Page:History of Greece Vol XI.djvu/411

 RETURN OF THE ENVOYS. 385 throughout, in bis character of envoy, not only fostering tie actual delusions of the public at Athens, but even circulating gross fictions and impostures of his own, respecting the proceedings and pur- poses of Philip. It was on or about the first day of the month Elaphebolion 1 (March) when the envoys reached Athens on returning from the court of Philip. They brought a letter from him couched in the most friendly terms ; expressing great anxiety not only to be at peace with Athens, but also to become her ally ; stating more- over that he was prepared to render her valuable service, and that he would have specified more particularly what the service would be, if he could have felt certain that he should be received as her ally. 9 But in spite of such amenities of language, affording an occasion for his partisans in the assembly, JEschines, Philokra- tes, Ktesiphon, Phrynon, latrokles and others, to expatiate upon his excellent dispositions, Philip would grant no better terms of peace than that each party should retain what they already pos- sessed. Pursuant to this general principle, the Ohersonesus was assured to Athens, of which .^Eschines appears to have made some boast. 3 Moreover, at the moment when th^e envoys were quitting Pella to return home, Philip was also leaving it at the head of his army on an expedition against Kersobleptes in Thrace. He gave a special pledge to the envoys that he would not attack the Chersonese, until the Athenians should have had an opportu- Compare Demosth. Fals. Leg. p. 421 ; JEschines, Fals. Leg. p. 33, 34. c. 18, 19, 21. As to this particular matter of fact, I incline to believe JEschines rather than his rival. He probably did make an eloquent speech about Amphi polis before Philip. 1 The eighth day of Elaphebolion fell some little time after their arrival, o that possibly they may have even reached Athens on the last days of the month Anthestcrion ( JEschines adv. Ktesiph. p. 63. c. 24). The reader will understand that the Grecian lunar months do not correspond precise- ly, but only approximatively, with ours. t'RiaTo'hri v, fjv rjv iy Kdfiev #//et?, on " eypcQbv r' uv nai diapprj 6rjv, rf/.LK.a vuiif ev TTOITJOU, el sv yfieiv KOI TTJV avfifiaxiav [toi yEVTjaofjLevriv^ etc. Compare Pseudo-Demos th. De HaJonneso, p. 85. JEschines alludes to this letter. Fale. Leg. p. 34. c. 21. 3 Demosth. Fals. Leg. p 305. VOL. xr 33
 * Demosth. Fals. Leg. p. 353, 354 .... 6 yap elf rrjv Kpore pav ypu-^af