Page:The American Cyclopædia (1879) Volume V.djvu/803

 DEMOSTHENES 799 crians of Amphissa for having sacrilegiously j occupied lands belonging to the temple. The Araphissians forcibly resisted the execution of the decree, and an extraordinary meeting of the amphictyons was summoned to consider what should be done. Demosthenes, foresee- ing the evil consequences likely to result, per- suaded the Athenians to send no deputies to the meeting. The assembly met, declared war against the Amphissians, and placed Cotty- phus, an Arcadian commander, at the head of the amphictyonic forces. But the underta- king failed, and in the following year the parti- sans of Philip were sufficiently powerful to ap- point him in place of Cottyphus, which gave him the desired opportunity of marching with a strong force into the heart of Greece. He occupied at once the important post of Elatea. The news, arriving at evening, caused the greatest alarm at Athens. An assembly was called early the next morning, and all business was suspended in the Agora. In the midst of the universal dismay Demosthenes toot the bema, and in a powerful speech, the substance of which he recapitulates in the oration on the crown (Tlepi 2r0avov), advocated an alliance with Thebes. The proposal was carried with- out a dissenting voice, and Demosthenes at once went to Thebes as head of the embassy. The alliance was concluded, and the united armies marched northward to encounter Philip. The great defeat of Chaeronea (338) overturned the hopes of the patriotic party. Yet Demosthenes so retained the confidence of the country that the people appointed him to deliver the funeral oration over the remains of those who had fallen, and charged him with the duty of super- intending the fortification of the city, in antici- pation of an immediate attack. But his ene- mies seized the opportunity of assailing him by every form the laws of Athens allowed, and he was daily harassed by their opposition. To put an end to this, and to test the strength of public feeling in favor of the great orator, Ctesiphon, a political friend, not otherwise known to history, introduced into the senate a resolution to confer a golden crown on De- mosthenes as a suitable acknowledgment for his patriotic spirit and his public services. Before the proposition could become a law, it was necessary to pass it through the popular assembly, and in the interval any citizen might prosecute the author of it by an action called ypafyrj 7rapav6[j.uv, or indictment for illegal prop- ositions. ^Eschines accordingly prosecuted Ctesiphon. Technically the accused party was Ctesiphon, but in reality Demosthenes was put on trial for the whole of his political life. For some reason, not clearly explained, the trial was postponed eight years, and finally was held in 330. Demosthenes appeared in the formal character of counsel for Ctesiphon, but in reality in his own defence. The ora- tions delivered by the rival statesmen were elaborated to the highest point of their abili- ties, and must be considered their inaster- 256 VOL. v. 51 pieces ; but Demosthenes, in force and cogency of argument, in severity of invective, in lofti- ness of ethical spirit, and in ardent patriotism, far surpassed ^Eschines. The result was re- markable. ^Eschines exposed himself to the penalties of malicious prosecution, inasmuch as he failed to obtain a fifth part of the votes. In consequence of this he left Athens, and never returned. King Philip was assassinated in 336, two years after the battle of Chseronea, and six years before the trial on the crown. This event led Demosthenes to renew his efforts to unite the Grecian states against Macedon ; but the unexpected vigor of Alex- ander put an end to his hopes. An embassy, in which Demosthenes was included, was sent from Athens to sue for peace*. After proceed- ing part of the way, his feelings overcame him, and he returned. A false report of the death of Alexander caused another rising among the Greeks, and Demosthenes at his own expense sent a supply of arms to Thebes, the only state which showed energy in the movement. But Alexander suddenly appeared before that city, and completely subdued the spirit of the people by levelling to the ground its walls and all its buildings except the house of Pindar (335). Soon afterward Alexander started on his Asi- atic expedition, having appointed Antipater regent of Macedon during his absence. After the conquest of Persia, Harpalus had been left by Alexander in charge of immense treasures at Babylon, while he prosecuted his victorious march to India. He proved faithless, and came to Athens in 325 for the purpose of se- curing the protection of the city. The Mace- donian regent demanded the surrender of the fugitive, and the trial of the popular leaders who were accused of having accepted his bribes. Demosthenes, being among the orators thus implicated, voluntarily offered himself for trial. Although there was no trustworthy evidence against him, so great was the influence of the Macedonian faction that he was declared guilty and thrown into prison ; from which, however, he escaped, it is said, with the con- nivance of the magistrates, and went into exile, passing his time partly at Troezen and partly in ^Egina, gazing daily upon the shores of his native land. When the news of Alexan- der's death (323) arrived, the Greeks made a fresh effort to throw off the Macedonian yoke. Demosthenes joined the ambassadors sent from Athens to the several states, and again put forth all the power of his eloquence. Demon, a relative, now proposed a decree recalling him from exile. He was brought from J2gina in a public ship, and was met on landing at the Piraaus by crowds of Athenian citizens and the principal magistrates, who welcomed him with enthusiastic demonstrations of joy. He pro- nounced it the happiest day of his life. But the battle of Cranon (322) and the desertion of the common cause by the confederate states, one after another, left Athens to contend sin- gle-handed with Antipater, who marched upon