Page:History of Greece Vol XII.djvu/310

 278 HISTORY OF GREECE. Athens, such as Demosthenes and Lykurgus, were not generals or men of action, but statesmen and orators. They were fully aware that submission to Alexander was a painful necessity, though they watched not the less anxiously for any reverse which might happen to him, such as to make it possible for Athens to head a new struggle on behalf of Grecian freedom. But it was not Demosthenes nor Lykurgus Avho now guided the general policy of Athens.' For the twelve years between the destruction of Thebes and the death of Alexander, Phokion and Demadcs were her ministers for foreign affairs ; two men of totally opposite characters, but coinciding in pacific views, and in looking to the favor of Alexander and Antipater as the principal end to be attained. Twenty Athenian triremes were sent to act with the Macedonian fleet, during Alexander's first campaign in Asia ; these, together with the Athenian prisoners taken at the Granikus, served to him farther as a guarantee for the continued submission of the Athenians generally .'^ There can be no doubt that the pacific policy of Phokion was now prudent and essential to Athens, though the same cannot be said (as I have remarked in the proper place) for his advocacy of the like policy twenty years before, when Philip's power was growing and might have been arrested by vigorous opposition. It suited the purpose of Antipater to ensure his hold upon Athens by frequent presents to Demades, a man of luxurious and extravagant habits. But Phokion, incorruptible as well as poor to the end, declined all similar offers, though often made to him, not only by Antipater. but even by Alexander.^ It deserves particular notice, that though the macedonizing policy was now decidedly in the ascendent — accepted, even by dissentients, as the only course admissible under the circumstan- ces, and confirmed the more by each successive victory of Alex- ander — yet statesmen, like Lykurgus and Demosthenes, of no- torious anti-Macedonian sentiment, still held a conspicuous and ' " Sin^e Macedonian dominion became paramount (observes Dem ^the- nes, Dc Corona, p. 331), jEschines and men of his stamp are in full ascend ency and affluence — I am impotent: there is no place at Athens for free citizens and counsellors, but only for men who do what they are ordered, and flatter the ruling potentate."
 * Arrian, i. 29, 8 » riutarch, Phokion, 30.