Page:History of Greece Vol XII.djvu/359

 DEATH OF DEMOSTHENES. 327 na, where he seized the three Athenian orators — Hyperides, Aristonikus, and Himerteus — dragging them out of the sanctu- ary of the ^akeion or cliapel of ^akus. They were all sent as prisoners to Antipater, who had by this time marched forward with his army to Corinth and Kleonae in Peloponnesus. All were there put to death, by his order. It is even said, and on respectable authority, that the tongue of Hyperides was cut out before he was slain ; according to another statement, he himself bit it out — being put to the torture, and resolving to make reve- lation of secrets impossible. Respecting the details of his death, there were several different stories.^ Having conducted these prisoners to Antipater, Archias pro- ceeded with his Thracians to Kalauria in search of Demosthenes. The temple of Poseidon there situated, in which the orator had taken sanctuary, was held in such high veneration, that Archias, hesitating to drag him out by force, tried to persuade him to come forth voluntarily, under promise that lie should sutler no harm. But Demosthenes, well aware of the fate which awaited him, swallowed poison in the temple, and when the dose was be- ginning to take effect, came out of the sacred gi'ound, expiring immediately after he had passed the boundary. The accompany- ing circumstances were recounted in several different ways.^ Eratosthenes (to whose authority I lean) affirmed that Demos- thenes carried the poison in a ring round his arm ; others said that it was suspended in a linen bag round his neck ; according to a third story, it was contained in a writing-quill, which he was seen to bite and suck, while composing a last letter to Antipater. Amidst these contradictory details, we can only affirm as certain, ' riutarcli, Demosth. 28; PluUrcli, Vit. X. Orat. p. S49 ; Pliotius, p. 496. '■^ Plutarch, Demosth. 30. rwy 6' uX^uv, oaot, jeyptKJiaGi tl Tiepl avroC, ■K afiTz oWol c5' el at, tuc Siacpopug ovk uvayKalov iKe^EX^elv, etc. The taunts on Archias's profession, as an actor, and as an indifferent actor, which Plutarch puts into the mouth of Demosthenes (c. 29), appear to mc not worthy either of the man or of the occasion ; nor are they suffi- ciently avouched to induce me to transcribe them. Whatever bitterness of spirit Demosthenes might choose to manifest, at such a moment, would Burely be vented m the chief enemy, Antipater; not upon (he mere instru- ment.