Page:History of Greece Vol XII.djvu/338

 30C mSTOKY OF GREECE. bly that there were 700 talents, and now you produce no more than half" — but the imputation wrapped up in these words against the probity of Demosthenes, is utterly groundless. Lastly, when the true amount was ascertained, to make report thereof Avas the duty of the officers of the treasury. Demos- thenes could only learn it from them ; and it might certainly be proper in him, though in no sense an impei-ative duty, to inform himself on the point, seeing that he had unconsciously helped to give publicity to a false statement. The true statement was given ; but we neither know by whom, nor how soon.^ Reviewing the facts known to us, therefore, we llnd them all tending to refute the charge against Demosthenes. This conclu- sion will certainly be sti'engthened by reading the accusatory speech composed by Deinarchus ; which is mere virulent invec- tive, barren of facts and evidentiary matter, and running over all the life of Demosthenes for the preceding twenty ye:«-s. Tliat the speech of Hyperides also was of the like desultoiy character, the remaining fragments indicate. Even the report made by the Areopagus contained no recital of facts — no justificatoiy mat- tei- — nothing except a specification of names with the sums for having made known beforehand, or prosecuted afterwards, the negligenco of the ordinary jailei-s. This is to make Demosthenes responsible for the performance of all tiie administrative duties of the city ; for the good con- duct of the treasurers and the jailers. We must recollect that Hyperides had been the loudest advocate of Ilar- palus, and had done all he could to induce the Athenians to adopt the cause of that exile against Alexander. One of the charges (already cited from his speech) against Demosthenes, is, that Demosthenes prevented this from being accomplished. Yet here is another charge from the same speaker, to the effect that Demosthenes did not keep Ilarpalus under eflfec- live custody for the sword of the Macedonian executioner ! The line of accusation taken by Hyperides is full of shameful incon- sistencies. 1 In the Life of Demosthenes (Plutarch. Vit. X Oiatt. p. 84C), the charge of corruption against him is made to rest chiefly on the fact, tliut he did cot make this communication to the people — koX 6iu tovto /n'/re top <ipj?- udv tCiv uvaKOftta^tvruv (lefirjvvKtjg f^'s tuv dfvXaaaovTuv aueXsiav, etc. The biography apud Photium seems to state it as if Demosthenes did not communicate the amount, at the time when he proposed the decree of seques- tration. This last statement we are enabled to contradict, from the tcsli* monj of Hyperides.