Page:History of Greece Vol XI.djvu/525

 POLICY OF DEMOSTHENES. 49<j combined in defence of Grecian independence, treated all such stories with the same indifference ' as Epaminondas had shown before the battle of Leuktra, and accused the Delphian priestess of philippizing. Nay, so confident was he in the result (accord- ing to the statement of -ZEschines), that when Philip, himself ap- prehensive, was prepared to offer terms of peace, and the Bceo- tarchs inclined to accept them Demosthenes alone stood out, denouncing as a traitor any one who should broach the proposition of peace, 2 and boasting that if the Thebans were afraid, his coun- trymen the Athenians desired nothing better than a free passage through Bceotia to attack Philip single-handed. This is advanced as an accusation by JEschines ; who however himself furnishes the justification of his rival, by intimating that the Bceotarchs were so eager for peace, that they proposed, even before the nego- tiations had begun, to send home the Athenian soldiers into Attica, m order that deliberations might be taken concerning the peace. We can hardly be surprised that Demosthenes " became out of hi.s mind " 3 (such is the expression of -ZEschines) on hearing a propo- sition so fraught with imprudence. Philip would have gained his point even without a battle, if, by holding out the lure of negotia- tion for peace, he could have prevailed upon the allied army to disperse. To have united the full force of Athens and Thebes, with other subordinate states, in the same ranks and for the same purpose, was H rare good fortune, not likely to be reproduced, should it once slip away. And if Demosthenes, by warm or even passionate remonstrance, prevented such premature dispersion, he rendered the valuable service of ensuring to Grecian liberty a full trial of strength under circumstances not unpromising ; and at the very worst, a catastrophe worthy and honorable. In the field of battle near Chreroneia, Philip himself command Plutarch, Demosth. c. 19, 20 ; JSschin. adv. Ktesiph. p. 72. 2 jEschin. adv. Ktesiph. p. 74, 75. 3 JEscliincs adv. Ktesiph. p. 75. '2f 6' ov irpoauxov avru (Arjuoadevec) o Zfi-jovrec; ot ev ratf 9^/3af, aAAd /cat rof)f orpar/wraf roi)f iifierepovf iruXit avefrrpstpav E^e/l^viSoraf, Iva Povhevaaia-de nepl rfjf elpqvqf, evrav-da navra- iraciv K.(J>[>UV eyt'vero, etc. It is, seemingly, this disposition on the part of Philip to open negotiations which is alluded to by Plutarch as having been (Plutarch, Phokion, c. 16; favorably received by Phokion.