Page:History of Greece Vol XI.djvu/401

 INVITATION TO PHILIP. 375 propriation of the Delphian treasure. Gross peculation was found to have been committed for the profit of individual leaders, especially one named Pinion ; who, on being seized and put to the torture, disclosed the names of several accomplices. These men were tried, compelled to refund, and ultimately put to death. 1 Phalsekus however still retained his ascendency over the merce- naries, about eight thousand in number, so as to hold Thermopy- lae and the places adjacent, and even presently to be re-appointed general. 2 Such intestine dispute, combined with the gradual exhaustion of the temple-funds, sensibly diminished the power of the Pho- kians. Yet they still remained too strong for their enemies the Thebans ; who, deprived of Orchomenus and Koroneia, impover- ished by military efforts of nine years, and unable to terminate the contest by their own force, resolved to invoke foreign aid. An opportunity might perhaps have been obtained for closing the war by some compromise, if it had been possible now to bring about an accommodation between Thebes and Athens ; which some of the philo-Theban orators, (Demosthenes seemingly among them), attempted, under the prevalent uneasiness about Philip. 3 But the adverse sentiments in both cities, especially in Thebes, were found invincible ; and the Thebans, little anticipating consequen- ces, determined to invoke the ruinous intervention of the con- queror of Olynthus. The Thessalians, already valuable allies of Philip, joined them in soliciting him to crush the Phokians, and to restore the ancient Thessalian privilege of the Pylaea, (or L'egular yearly Am phiktyonic meeting at Thermopylae), which the Phokians had suppressed during the last ten years. This joint prayer for intervention was preferred in the name of the Del- phian god, investing Philip with the august character of champion 1 Diodor. xvi. 56, 57. zrpaTijyias fj^iufj.evov, etc. 3 JEschines cont. Ktesiph. p. 73. c. 44 ; Demostli. De Corona, p. 231. Do- mosthenes, in his oration De Coronfi, spoken many years after the facts, affirms the contingency of alliance between Athens and Thebes at this junc- ture, as having been much more probable than he ventures to state it in tha earlier speech De Falsft Legatione.
 * jEschin. Fals. Leg. p. 62. c. 41; Diodor. yvi. 59. $uhaiKov, TTU'AIV rye