Page:History of Greece Vol XI.djvu/364

 333 HISTORY OF GREECE. " All this is superfluous, I shall be told. We have already re- solved unanimously to succor Olynthus, and we will succor it. We only want you to tell us how. You will be surprised, per- haps, at my answer. Appoint Nomothetas at once. 1 Do not submit to them any propositions for new laws, for you have laws enough already but only repeal such of the existing laws as are hurtful at the present juncture I mean, those which re- gard the Theoric fund (I speak out thus plainly), and some which bear on the citizens in military service. By the former, you hand over money, which ought to go to soldiers on service, in Theoric distribution among those who stay at home. By the latter, you let off without penalty those who evade service, and discourage those who wish to do their duty. When you have repealed these mischievous laws, and rendered it safe to proclaim salutary truths, then expect some one to come forward with a formal motion such as you all know to be required. But until you do this, expect not that any one will make these indispensable propositions on your behalf, with the certainty of ruin at your hands. You will find no such man ; especially as he would only incur unjust punish- ment for himself, without any benefit to the city while his pun- ishment would make it yet more formidable to speak out upon that subject in future, than it is even now. Moreover, the same men who proposed these laws should also take upon them to pro- pose the repeal ; for it is not right that these men should continue to enjoy a popularity which is working mischief to the whole city, while the unpopularity of a reform beneficial to us all, falls on the head of the reforming mover. But while you retain this pro- hibition, you can neither tolerate that any one among you shall be powerful enough to infringe a law with impunity nor expect that any one will be fool enough to run with his eyes open into punishment." I lament that my space confines me to this brief and meagre abstract of one of the most splendid harangues ever delivered the third Olynthiac of Demosthenes. The partial advantage gained over Philip being prodigiously over-rated, the Athenians seemed to fancy that they had done enough, and were receding fronz, their resolution to assist Olynthus energetically. As on so many 1 Demoslh. Olynth. ii: p. 31, 32.