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202 HISTORY OF GREECE. the Uocoiian cities. At that moment the prevalent disposition among the Athenian public was antipathy against Thebes, com- bined with a certain sympathy in favor of Sparta, whom they had aided at the battle of Mantineia against the Megalopolitans. 1 Though himself sharing this sentiment, 2 Demosthenes will not suffer his countrymen to be misled by it. He recommends that Athens shall herself take up the Theban policy in regard to Me galopolis and Messene, so as to protect these two cities against Sparta ; the rather, as by such a proceeding the Thebans will be excluded from Peloponnesus, and their general influence nar- rowed. He even goes so far as to say, that if Sparta should suc- ceed in reconquering Megalopolis and Messene, Athens must again become the ally of the Thebans to restrain her farther ag- grandizement. 3 As far as we make oat from imperfect information, it seems that the views of Demosthenes did not prevail, and that the Athe- nians declined to undertake the protection of Megalopolis against Sparta ; since we presently find the Thebans continuing to afford that protection, as they had -lone before. The aggressive schemes of Sparta appear to have been broached at the moment when the Phokians under Onomarchus were so decidedly superior to Thebes as to place that city in some embarrassment. But the superiority of the Phokians was soon lessened by their collision with a more formidable enemy Philip of Macedon. That prince had been already partially interfering in Thessa- lian affairs, 4 at the instigation of Eudikus and Simus, chiefs of the Aleuadae of Larissa, against Lykophron the despot of Pherae. But his recent acquisition of Methone left him more at liberty to extend his conquests southward, and to bring a larger force to bear in the dissensions of Thessaly. In that country, the great cities were, 5 as usual, contending for supremacy, and holding in subjec- tion the smaller by means of garrisons ; while Lykophron of Pheraa 1 Demosthen. pro Megalop. p. 203. s. 7, 9. p. 207. s. 22. 2 See Demosthen. cont. Leptinem, p. 489. s. 172 (delivered 355 B. c.) and Olynthiac i. p. 16. s. 27. 3 Demosthenes pro Megalopol. p. 207. s. 24. 4 Diodor. xvi. 14 ; Demosthenes, De Corona, p. 241. s. 60. Harpokrv Uon v. Sf/iof. r< Isokratcs, Oral. viii. (Dc Pace) s. 143, 144.