Page:History of Greece Vol XII.djvu/78

 46 HISTORY OF GREECE. in whose cause alone they had incurred the wralh of the con« queror, Phokion on the other hand — silent at first, and rising only under constraint by special calls from the popular voice — • contended that there was not force enough to resist Alexander, and that the persons in question must be given up. He even made appeal to themselves individually, reminding them of the self-devotion of the daughters of Erechtheus, memorable in Attic legend — and calUng on them to surrender themselves volunta- rily for the purpose of perverting public calamity. He added, that he (Phokion) would rejoice to offer up either himself, or his best friend, if by such sacrifice he could save the city.* Lykurgus, one of the orators whose extradition was required, answered this speech of Phokion with vehemence and bitterness ; and the public sentunent went along with him, indignantly repu- diating Phokion's advice. By a resolute patriotism highly hon orable at this trying juncture, it was decreed that the persons demanded should not be surrendered.^ On the motion of Demades, an embassy was sent to Alexan- der, deprecating his wrath against the ten, and engaging to pun- ish them by judicial sentence, if any crime could be proved against them. Demades, who is said to have received from Demosthenes a bribe of five talents, undertook this mission. But Alexander was at first inexorable ; refusing even to hear the envoys, and persisting in his requisition. It was only by the intervention of a second embassy, headed by Phokion, that a remission of terms was obtained. Alexander was persuaded to withdraw his requisition, and to be satisfied with the banishment of Charidemus and Ephialtes, the two anti-Macedonian military leaders. Both of them accordingly, and seemingly other Athe- nians with them, passed into Asia, where they took service under Darius.^ ' Plutarch, Phokion, 9-17; Diodor. xvii. 15. " Diodor. xvii. 15. '0 d'e. djjfxoc tovtov firv (Phokion) toic riopv^oLt; e^c- jiaT^E, npoaavTuc ukovuv tovq ?Myovc. 3 Arrian, i. 10, 8; Diodor. xvii. 15; Plutarch, Phokion, 17 ; Justin, xi. 4; Deinarchus cont. Dcmosth. p. 26. Arrian states that the visit of Demades with nine other Athenian envoys to Alexander, occurred prior to the demand of Alexander for the extradi-