Page:History of Greece Vol XI.djvu/370

 344 HISTORY OF GREECE. From the despatches of Phokion, the treason of Plutarch of Eretria had become manifest ; so that Demosthenes gained credit for his previous remarks on the impolicy of granting the arma- ment; while the friends of Plutarch Hegesilaus and others of the party of Eubulus incurred displeasure ; and some, as it ap- pears, were afterwards tried. 1 But he was reproached by his enemies for having been absent from the battle of Tamynse ; and a citizen named Euktemon, at the instigation of Meidias, threat- ened an indictment against him for desertion of his post. Wheth- er Demosthenes had actually gone over to Eubcea as a hoplite in the army of Phokion, and obtained leave of absence to come back for the Dionysia or whether he did not go at all we are unable to say. In either case, his duties as choregus for this year furnished a conclusive excuse ; so that Euktemon, though he formally hung up before the statues of the Eponymous Heroes public proclamation of his intended indictment, never thought fit to take even the first step for bringing it to actual trial, and in- curred legal disgrace for such non-performance of his engagement.- Nevertheless the opprobrious and undeserved epithet of deserter was ever afterwards applied to Demosthenes by JEschines and his other enemies ; and Meidias even heaped the like vituperation upon most of those who took part in that assembly 3 wherein the Probole or vote of censure against him had been passed. Nol long after the Dionysiac festival, however, it was found necessarj to send fresh troops, both horsemen and hoplites, to Euboea ; pro bably to relieve either some or all of those already serving there. the offer of the defendant to pay a moderate fine (compare Demosth. cont Neseram, p. 1348) in fear of exasperating too far the powerful friends around Meidias. The action of Demosthenes against Meidias was cer tainly an uyuv TifjTjrof. About frpo/fo/l^, see Meier and Schumann, Der Attische Prozess, p. 271. 1 Demosthenes, De Pace, p. 58 ; De Fals. Leg. p 434 with the Scho- lion. mon) ririfiuKEV avrbv ov ^refeMuv, oi'Se/uue eyw/ In Trpoatieopai 6iKrif, ^Eschines says that Nikodemns entered an indictment against Demos- thenes for deserting his place in ths ranks ; but that he was bought off by Demosthenes, and refrained from bringing it before the Dikastery (^ Fals Leg. p. 292). 3 Demosth. cont. Meid. p. 577.
 * Demosthen. cont. Meidiam, p. 548 ....... ty' t) yup IKSIVOS (Eukte