Page:History of Greece Vol X.djvu/176

154 HISTORY OB' GREECE. not surprised to learn that Timotheus was acquitted. His treasu- rer Antimachus, not tried by the same dikastery, and doubtless not so powerfully befriended, was less fortunate. He was con- demned to death, and his property confiscated ; the dikastery doubtless believing (on what evidence we do not know) that he had been guilty of fraud in dealing with the public money, which had caused serious injury at a most important crisis. Under the cir- cumstances of the case, he was held responsible as treasurer, for the pecuniary department of the money-levying command confided to Timotheus by the people. As to the military conduct, for which Timotheus himself would be personally accountable, we can only remark that having been invested with the command for the special purpose of relieving the besieged Korkyra, he appears to have devoted an unreasonable length of time to his own self-originated cruise elsewhere ; though such cruise was in itself beneficial to Athens ; insomuch that if Korkyra had really been taken, the people would have had good reason for imputing the misfortune to his delay. 1 And although 1 The narrative here given of the events of 373 B. c., so far as they con- cern Timotheus and Iphikratcs, appears to me the only way of satisfying the exigencies of the case, and following the statements of Xenophon and Demosthenes. Schneider in his note, indeed, implies, and Rehdantz (Vitae Iphicratis, etc. p. 86) contends, that Iphikrates did not take command of the fleet, nor depart from Athens, until after the trial of Timotheus. There are some expressions in the oration of Demosthenes, which might seem to counte- nance this supposition ; but it will be found hardly admissible, if we atten- tively study the series of facts. 1. Mnasippus arrived with his armament at Korkyra, and began the siege, either before April, or at the first opening of April, 373 B. c. For his arrival there, and the good condition of his fleet, was known at Athens be- fore Timotheus received his appointment as admiral of the fleet for the relief of the island (Xen. Hellen. vi, 2, 10, 11, 12). 2. Timotheus sailed from Peirseus on this aj pointed voyage, in April 373 B.C. 3. Timotheus was tried at Athens in November 373 B.C.; Alketas ana Jason being then present, as allies of Athens and witnesses in his favor. Now, if the truth were, that Iphikrates did not depart from Athens with his fleet until after the trial of Timotheus in November, we must suppose that the seige of Korkyra by Mnasippns lasted seven months, and the cruise >f Timotheus nearly five months. Both the one and the other are alto- gether improbable. The Athenians would never have permitted Korkyra