by Demosthenes
[318] For if he should accept the Phocians as allies, and with your help take the oath of friendship to them, he must at once violate the oaths he had already sworn to the Thessalians and the Thebans, with the latter of whom he had covenanted to help them in the subjugation of Boeotia, and with the former to restore their rights at the Amphictyonic Council. If, on the other hand, he was loth to accept them — and in fact the prospect did not please him — he expected that you would send troops to Thermopylae to stop his passage, as indeed you would have done if you had not been outwitted. In that event, he calculated that he would be unable to get through.
[319] καὶ τοῦτ᾽ οὐ παρ᾽ ἄλλων αὐτὸν ἔδει πυθέσθαι, ἀλλ᾽ αὐτὸς ὑπῆρχε μάρτυς ἑαυτῷ τοῦ πράγματος: ὅτε γὰρ Φωκέας ἐκράτησε τὸ πρῶτον καὶ διέφθειρε τοὺς ξένους αὐτῶν καὶ τὸν ἡγούμενον καὶ στρατηγοῦντ᾽ Ὀνόμαρχον, τότε τῶν ὄντων ἀνθρώπων ἁπάντων οὐδενός, οὔθ᾽ Ἕλληνος οὔτε βαρβάρου, Φωκεῦσι βοηθήσαντος πλὴν ὑμῶν, οὐχ ὅπως παρῆλθεν ἢ διεπράξαθ᾽ ὧν ἐβουλήθη τι παρελθών, ἀλλ᾽ οὐδὲ προσελθεῖν ἐγγὺς ἐδυνήθη.
[319] He did not need any information from others to reach that conclusion. He was himself a sufficient witness, for, after his first defeat of the Phocians and the overthrow of their leader and commander Onomarchus, although no one in the whole world, Greek or barbarian, sent aid to them save you alone, so far from getting through Thermopylae, or accomplishing any of the purposes of the passage, he had been unable even to approach the pass.
[320] ᾔδει δὴ σαφῶς, οἶμαι, τοῦθ᾽ ὅτι νῦν, ἡνίκ᾽ ἐστασίαζε μὲν αὐτῷ τὰ Θετταλῶν, καὶ Φεραῖοι πρῶτον οὐ συνηκολούθουν, ἐκρατοῦντο δὲ Θηβαῖοι καὶ μάχην ἥττηντο καὶ τρόπαιον ἀπ᾽ αὐτῶν εἱστήκει, οὐκ ἔνεστι παρελθεῖν, εἰ βοηθήσεθ᾽ ὑμεῖς, οὐδ᾽, ἂν ἐπιχειρῇ, χαιρήσει, εἰ μή τις τέχνη προσγενήσεται. πῶς οὖν μήτε ψεύσωμαι φανερῶς, μήτ᾽ ἐπιορκεῖν δόξας πάνθ᾽ ἃ βούλομαι διαπράξωμαι; πῶς; οὕτως, ἂν Ἀθηναίων τινὰς εὕρω τοὺς Ἀθηναίους ἐξαπατήσοντας: ταύτης γὰρ οὐκέτ᾽ ἐγὼ τῆς αἰσχύνης κληρονομῶ.
[320] I take it he was perfectly well aware that now, with Thessaly at variance with him — the Pheraeans, for example, refusing to join his following — with the Thebans getting the worst of the war, defeated in an engagement, and a trophy erected at their expense, he would be unable to force the passage if you sent troops to Thermopylae, and that he could not even make the attempt without serious loss unless he should also resort to some trickery. “How, then,” he thought, “shall I escape open falsehood, and attain all my objects without incurring the charge of perjury? Only if I can find Athenians to hood-wink the Athenian people, for then I shall have no share in the ensuing dishonor.”
[321] ἐντεῦθεν οἱ μὲν παρ᾽ ἐκείνου πρέσβεις προὔλεγον ὑμῖν ὅτι Φωκέας οὐ προσδέχεται Φίλιππος συμμάχους, οὗτοι δ᾽ ἐκδεχόμενοι τοιαῦτ᾽ ἐδημηγόρουν, ὡς φανερῶς μὲν οὐχὶ καλῶς ἔχει τῷ Φιλίππῳ προσδέξασθαι τοὺς Φωκέας συμμάχους διὰ τοὺς Θηβαίους καὶ τοὺς Θετταλούς, ἂν δὲ γένηται τῶν πραγμάτων κύριος καὶ τῆς εἰρήνης τύχῃ, ἅπερ ἂν συνθέσθαι νῦν ἀξιώσαιμεν αὐτόν, ταῦτα ποιήσει τότε.
[321] Accordingly his envoys warned you that he would not accept the Phocian alliance, but then Aeschines and his friends, taking up the tale, assured the people that, although for the sake of the Thebans and the Thessalians Philip could not with decency accept the alliance, yet if he should become master of the situation, and get his peace, he would thereafter do exactly what we should now ask him to agree to.
[322] τὴν μὲν τοίνυν εἰρήνην ταύταις ταῖς ἐλπίσι καὶ ταῖς ἐπαγωγαῖς εὕροντο παρ᾽ ὑμῶν ἄνευ Φωκέων: τὴν δὲ βοήθειαν ἔδει κωλῦσαι τὴν εἰς τὰς Πύλας, ἐφ᾽ ἣν αἱ πεντήκοντα τριήρεις ὅμως ἐφώρμουν, ἵν᾽, εἰ πορεύοιτο Φίλιππος, κωλύοιθ᾽ ὑμεῖς. πῶς οὖν;
[322] So on the strength of these expectations and inducements he obtained his peace, with the Phocians excluded; but it was still necessary to stop the reinforcement of Thermopylae, for which fifty war-galleys were lying at anchor to enable you to check Philip’s advance.
[323] τίς τέχνη πάλιν αὖ γενήσεται περὶ ταύτης; τοὺς χρόνους ὑμῶν ἀφελέσθαι καὶ ἐπιστῆσαι τὰ πράγματ᾽ ἀγαγόντας ἄφνω, ἵνα μηδ᾽ ἂν βούλησθε δύνησθ᾽ ἐξελθεῖν. οὐκοῦν τοῦθ᾽ οὗτοι πράττοντες φαίνονται, ἐγὼ δ᾽, ὥσπερ ἀκηκόατ᾽ ἤδη πολλάκις, οὐχὶ δυνηθεὶς προαπελθεῖν, ἀλλὰ καὶ μισθωσάμενος πλοῖον κατακωλυθεὶς ἐκπλεῦσαι.
[323] How could it be done? What new artifice could he invent for that purpose? Someone must filch your opportunities of action, and surprise you with an unexpected crisis, so that you might lose the power, if not the will, of sending the expedition. That, then, was clearly what these men undertook. As you have often heard, I was unable to get away in time; I had chartered a ship, but was prevented from sailing.
[324] ἀλλὰ καὶ πιστεῦσαι Φωκέας ἔδει Φιλίππῳ καὶ ἑκόντας ἑαυτοὺς ἐνδοῦναι, ἵνα μηδεὶς χρόνος ἐγγένηται τοῖς πράγμασι μηδ᾽ ἐναντίον ἔλθῃ ψήφισμα παρ᾽ ὑμῶν μηδέν. οὐκοῦν ὡς μὲν οἱ Φωκεῖς σωθήσονται, παρὰ τῶν Ἀθηναίων πρέσβεων ἀπαγγελθήσεται, ὥστε καὶ εἴ τις ἐμοὶ διαπιστεῖ, τούτοις πιστεύσας αὑτὸν ἐγχειριεῖ: τοὺς δ᾽ Ἀθηναίους αὐτοὺς μεταπεμψόμεθ᾽ ἡμεῖς, ἵνα πάνθ᾽, ὅσ᾽ ἂν βούλωνται, νομίσαντες ὑπάρχειν σφίσι μηδὲν ἐναντίον ψηφίσωνται: οὗτοι δὲ τοιαῦτ᾽ ἀπαγγελοῦσι παρ᾽ ἡμῶν καὶ ὑποσχήσονται ἐξ ὧν μηδ᾽ ἂν ὁτιοῦν ᾖ κινηθήσονται.
[324] But it was further necessary that the Phocians should acquire confidence in Philip and make a voluntary surrender, so that no delay should intervene, and no unfriendly resolution come to hand from you. “Very well,” thought Philip, “a report shall be made by the Athenian ambassadors that the Phocians are to be protected; and so, though they persist in mistrusting me, they will deliver themselves into my hands through confidence in the Athenians. We will enlist the sympathy of the Athenian people in the hope that, supposing themselves to have got everything they want, they will pass no obstructive resolution. These men shall carry from us such flattering reports and assurances that, whatsoever may befall, they will make no movement.”
[325] τοῦτον τὸν τρόπον καὶ τοιαύταις τέχναις ὑπὸ τῶν κάκιστ᾽ ἀπολουμένων ἀνθρώπων πάντα τὰ πράγματ᾽ ἀπώλετο. καὶ γάρ τοι παραχρῆμα, ἀντὶ μὲν τοῦ Θεσπιὰς καὶ Πλαταιὰς ἰδεῖν οἰκιζομένας, Ὀρχομενὸν καὶ Κορώνειαν ἠκούσατ᾽ ἠνδραποδισμέ
νας, ἀντὶ δὲ τοῦ τὰς Θήβας ταπεινὰς γενέσθαι καὶ περιαιρεθῆναι τὴν ὕβριν καὶ τὸ φρόνημα αὐτῶν, τὰ τῶν συμμάχων τῶν ὑμετέρων Φωκέων τείχη κατεσκάπτετο: Θηβαῖοι δ᾽ ἦσαν οἱ κατασκάπτοντες, οἱ διοικισθέντες ὑπ᾽ Αἰσχίνου τῷ λόγῳ.
[325] In this manner and by the aid of this artifice our ruin was accomplished by men themselves doomed to perdition. For at once, instead of witnessing the restoration of Thespiae and Plataea, you heard of the enslavement of Orchomenus and Coronea. Instead of the humiliation of Thebes and the abasement of her pride and insolence, the walls of your own allies the Phocians were demolished, and demolished by those very Thebans whom Aeschines in his speech had sent to live in scattered villages.
[326] ἀντὶ δὲ τοῦ τὴν Εὔβοιαν ἀντ᾽ Ἀμφιπόλεως ὑμῖν παραδοθῆναι, ὁρμητήρι᾽ ἐφ᾽ ὑμᾶς ἐν Εὐβοίᾳ Φίλιππος προσκατασκευάζεται καὶ Γεραιστῷ καὶ Μεγάροις ἐπιβουλεύων διατελεῖ. ἀντὶ δὲ τοῦ τὸν Ὠρωπὸν ὑμῖν ἀποδοθῆναι, περὶ Δρυμοῦ καὶ τῆς πρὸς Πανάκτῳ χώρας μεθ᾽ ὅπλων ἐξερχόμεθα, ὅ, τέως ἦσαν Φωκεῖς σῷοι, οὐδεπώποτ᾽ ἐποιήσαμεν.
[326] Instead of the surrender to you of Euboea in exchange for Amphipolis, Philip is establishing positions in Euboea as a base of attack upon you, and is constantly plotting against Geraestus and Megara. Instead of recovering Oropus, we are making an armed expedition to secure Drymus and the district of Panactus, an operation in which we never engaged so long as the Phocians were safe.
[327] ἀντὶ δὲ τοῦ τὰ πάτρι᾽ ἐν τῷ ἱερῷ κατασταθῆναι καὶ τὰ χρήματ᾽ εἰσπραχθῆναι τῷ θεῷ, οἱ μὲν ὄντες Ἀμφικτύονες φεύγουσι καὶ ἐξελήλανται, καὶ ἀνάστατος αὐτῶν ἡ χώρα γέγονεν, οἱ δ᾽ οὐπώποτ᾽ ἐν τῷ πρόσθεν χρόνῳ γενόμενοι Μακεδόνες καὶ βάρβαροι, νῦν Ἀμφικτύονες εἶναι βιάζονται: ἐὰν δέ τις περὶ τῶν ἱερῶν χρημάτων μνησθῇ, κατακρημνίζεται, ἡ πόλις δὲ τὴν προμαντείαν ἀφῄρηται.
[327] Instead of the re-establishment of ancient rites in the Temple of Apollo, and the restitution of treasure to the god, men who were once Amphictyons are fugitives and exiles, and men who never in all former time were members of it, Macedonians and barbarians, are now forcing their way into the Amphictyonic Council. If anyone says a word about the sacred treasure, he is thrown down the precipice; and Athens is robbed of her precedence in the consultation of the Oracle.
[328] καὶ γέγονεν τὰ πράγματα πάνθ᾽ ὥσπερ αἴνιγμα τῇ πόλει. ὁ μὲν οὐδὲν ἔψευσται καὶ πάνθ᾽ ὅσ᾽ ἐβουλήθη διαπέπρακται, ὑμεῖς δ᾽ ἅπερ εὔξαισθ᾽ ἂν ἐλπίσαντες, τἀναντία τούτων ἑοράκατε γιγνόμενα, καὶ δοκεῖτε μὲν εἰρήνην ἄγειν, πεπόνθατε δὲ δεινότερ᾽ ἢ πολεμοῦντες: οὗτοι δὲ χρήματ᾽ ἔχουσιν ἐπὶ τούτοις καὶ μέχρι τῆς τήμερον ἡμέρας δίκην οὐ δεδώκασιν.
[328] To Athens the whole business is an insoluble puzzle. Philip has escaped falsehood, and has accomplished all his purposes, while you, after expecting the complete fulfilment, have witnessed the entire disappointment, of your desires. You are nominally at peace; yet peace has brought you greater calamities than war. Meantime these men have made money by your misfortunes, and until today have never been brought to justice.
[329] ὅτι γὰρ ταῦθ᾽ ἁπλῶς δεδωροδόκηται καὶ τιμὴν ἔχουσιν ἁπάντων τούτων οὗτοι, πολλαχόθεν μὲν ἔγωγ᾽ οἶμαι δῆλον ὑμῖν εἶναι πάλαι, καὶ δέδοικα μὴ τοὐναντίον οὗ βούλομαι ποιῶ, σφόδρ᾽ ἀκριβῶς δεικνύναι πειρώμενος διοχλῶ πάλαι τοῦτ᾽ αὐτοὺς ὑμᾶς εἰδότας: ὅμως δ᾽ ἔτι καὶ τόδ᾽ ἀκούσατε.
[329] That they have done it all for bribes, and that they have the price of their perfidy in their pockets, has, I suppose, long ago been manifest to you for many reasons; and I am afraid that, contrary to my desire, I may be wearying you by submitting detailed proofs of facts well known to you.
[330] ἔσθ᾽ ὅντιν᾽ ὑμεῖς, ὦ ἄνδρες δικασταί, τῶν πρέσβεων ὧν ἔπεμψε Φίλιππος χαλκοῦν στήσαιτ᾽ ἂν ἐν ἀγορᾷ; τί δέ; δοίητ᾽ ἂν ἐν πρυτανείῳ σίτησιν ἢ ἄλλην τινὰ δωρειάν, αἷς τιμᾶτε τοὺς εὐεργέτας; ἐγὼ μὲν οὐκ οἶμαι. διὰ τί; （οὔτε γὰρ ὑμεῖς γ᾽ ἀχάριστοί ἐστ᾽ οὔτ᾽ ἄδικοι ἄνθρωποι οὔτε κακοί.） ὅτι πάνθ᾽ ὑπὲρ Φιλίππου καὶ οὐδ᾽ ὁτιοῦν ὑπὲρ ὑμῶν ἔπραξαν, εἴποιτ᾽ ἄν, καὶ ἀληθῆ καὶ δίκαια.
[330] However, I must ask you to listen to one more argument. Gentlemen of the jury, would you set up in the market-place a statue of any of the ambassadors whom Philip sent? Or would you give to them free maintenance in the Town Hall, or any of the other privileges with which you reward your benefactors? Surely not; but why not? For in you there is no lack of gratitude or justice or kindness. It is, you will say — and it is a fair and honest reply — because they did everything for Philip and nothing for us.
[331] εἶτ᾽ οἴεσθ᾽ ὑμεῖς μὲν οὕτω γιγνώσκειν, τὸν δὲ Φίλιππον οὐχ οὕτω, ἀλλὰ τούτοις διδόναι τηλικαύτας καὶ τοσαύτας δωρειὰς διότι ὑπὲρ ὑμῶν καλῶς καὶ δικαίως ἐπρέσβευσαν; οὐκ ἔστι ταῦτα. τὸν γὰρ Ἡγήσιππον ὁρᾶτε καὶ τοὺς μετ᾽ αὐτοῦ πρέσβεις πῶς ἐδέξατο. τὰ μὲν ἄλλα σιωπῶ, ἀλλὰ Ξενοκλείδην τουτονὶ τὸν ποιητὴν ἐξεκήρυξεν, ὅτι αὐτοὺς ὑπεδέξατο πολίτας ὄντας. τοῖς μὲν γὰρ ὑπὲρ ὑμῶν λέγουσι δικαίως ὅσ᾽ ἂν φρονῶσι τοῦτον τὸν τρόπον προσφέρεται, τοῖς δὲ πεπρακόσιν αὑτοὺς ὡς τούτοις. ταῦτ᾽ οὖν μαρτύρων, ταῦτ᾽ ἐλέγχων τινῶν ἔτι δεῖται μειζόνων; ταῦτ᾽ ἀφαιρήσεταί τις ὑμῶν;
[331] Then do you suppose that Philip acts on an entirely different principle from yours, and gives all those handsome presents to Aeschines and his friends because they conducted their mission duly and honestly in your interest? That is not so. You have observed the reception he gave to the envoy Hegesippus and his colleagues. Not to mention other details, he banished by proclamation the Athenian poet Xenocleides for offering them hospitality as fellow-citizens. Such is his behavior towards your representatives when they honestly speak out what they think; those who have sold themselves he treats as he treated Aeschines and his friends. My argument requires no other witnesses and no stronger proofs; nor can anyone erase these proofs from your minds.
[332] εἶπε τοίνυν μοί τις ἄρτι προσελθὼν πρὸ τοῦ δικαστηρίου πρᾶγμα καινότατον πάντων, Χάρητος κατηγορεῖν αὐτὸν παρεσκευάσθαι, καὶ διὰ τούτου τοῦ τρόπου καὶ τούτων τῶν λόγων ἐξαπατήσειν ὑμᾶς ἐλπίζειν. ἐγὼ δ᾽ ὅτι μὲν πάντα τρόπον κρινόμενος Χάρη
ς εὕρηται πιστῶς καὶ εὐνοϊκῶς, ὅσον ἦν ἐπ᾽ ἐκείνῳ, πράττων ὑπὲρ ὑμῶν, διὰ τοὺς δ᾽ ἐπὶ χρήμασι λυμαινομένους τοῖς πράγμασι πολλῶν ὑστερῶν, οὐ σφόδρ᾽ ἰσχυρίζομαι, ἀλλ᾽ ὑπερβολὴν ποιήσομαι: ἔστω γὰρ πάντ᾽ ἀληθῆ λέξειν περὶ αὐτοῦ τουτονί. καὶ οὕτω τοίνυν κομιδῇ γέλως ἐστὶ κατηγορεῖν ἐκείνου τουτονί.
[332] Some one came up to me just now in front of the court, and told me a very odd thing. Aeschines, he said, had prepared himself to denounce the general Chares, hoping to cajole you by his eloquent treatment of that topic. I will not lay too much stress on the observation that, whenever Chares has been brought to trial, he has been found to have acted faithfully and loyally, so far as in him lay, in your interests, though he has often failed of success by the fault of the people who do mischief for money. I will go so far as to grant for argument’s sake that every word Aeschines will utter against him is true. But even on that assumption it is absolutely ridiculous that a man in Chares’ position should be denounced by a man like Aeschines.