Page:History of Greece Vol XI.djvu/354

 328 H13TORY OF GREECE. valuable their alliance will prove to Athens ; enabling her to prosecute with improved success the war against Phijp, and to retrieve the disgraceful losses brought upon her by previous re- missness. The main purpose of the orator is to inflame his coun- trymen into more hearty and vigorous efforts for the prosecution of this general war ; while to furnish aid to the Olynthians, is only a secondary purpose, and a part of the larger scheme. " I shall not (says the orator) expatiate on the formidable power of Philip as an argument to urge you to the performance of your public- duty. That would be too much both of compliment to him and of dis- paragement to you. I should, indeed, myself have thought him truly formidable, if he had achieved his present eminence by means consistent with justice. But he has aggrandized himself, partly through your negligence and improvidence, partly by trea- cherous means by taking into pay corrupt partisans at Athens, and by cheating successively Olynthians, Thessalians, and all his other allies. These allies, having now detected his treachery, are deserting him ; without them, his power will crumble away. Moreover, the Macedonians themselves have no sympathy with his personal ambition ; they are fatigued with the labor imposed upon them by his endless military movements, and impoverished by the closing of their ports through the war. His vaunted offi- cers are men of worthless and dissolute habits ; his personal com- panions are thieves, vile ministers of amusement, outcasts from our cities. His past good fortune imparts to all this real weak- ness a fallacious air of strength ; and doubtless his good fortune has been very great. But the fortune of Athens, and her title to the benevolent aid of the gods is still greater if only you, Athenians, will do your duty. Yet here you are, sitting still, do- ing nothing. The sluggard cannot even command his friends to work for him much less the gods. I do not wonder, that Philip, always in the field, always in movement, doing everything for him- self, never letting slip an opportunity prevails over you who merely talk, inquire, and vote, without action. Nay the con- trary would be wonderful if under such circumstances, he had not been the conqueror. But what I do wonder at is, that you Athenians who in former days contended for Pan-hellenic free- dom against the Lacedaemonians who, scorning unjust aggran- dizement for yourselves, fought in person and lavished your sub