Page:History of Greece Vol XI.djvu/406

 880 HISTORY 01 GREECE. the negotiations carried on in Macedonia, where he could act bet- ter upon the individual negotiators of Athens. The decree having been passed in the assembly, ten envoys were chosen : Philokrates, Demosthenes, .ZEschines, Ktesiphon, Phrynon, latrokles, Derkyllus ; Kimon, Nausikles, and Aristode- mus the actor. Aglaokreon of Tenedos was selected to accompany them ; as representative of the allied synod. Of these envoys, Ktesiphon, Phrynon, and latrokles, had already been gained over as partisans by Philip while in Macedonia ; moreover, Aristode- mus was a person to whom, in his histrionic profession, the favor of Philip was more valuable than the interests of Athens. JEs- chines was proposed by Nausikles ; Demosthenes, by Philokrates the mover. 1 Though Demosthenes had been before so earnest in advocating vigorous prosecution of the war, it does not appear that he was now adverse to the opening of negotiations. Had he been ever so adverse, he would probably have failed in obtaining even a hearing, in the existing temper of the public mind. He thought indeed that Athens inflicted so much damage on her enemy by ruining the Macedonian maritime commerce, that she was not under the necessity of submitting to peace on bad or humiliating terms. 2 But still he did not oppose the overtures, nor did his opposition begin until afterwards, when he saw the turn which the negotiations were taking. Nor, on the other hand, was JEschines as yet suspected of a leaning towards Philip. Both he and De- mosthenes obeyed, at this moment, the impulse of opinion gene- rally prevalent at Athens. Their subsequent discordant views and bitter rivalry grew out of the embassy itself; out of its result and the behavior of JEschines. The eleven envoys were appointed to visit Philip, not with any power cf concluding peace, but simply to discuss with him and ascertain on what terms peace could be had. So much is certain ; though we do not possess the original decree under which they were nominated. Having sent before them a herald to obtain a safe-conduct from Philip, they left Athens about December 347 B. c., and proceeded by sea to Oreus, on the northern coast of Eu- 1 JEschines, Fals. Leg. p. 30. s. 9. p. 31. c. 10. p. 34. c. 20 ; Argumentun ii ad Demosth. Fals. Leg. 1 Demosth. Fals. Leg. p 442. Compare p. 369, 387, 391.