Page:History of Greece Vol XI.djvu/394

308 HISTORY OF GREECE. the Arcadians was fear and dislike of Sparta, which rendered them in the main indifferent, if not favorable, to the Macedonian successes. In returning from Arcadia to Athens. vEschines met the Arcadian Atrestidas, with the unhappy troop of Olynthiau slaves following ; a sight which so deeply affected the Athenian orator, that he dwelt upon it afterwards in his speech before the assembly, with indignant sympathy ; deploring the sad effects of Grecian dissension, and the ruin produced by Philip's combined employment of arms and corruption. jEschines returned probably about the middle of the summer of 347 B. c. Other envoys, sent to more distant cities, remained out longer; some indeed even until the ensuing winter. Though it appears that some envoys from other cities were induced in re- turn to visit Athens, yet no sincere or hearty cooperation against Philip could be obtained in any part of Greece. While Philip, in the fulness of triumph, was celebrating his magnificent Olym- pic festival in Macedonia, the Athenians were disheartened by finding that they could expect little support from independent Greeks, and were left to act only with their own narrow syuod of allies. Hence Eubulus and -ZEschines became earnest partisans of peace, and Demosthenes also seems to have been driven by the general despondency into a willingness to negotiate. The two orators, though they afterwards became bitter rivals, were at this juncture not very discordant in sentiment. On the other hand, the philippizing speakers at Athens held a bolder tone than ever. As Philip found his ports greatly blocked up by the Athenian cruisers, he was likely to profit by his existing ascendency for the purpose of strengthening his naval equipments. Now there was no place so abundantly supplied as Athens, with marine stores and muniments for armed ships. Probably there were agents or speculators taking measures to supply Philip with these articles, and it was against them that a decree of the assembly was now directed, adopted on the motion of a senator named Timarchus - to punish with death all who should export from Athens to Philip either arms or stores for ships of war. 1 This severe decree, how- and as admitted by himself. It was, in truth, among tKe most honorable epochs of his life. 1 Bemosth. Fals. Leg. p. 433 This decree must have been proposed !.f