Page:History of Greece Vol XI.djvu/407

 ENVOYS TO MACEDONIA. 381 boca, where they expected to meet the returning herald. Finding that he had not yet come back, they crossed the strait at once, without waiting for him, into the Pagasaean Gulf, where Parme- nio with a Macedonian army was then besieging Halus. To him they notified their arrival, and received permission to pass on, first to Paga #e, next to Larissa. Here they met their own return- aig herald, under whose safeguard they pursued their journey to Pella.i Our information respecting this (first) embassy proceeds almost wholly from JEschines. He tells us that Demosthenes was, from the very day of setting out, intolerably troublesome both to him and to his brother envoys ; malignant, faithless, and watching for such matters as might be turned against them in the way of accu- sation afterwards ; lastly, boastful even to absurd excess, of hi?; own powers of eloquence. In Greece, it was the usual habit to transact diplomatic business, like other political matters, publicly before ll:e governing number the council, if the constitution happened to be oligarchical the general assembly, if democrati- cal. Pursuant to this habit, the envoys were called upon to appear before Philip in his full pomp and state, and there address to him formal harangues (either by one or more of their number as they chose), setting forth the case of Athens ; after which Philip would deliver his reply in the like publicity, either with his own lips or by those of a chosen minister. The Athenian envoys resolved among themselves, that when introduced, each of them should address Philip, in the order of seniority ; Demosthenes being the youngest of the Ten, and ^Eschines next above him. Accordingly, when summoned before Philip, Ktesiphon, the old- est envoy, began with a short address the other seven followed with equal brevity, while the stress of the business was left to ./Eschines and Demosthenes. 2 -ZEschines recounts in abridgment to the Athenians, with much satisfaction, his own elaborate harangue, establishing the right of Athens to Amphipolis, the wrong done by Philip in iaking it and holding it against her, and his paramount obligation to make res- 1 Demosth. Fals. Leg. p. 392.
 * jEschines, Fals. Leg. p. 31. c. 10, 11.