Page:History of Greece Vol XI.djvu/497

 AMPHIKTYONIC MEETING. 47J forms of prayer or solemnities ; l which perhaps might be supposed unnecessary, as the offering was not now dedicated for the first time. The inscription, little noticed and perhaps obscured by the lapse of time on the original shields, would now stand forth brightly and conspicuously on the new gilding ; reviving historical recol- lections highly offensive to the Thebans, 2 and to the Amphissian 1,/okrians as friends of Thebes. These latter not only remonstra- ted against it in the Amphiktyonic assembly, but were even pre- paring (if ve are to believe -ZEschines), to accuse Athens of impiety ; and to invoke against her a fine of fity talents, for omis sion of the religious solemnities. 3 But this is denied by Demos- thenes ; 4 who states that the Lokrians could not bring any such accusation against Athens without sending a formal summons, which they had never sent. Demosthenes would be doubtless right as to the regular form, probably also as to the actual fact ; though -ZEschines accuses him of having received bribes 5 to defend the iniquities of the Lokrians. Whether the Lokrians went so Far as to invoke a penalty, or not, at any rate they spoke in terms of complaint against the proceeding. Such complaint was not without real foundation ; since it was better for the common safety of Hellenic liberty against the Macedonian aggressor, that the treason of Thebes at the battle of Platrea should stand as a matter of past antiquity, rather than be republished in a new edition. But this was not the ground taken by the complainants, nor could they directly impeach the right of Athens to burnish up her old donatives. Accordingly they assailed the act on the 1 This must have been an 7ro/carucra<7tc TUV avad-q/iaTuv (compare Plu- tarch, Demetrius, c. 13), requiring to be preceded by solemn ceremonies, sometimes specially directed by the oracle. 2 How painfully the Thebans of the Demosthenic age felt the recollection of the alliance of their ancestors with the Persians at Platam, we may read in Demosthenes, De Symmoriis, p. 187. I: appears that the Thebans also had erected a new chapel at Delphi (af- ter 346 B. c.) out of the spoils acquired from the conquered Phokians 6 UTTO &UKEUV vadf, 5v Idpiiaavro Qrjj3alot (Diodor. xvii. 10). 3 .^Eschines adv. Ktesiph. p. 70. The words of his speech do not howevci give either a full or a clear account of the transaction ; which I have en- deavored, as well as I can, to supply in the text. 4 Demosthen. De Corona, p. 277. 8 JEschines adv. Ktesiph. p. 69.