Page:History of Greece Vol XII.djvu/76

 44 HISTORY OF GREECE. repented of his own act, we may be sure that the h"ke repug- nance was felt still more strongly by others ; and we can under- stand the sentiment under which, a few years after his decease, the Macedonian Kassander, son . of Antipater, restored 1 he destroyed city. At the time, however, the effect produced by the desti-uction of Thebes was one of unmitigated terror throughout the Grecian cities. All of them sought to make their peace with the con- queror. The Arcadian contingent not only returned home from the Isthmus, but even condemned their leaders to death. The Eleians recalled their chief macedonizing citizens out of exile into ascendency at home. Each tribe of -^tolians sent envoys to Alexander, entreating forgiveness for the manifestations against him. At Athens, we read with surprise that on the very day when Thebes w^as assaulted and taken, the great festival of Eleusinian Demeter, with its multitudinous procession of votaries from Athens to Eleusis, was actually taking place, at a distance of two days' march from the besieged city. Most Theban fugi- tives who contrived to escape, fled to Attica as the nearest place of refuge, communicating to the Athenians their own distress and terror. The festival was forthwith suspended. Every one hur- ried within the walls of Athens,^ carrying with him his movable property into a state of security. Under the general alarm prevalent, that the conqneror would march directly into Attica, and under the hurry of preparation for defence, — the persons both most alarmed and most in real danger were, of course, Demosthenes, Lykurgus, Charidemus, and those others who had been loudest in speech against Macedonia, and had tried to pre- vail on the Athenians to espouse openly the cause of Tliebes. Yet notwithstanding such terror of consequences to themselves, the Athenians afforded shelter and sympathy to the miserable Theban fugitives. They continued to do this even when they must have known that they were contravening the edict of pro- scription just sanctioned by Alexander. tion of Thebes, the macedonizing orator at Athens describes it as a just; though deplorable penalty, brought by the Thebans upon themselves by reckless insanity of condact (-^Eschines adv. Ktesiph. p. 524) ' Arrian, i. 10, 4.