Page:History of Greece Vol XI.djvu/511

 ALARM AT ATHENS. 4^;, Athenians, when they first heard of the occupation of Elateia. Should the Thebans comply, Philip would be in three days on the frontier of Attica ; and from the sentiment understood as wel] as felt to be prevalent, the Athenians could not but anticipate, that free passage, and a Theban reinforcement besides, would be readily granted. Ten years before, Demosthenes himself (in his first Olynthiac) had asserted that the Thebans would gladly join Philip in an attack on Attica. 1 If such was then the alienation, it had been increasing rather than diminishing ever since. As the march of Philip had hitherto been not merely rapid, but also under- stood as directed towards Delphi and Amphissa, the Athenians had made no preparations for the defence of their frontier. Neither their families nor their movable property had yet been carried within walls. Nevertheless they had now to expect, within little more than forty-eight hours, an invading army as formidable and deso- lating as any of those during the Peloponnesian war, under a commander far abler than Archidamus or Agis. 2 Though the general history of this important period can be made out only in outline, we are fortunate enough to obtain from Demosthenes a striking narrative, in some detail, of the proceed- ings at Athens immediately after the news of the capture of Elateia by Philip. It was evening when the messenger arrived, just at the time when the prytanes (or senators of the presiding tribe) were at supper in their official residence. Immediately breaking up their meal, some ran to call the generals whose duty it was to convoke the public assembly, with the trumpeter who gave public notice thereof; so that the Senate and assembly were convoked for the next morning at day-break. Others bestirred themselves in clearing out the market-place, which was full of booths and stands, for traders selling merchandize. They even set fire to these booths, in their hurry to get the space clear. Such was the excitement and terror throughout the city, that the pub- lic assembly was crowded at the earliest dawn, even before the 1 Demosth. Olynth. i. p. 16. 'Av <5' tue'iva Qihiirirof 2,a/3fl, rif OVTOV ffn Sevpo j3adt&iv; QrjQaloi; 01, dp] "Xiav iriKpbv eixelv, nai avveLapa nariiyopel, uvrl psv roil Qri^aiovf //era Qihurirov avveppafalv ds TT/V xupav, 3 irdvrec $ovro, IJ.E-&' rifiCiv irapaTaa(ievovf EKEIVOV nukvciv e-noiqaev, etc 41*
 * Demosth. Do Corona, p. 304. n -yap kp.ri iro^ireia, fa ovroc (^Eschincs)