Page:History of Greece Vol XI.djvu/358

 332 HISTORY OF GREECE. home. Without such two-fold aid (he says) the cities cannot be preserved. 1 Advice of aid generally he had already given, though less emphatically, in his previous harangue ; but he now superadds a new suggestion that Athenian envoys shall be sent thither, not merely to announce the coming of the force, but also to remain nt Olynthus and watch over the course of events. For he is afraid, that unless such immediate encouragement be sent, Philip may, even without the tedious process of a siege, frighten or cajole the Olynthian confederacy into submission ; partly by reminding them that Athens had done nothing for them, and b} denouncing her as a treacherous and worthless ally. 2 Philip would be glad to entrap them into some plausible capitulation; and though they knew that they could have no security for his keep- ing the terms of it afterwards, still he might succeed, if Athens remained idle. Now, if ever, was the time for Athenians to come forward and do their duty without default ; to serve in person and submit to the necessary amount of direct taxation. They had no longer the smallest pretence for continued inaction ; the very con- juncture which they had so long desired, had turned up of itself war between Olynthus and Philip, and that too upon grounds special to Olynthus not at the instigation of Athens. 3 The Olynthian alliance had been thrown in the way of Athens by the peculiar goodness of the gods, to enable her to repair her numer- ous past errors and short-comings. She ought to look well and deal rightly with these last remaining opportunities, in order tc wipe off the shame of the past ; but if she now let slip Olynthus and suffer Philip to conquer it, there was nothing else to hinder him from marching whithersoever he chose. His ambition was eo insatiable, his activity so incessant, that, assuming Athens to persist in her careless inaction, he would carry the war forward 1 Demosth. Olynth. i. p. 14. $ri/j.l dq dixy fioTj&TiTeov elvai rolg trpuyuaaiv iifj.lv r $ re reif Trohetf 'OAvvtftotf au^etv, Kal Tovf TOVTO TTOLTI- aovrag OTpanuraf iicirefnreiv Kal rfl) TTJV eKehov %>pav KaKUf noieiv Kal rpiripeai Kal arpaTtuTaif erepoif el de tiarepcv TOVTUV UT/ fidratoq vpuv 77 ffrparela yevrjTai. 3 Demosth. Olynth. i. p. 9, 10,
 * Demosth. Olynth. i. p. 11,