Page:History of Greece Vol XII.djvu/342

 310 HISTORY OF GREECE. ander sent Nicanor to the great Olympic festival held in this yeaTj with a formal letter or rescript, directing every Grecian city to recall all its citizens that were in exile, except such as were un- der the taint of impiety. The rescript, Avhich was publicly read at the festival by the herald who had gained the prize for loud- ness of voice, was heard Avith the utmost enthusiasm by 20,000 exiles, who had mustered there from intimations that such a step was intended. It ran thus : " King Alexander to the exiles out of the Grecian cities — We have not been authors of your banish- ment, but we will be authors of your restoration to your native cities. We have written to Antipater about this matter, direct- ing him to apply force to such cities as will not recall you of their own accord." ^ It is plain that many exiles had been pouring out their com- plaints and accusations before Alexander, and had found him a willinT auditor. But we do not know by what representations this i-escript had been procured. It would seem that Antipater had orders farther, to restrain or modify the confederacies of the Achaean and Arcadian cities ; ' and to enforce not merely recall of the exiles, but restitution of their properties.*^ That the imperial rescript was dictated by mistrust of the torn, of sentiment in the Grecian cities generally, and intended to fill each city with devoted partisans of Alexander — we cannot doubt. It was on his part a high-handed and sweeping exercise of sovereignty — setting aside the conditions under which he had been named leader of Greece — disdaining even to inquire into particular cases, and to attempt a distinction between just and unjust sentences — overruling in the mass the pohtical and ju- dicial authorities in every city. It proclaimed Avith bitter empha- sis the servitude of the hellenic world. Exiles restored under the coercive order of Alexander, were sure to look to Macedonia for support, to despise their own home authorities, and to fiU their respective cities Avith enfeebling discord. Most of the cities, not daring to resist, appear to have yielded a reluctant obedience ; but both the Athenians and ^tolians are said to have refused to 1 Diodor. xix. 8. 2 Sec the Fragments of IlypciiJes, p. 3G, cd. Babington. •* Curtius, X. 2, 6.