DEMOSTHENES. 



61, 



■Bsmosthe- cultivated connection with that power. An embassy to 

 " e ^ the Persian court, on his motion, was decreed, and, un- 

 Y der his able direction, was successful. A considerable 



subsidy of money was obtained from Persia. Specula- 

 tions in Thrace next engaged his attention. An ines- 

 timable object for Athens, was to gain the important 

 town of Byzantium, (the site of modern Constantinople,) 

 commanding the commerce of the Euxine Sea. Philip 

 was at this time implicated in a war with Scythia ; and 

 the new connection with Persia, could not but give 

 Athens importance in the eyes of the Byzantines, among 

 whom the adverse parties in the interests of Macedon 

 and Athens were still doubtfully balanced. The ob- 

 ject of gaining Byzantium appeared so important to De- 

 mosthenes, as to induce him to leave the Athenian peo- 

 ple, for a time, to the impression of the eloquence of 

 others, while he undertook himself an embassy to 

 Thrace. In proposing his new system of liberal al- 

 liance, he seems to have had the concurrence of the par- 

 ty of Phocion. His success evidently was great. In 

 Perynthus, Selymbria, and Byzantium, a preponderance 

 was given to the Athenian party, and between alliance 

 with Athens, and war with Macedonia, the transition 

 was short. Philip returning from his Scythian cam- 

 paign, immediately began the reduction of the Thra- 

 cian cities which had abjured his authority, and among 

 these to Perynthus. The fall of this place was delayed 

 by the interposition of Persia, who, alarmed at the pro- 

 gress of Philip's arms, sent directions to the governors 

 of the maritime places, to supply the besieged city with 

 every kind of assistance ; while the Byzantines sent in- 

 to the city the flower of their youth, with all the neces- 

 saries for an obstinate defence. The Perynthians then 

 reinforced, were, however, still dependent on the suc- 

 cours of Athens, in whose cause and alliance they con- 

 sidered themselves as suffering. On this occasion, De- 

 mosthenes delivered his fourth Philippic, which, in 

 point of argument, is a concentrated repetition of all 

 that could be urged for a war with Philip, but which 

 is animated with an increased confidence in the power 

 of his party, and in the revival of his own favour with 

 a majority of the people. 



It is impossible to deny Demosthenes the praise of 

 vigour and activity, in bringing affairs to this crisis ; 

 but his connexion with the high democratical party, 

 while it served his purpose of guiding the popular will 

 to decisive hostilities, unhappily involved him in a fatal 

 error with regard to military events. The expedition 

 ■to relieve the Thracian cities, was consigned to Chares, 

 who, without reputation to insure the confidence of his 

 allies, or conduct to deserve it, wandered along the 

 coasts, extorting contributions, and feared by all his 

 enemies, till he was defeated by the admiral of Philip, 

 and lost the greater part of his fleet. In the mean time, 

 before Avar was formally declared on either side, Philip 

 addressed a remonstrance to the Athenians, in the shape 

 -of a letter, which is still preserved, and is one of the 

 most valuable state papers of antiquity, singularly com- 

 bining dignity with simplicity, perspicuity with con- 

 ciseness, civility and moderation of expression with 

 force of argument. On the subject of this letter, De- 

 mosthenes delivered another oration, in which he avoids, 

 with singular art, to enter on the facts of Philip's ex- 

 position, — affects to consider the letter as an open de- 

 claration of war, — inflames the imaginations of his hear- 

 ers with this idea, and speaks only of the means to sup- 

 port their arms against so powerful en enemy. 



When Philip had assembled an army for the inva- 

 sion of Attica, Demosthenes put himself at the bead of 



an embassy to persuade the Boeotians to take part against D-.-most he • 

 him, and by the force of his eloquence, he succeeded, " Cl " , 

 notwithstanding the efforts of Python, an orator of great " 



fame, who was Philip's advocate on the occasion. His 

 triumph, however, met with a severe check, from Phi- 

 lip's subsequent victory over the combined forces at 

 Cheronea, where the orator betrayed a great want of 

 personal courage. It may be but fair charity to the 

 memory of Demosthenes to recollect a similar instance 

 of cowardice in a hero, who afterwards filled the world 

 with his military fame. The great Frederick of Prussia 

 is known to have fled in the first engagement which he 

 ever fought. His opponents at Athens brought De- 

 mosthenes to trial for this behaviour ; but the people . 

 acquitted him, and he was appointed to pronounce the 

 funeral harangue of those who fell at Cheronea. 



The death of Philip opened to Athens a false hope of 

 returning power and security; and Demosthenes ap- 

 peared on the occasion with a garland on his head,, 

 though he had but a few days before lost his daughter. 

 A new league was formed, chiefly by his influence, 

 among the states of Greece ; but the. terrible chastise- 

 ment which Alexander inflicted on Thebes, broke the 

 courage of the confederacy ; and the Athenians found 

 it necessary to send an embassy to the conqueror, m 

 which Demosthenes at first proposed to take a share, 

 but his apprehensions caused him to turn bad: upon 

 the road. Alexander required him to be delivered up 

 among the other orators ,• but Demades pacified the king 

 without this sacrifice. Demosthenes having displayed 

 his patriotism by rebuilding the walls of Athens at his 

 own expence, was recompensed by a crown of gold, 

 which was decreed to him. On the decline of his in- 

 fluence, .ZEschines brought an accusation against him on 

 this subject, which occasioned a solemn trial, and the 

 delivering of his celebrated oration on the crown. Some 

 tune after this triumph, occurred the most discreditable 

 anecdote, if it can be believed, which the life of this 

 great man presents. Harpalus, a discarded favourite of 

 Alexander, had fled with his treasures to Athens, where 

 he bribed the orators, and laboured to gain the protec- 

 tion of the state. Demosthenes, at first, urged his coun- 

 trymen to avoid the danger of entertaining such a guest, 

 and instigated an inquiry into Harpalus's treasures. In 

 looking over them, however, the sight of a golden cup 

 of exquisite workmanship, is said to have struck his cu- 

 pidity, which he privately accepted from Harpalus, and 

 appeared next day in the assembly with his throat wrapt 

 in wool, as if he had a quinsy, to excuse himself from 

 speaking. Some jests were passed, but more serious 

 consequences ensued ; for, on Demosthenes insisting on 

 the matter being brought to a trial, he was found guil- 

 ty by the Areopagus, and sentenced to a fine of fifty ta- 

 lents. It should be mentioned in behalf of Demost- 

 henes, that Pausanias vindicates his innocence, and 

 mentions, as a proof of it, that an authentic account was 

 sent to Athens after the death of Harpalus, of all the 

 sums distributed by him in this city, and of the per- 

 sons to whom each sum was paid, and that no mention 

 was at all made of Demosthenes ; though Philoxenus, 

 who procured the account, as well as Alexander who 

 received it, were both the personal enemies of Demost- 

 henes. Amidst the corruption and degeneracy of 

 Athens, the sentence of the Areopagus itself ceases to 

 be a decisive proof of guilt, since Dhiarchus, the accu- 

 ser of Demosthenes on this occasion, speaks expressly 

 of a case in which one of its judges had been corrupt- 

 ed. Unable to pay this fine, he was imprisoned, but 

 escaped from confinement, and passed, some time in a 



