Page:History of Greece Vol XI.djvu/398

 372 HISTORY OF GREECE. of Philip. Presently arrived the terrible news of the fall ot Olynthus, and of the captivity of the Athenian citizens in garrison there. While this great alarm (as has been already stated) gave birth to new missions for anti-Macedonian alliances, it enlisted on the side of peace all the friends of those captives whose lives were now in Philip's hands. The sorrow thus directly inflicted on many private families, together with the force of individual sym- pathy widely diffused among the citizens, operated powerfully upon the decisions of the public assembly. A century before, the Athe- nians had relinquished all their acquisitions in Bceotia, in order to recover their captives taken in the defeat of Tolmides at Ko- roneia ; and during the Peloponnesian war, the policy of the Spartans had been chiefly guided for three or four years by the anxiety to ensure the restoration of the captives of Sphakteria. Moreover, several Athenians of personal consequence were taken at Olynthus ; among them, Eukratus and latrokles. Shortly af- ter the news arrived, the relatives of these two men, presenting themselves before the assembly in the solemn guise of suppliants, deposited an olive branch on the altar hard by, and entreated that care might be had for the safety of their captive kinsmen. 1 This appeal, echoed as it would be by the cries of so many other citi- zens in the like distress, called forth unanimous sympathy in the assembly. Both Philokrates and Demosthenes spoke in favor of it ; Demosthenes probably, as having been a strenuous advocate of the war, was the more anxious to shew that he was keenly alive to so much individual suffering. It was resolve 3 to open in- direct negotiations with Philip for the release of the captives, 1 ^Eschincs, Fals Leg. p. 30. c. 8. 'Yard 6s roijf avrovf xP^ vor f "O^vv&of 7/lu, KM TTOA/IO* tuv vjierepuv eyK.a.Te'k.rjtydTjaav noTiiTuv, uvijv 'l Ewcparof, 'Tmp 6e TOVTUV iKSTTjpiav tievTSf oi oiKeloi, edeovro l.ciav Koir/aaatiat 7rapeAi?6v~f <5' avrolf avvTjyopovv <IuAo/cpa dsvijf, UAA' ovu. iff%iV7]f. To illustrate the effect of this impressive ceremony upon the Athenian assembly, we may recall the memorable scene mentioned by Xeuophon and Diodorus (Xen Hell. i. 7, 8 ; Diodor. xiii. 101) after the battle oi Arginnsae, when the relatives of the warriors who had perished on board of the foun- dered ships, presented themselves before the assembly with ohaven head* and in mourning garb. Compare also, about presentments ol solemn sup plication to the assembly, Demosthenes, De Corona, p. 262-^v:i.'.i the note of Usssen, and yiCschines ntra Timar?hum p. '. c. -