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 472 HISTORY OF GREECE. allegation of impiety, as not having been preceded by the propel religious solemnities ; whereby they obtained the opportunity of inveighing against Athens, as ally of the Phokians in their recent sacrilege, and enemy of Thebes the steadfast champion of the god. " The Amphiktyons being assembled (I here give the main re- cital, though not the exact words, of .^Eschines), a friendly person came to acquaint us that the Amphissians were bringing on their accusation against Athens. My sick colleagues requested me im- mediately to enter the assembly and undertake her defence. I made haste to comply, and was just beginning to speak, when an Amphissian, of extreme rudeness and brutality, perhaps even under the influence of some misguiding divine impulse, inter- rupted me and exclaimed, ' Do not hear him, men of Hellas ! Do not permit the name of the Athenian people to be pronounced among you at this holy season ! Turn them out of the sacred ground, like men under a curse.' With that he denounced us for our alliance with the Phokians, and poured out many other out- rageous invectives against the city. " To me (continues ^JEschines) all this was intolerable to hear ; I cannot even now think on it with calmness and at the mo- ment, I was provoked to anger such as I had never felt in my life before. The thought crossed me that I would retort upon the Amphissians for their impious invasion of the Kirrhaean land. That plain, lying immediately below the sacred precinct in which we were assembled, was visible throughout. ' You see, Amphik- tyons (said I), that plain cultivated by the Amphissians, with buildings erected in it for farming and pottery ! You have be fore your eyes the harbor, consecrated by the oath of your fore fathers, now occupied and fortified. You know of yourselves, without needing witnesses to tell you, that these Amphissians have levied tolls and are taking profit out of the sacred haibor !' I then caused to be read publicly the ancient oracle, the oath, and the imprecations (pronounced after the first Sacred War, wherein Kirrha was destroyed). Then continuing, I said ' Here am I, ready to defend the god and the sacred property, according to the oath of our forefathers, with hand, foot, voice, and all the powers that I possess. I stand prepared to clear my own city of her obligations to the gods d you take counsel forthwith for