Page:History of Greece Vol XII.djvu/344

 312 HISTORY OF GREECE. by Macedonian dominion. The imperial military force resem- bled the gigantic Polyphemus after his eye had been blinded by Odysseus : ^ Alexander had left no competent heir, nor did any one imagine that his vast empire could be kept together in effec- tive unity by other hand ^ Antipater in Macedonia was threat- ened with the defection of various subject neighbors.^ No sooner was the death of Alexander indisputably certified, than the anti-Macedonian leaders in Athens vehemently instiga- ted the people to declare themselves first champions of Hellenic freedom, and to organize a confederacy throughout Greece for that object. Demosthenes was then in exile ; but Leosthenes, Hyperides and other oratoi's of the same party, found themselves able to kindle in their countrymen a strenuous feeling and deter- mination, in spite of decided opposition on the part of Phokion. and his partisans.^ The rich men for the most part took the side of Phokion, but the mass of the citizens were fired by the ani- mating recollection of their ancestors and by the hopes of recon- quering Grecian freedom. A vote Avas passed, publicly pro- claiming their resolution to that effect. It was decreed that 200 quadriremes, and 40 triremes should be equipped; that all Athenians under 40 years of age should be in military requisi- tion ; and that envoys should be sent round to the various Gre- cian cities, earnestly invoking then* alliance in the Avork of self- emancipation.* Phokion, though a pronounced opponent of such ' A striking comparison made by the orator Demades (Plntarcli, Apophthegm p. 181 ). short extracts of two speeches, seemingly composed by that author in his history of these transactions; one which he ascribes to Hyperides insti- gating the war, tlic other to Phokion, against it (Fragm. Hist. Graec. vol iii. p. 668). lian treasures to the aid of Leosthenes. He seems to fancy that Harpalus had brought to Athens all the 5000 talents which he had carried away from Asia ; but it is certain, that no more than 700 or 720 talents were declared by Harpalus in the Athenian assembly — and of these only half were really forthcoming. Moreover, Diodorus is not consistent with himself, when he says afterwards (xviii. 19) that Thimbron, who killed Harpalus in Krete, got possession of the Harpalian treasures and mercenaries, ard carried tiicm over to Kvrcne in Africa.
 * See Frontinus, Stratagem, ii. 11, 4.
 * Plutarch, Phokion. 23. In the Fragments of Dexippus, tiicrc appear
 * Diodor. xviii. 10. Diodorus states that the Athenians sent the Ilarpa-