Page:History of Greece Vol XI.djvu/243

SUCCESS IN EUBOE A. 217 cy, Accordingly Eubaeans from all the cities ser~.red in the array of Epaminondas, both in his first and his last expedition into Pelo- ponnesus (369-362 B. c.). 1 Moreover, Oropus, the frontier town of Attica and Boeotia immediately opposite to Eubcea, having been wrested from Athens 2 in 366 B. c. by a body of exiles cross- ing the strait from Eretria, through the management of the Eret- rian despot Themison had been placed in the keeping of the Thebans, with whom it still remained. But in the year 358 B. c., discontent began in the Euboean cities, from what cause we know not, against the supremacy of Thebes ; whereupon a powerful Theban force was sent into the island to keep them down. A se- vere contest ensued, in which if Thebes had succeeded, Chalkis and Eretria might possibly have shared the fate of Orchomenus. 3 These cities sent urgent messages entreating aid from the Athe- nians, who were powerfully moved by the apprehension of seeing their hated neighbor Thebes reinforced by so large an acquisition close to their borders. The public assembly, already disposed to sympathize with the petitioners, was kindled into enthusiasm by the abrupt and emphatic appeal of Timotheus son of Konon. 4 " How ! Athenians (said he), when you have the Thebans ac- tually in the island, are you still here debating what is to be done, or how you shall deal with the case ? Will you not fill the sea ' Xcnoph. Hellen. vi. 5, 23. 'EvBoslf inrb iraauv TUV noAeuv : also vii. 5, 4. BoiwrcDf ix uv Kuvrag KOI Evj3oeaf (Epaminondas), etc. AViniewski, in his instructive commentary upon the historical facts of the Oration of Demosthenes de Coron;*, states erroneously that Euboea continued in the dependence of Athens without interruption from 377 to 358 B. c. (Winiewski, Commentarii Historici et Chronologic! in Demos- thenis Orationem de Corona, p. 30). 2 Xenoph. Hellen. vii. 4, I ; Diodor. xv. 76 ; Demosthen. de Corona, p. 2.59. s. 123. 3 Demosthenes, Orat. dc Chersones. p. 108. s. 80. roijf Et>/3ot'af au^etv, <JTE Qrjflaloi, KaTsdovTiovvT 1 aiiTovc, etc. : compare Demosthen. de CoronA, p. 259. s. 123. Qrjflaiuv a(j>Tepi^ofj.evuv TTJV 'Eiipoiav, etc. ; and JEschines cont. Ktesiphont. p. 397. c. 31. k-KEiSri dupriaav elf Evpoiav Qrif3aloi, /earaJov- aaadai rag Tro/letf Treipu/tevot, etc. 4 Demosthen. Orat. de Chersones. p. 108. s. 80. Elire poi, [3ov?ievo$e t e<j>T/ (Timotheus), Qr/(3aiovf fyovreg h vrjffG), TI ^p^<rffi?e, Kal ri del iroiftv; Ova kinrhrjveTe rfiv ddhaGaav, u uvdpeg 'A'&rjvaloi, rptr/puv ; OVK uvaaruvref 7(5;/ 7t pei}(Tscn9 dg rbv lleipaiu ; Ov KadsfatisTE rug vav<; ; VOL. XI. 1 3