Page:History of Greece Vol XII.djvu/52

 20 HISTORY OF GREECE. the mover a prosecution under the Gi'aphe ParanomOn. Accord ingly, though intimating clearly that he thought the actual junc- ture (what it was, we do not know) suitable, he declined to incur such responsibility without seeing beforehand a mauilestation of public sentiment sufficient to give him hopes of a favorable verdict from the Dikastery. The motion Avas probably not made. But a speech so bold, even though not followed up by a motion, is in itself significant of the state of feeling in Greece during the months immediately following the Alexandrine con- vention. This harangue is only one among many delivered in the Athenian assembly, complaining of Macedonian supre- macy as exercised under the convention. It is plain that the acts of Macedonian officers were such as to furnish ample ground for complaint ; and the detention of all the trading ships coming out of the Euxine, shows us that even the subsistence of Athens and the islands had become more or less endangered. Though the Athenians resorted to no armed interference, their assembly at least afibrded a theatre where public protest could be raised and public sympathy manifested. It is probable too that at this time Demosthenes and the other anti-Macedonian speakers were encouraged by assurances and subsidies from Persia. Though the death of Philip, and the accession of an unti-ied youth of twenty, had led Darius to believe for the moment that all danger of Asiatic invasion was past, yet his apprehensions were now revived by Alexander's manifested energy, and by the renewal of the Grecian league under his supremacy.^ It was apparently during the spring of 335 B. c, that Darius sent money to sustain the anti-Macedo- nian party at Athens and elsewhere. .iEschines affirms, and Deinarchus afterwards repeats (both of them orators hostile to Demonthenes) — That about this time, Darius sent to Athens 300 talents, which the Athenian people refused, but which Demosthenes took, reserving however 70 talents out of the sum for his own private purse : That public inquiry was afterwards instituted on the subject. Yet nothing is alleged as having been made out ;- at least Demosthenes was neither condemned, nor ' Diodorus, xvii. 7.
 * ^iScliiiies adv. Ktcsiph p. 634 ; Deinarchus adv. Dcmostli. s. 11-19. ji