Page:History of Greece Vol XI.djvu/442

 416 HISTORY OF GREECE. not think alike ; he is an ungenial water-drinker ; I am fo/vi t wine." i It was during this temper of the assembly that the letter -of Philip, brought by the envoys, was produced and read. His abun- dant expressions of regard, and promises of future benefit, to Ath- ens, were warmly applauded ; while, prepossessed as the hearers were, none of them discerned, nor was any speaker permitted to point out, that these expressions were thoroughly yague and gene- ral, and that not a word was said about the TAebans or the Pho- kians. 2 Philokrates next proposed a decree, extolling Philip foi his just and beneficent promises providing that the peace and alliance with him should be extended, not merely to the existing Athenians, but also to their posterity and enacting that if the Phokians should still refuse to yield possession of the Delphian temple tc the Amphiktyons, the people of Athens 1 would compel them to do so by armed intervention. 3 During the few days immediately succeeding the return of the envoys to Athens (on the 13th of Skirrophorion), Philip wrotb two successive letters, inviting the Athenian troops to join him forthwith at Thermopyl*. 4 Probably these were sent at the moment when Phalaekus, the Phokian leader at that pass, an- 1 Dem. Fals. Leg. p. 355 ; Phil. ii. p. 73. 8 Demosth. Fals. Leg. p. 356. Otirof (^schines) fyv 6 "kiyuv v-rrip av-m KOL VTTioxvoi'fiEvoe Trpdf 6e rot)f napa TOVTOV %6yovf upfiijKoraf Aa/So-v vjuit 6 QiloKpaTTif, tyypufai rovr' elf TO ^jfjijuapa, iuv [ir) iroiiJcn 4>ef a 6tl, na) xapadiduai rolf 'AfiQiKTvaai TO leptiv, on floij-d-Tjaei 6 &rjjj.og u 'A.tir]vai(jv tir) Toflf diaKuhvovraf ravra yiyveadai. The fact, that by this motion of Philokrates the peace was extended to " the posterity" of the Athenians is dwelt upon by Demosthenes as "tho greatest disgrace of all;" with an intensity of emphasis which it is difficult to enter into (Philippic ii. p. 73). 4 Demosth. Fals. Leg. p. 357. Demosthenes causes the two letters to be read, and proceeds A.I pev roivvv tmaroXdl nakovaiv avrat, KQ.I vrj &ia V<J?7 ? So also JEschines, Fals. Leg. p. 46. c. 4 . i'ftiv tie Tavd' 6puv owe lj;oa- Jiev ETTIOTO^V 6 ^i/l.tTTTrof, livai iruaij Ty tivvupet, /? T/dqaovTae rolf 6mni o/f ; ^schines only notices one of the two letters. Bohnecke (Forschtin- gen, p. 412) conceives the letters as having been written and sent between the 16th and 23d of the month Skirr:?horion.
 * Dem. Fals. Leg. p. 353.