dionysiac, and others, were not only celebrated with cost- ly splendor, but prearranged with the most careful pains, so that nothing was ever wanting in detail at the moment of execution their military force was left without organization or predetermined system. Whenever any new encroachment of Philip was made known, nothing was found ready to meet it ; fresh decrees ^ere to be voted, modified, and put in execution, for each special occasion ; the time for action was wasted in preparation, and before a force could be placed on shipboard, the moment for execution had passed. 4 This practice of waiting for Philip to act offensively, 1 Demosthen. Philipp. i. p. 49. s. 38, 39. the Etesian winds, in July and August, are well known to those who have had to struggle with them in the ^Egean during that season" (Colonel Leake, Travels in Northern Greece, vol. iv. ch. 42. p. 426). The Etesian winds, blowing from the north, made it difficult to reach Macedonia from Athens. Compare Demosthenes, De Rebus Chersonesi, p. 93. s. 14. 3 Demosthen. Philipp. i. p. 51. s. 46 i>fie.if 6e, nXeiar^v fnruvTuv e^ovref, T P ir lP e if, OTivUraf, tTTTreaf, ^pj? l uurcjv irpoaofiov, TOVTUV uixpi T^f TTj/tepov ri(i.pa<; ovdsvl TTUTTOTE elf 6eov ri Kexprjade. 4 Demosthen. Philipp. i. p. 50. kv 6e rotf Kfpl rov TroAf/^otmraKra, a Btjra. uvpiara, urcavra. Totyapovv upta u.KT]K.bafi.KV TI Kal TpUjpapxavf
 * Demosthenes, Philipp. i. p. 48, 49. " The obstinacy and violence of