Page:History of Greece Vol XI.djvu/403

PHALAEKUS REFUSES ATHENIAN AID. 377 dictated seemingly by jealousy of Athens and Sparta, and by fear that they would support the party opposed to him in Phokis. It could not have originated (as -ZEschines alleges) in superior confi- dence and liking towards Philip ; for if Phahekus had entertained such sentiments, he might have admitted the Macedonian troops at once ; which he did not do until ten months later, under th-a greatest pressure of circumstances. Such insulting repudiation of the aid tendered by Proxenus at Thermopylae, combined with the distracted state of parties in Phokis, Menaced Athens with a new embarrassment. Though Phaliekus still held the pass, his conduct had been such as to raise doubts whether he might not treat separately with Philip. Here was another circumstance operating on Athens, besides the refusal of cooperation from other Greeks and the danger of her captives at Olynthus, to dishearten her in the prosecution of the war, and to strengthen the case of those who advocated peace. It was a circumstance the more weighty, because it really involved the question of safety or exposure to her own territory, through the opening of the pass of Thermopylae. It was here that she wan now under the necessity of keeping watch ; being thrown on the defensive for her own security at home, not, as before, stretch- ing out a long arm for the protection of distant possessions such as the Chersonese, or distant allies such as the Olynthians. So speedily had the predictions of Demosthenes been realized, that if the Athenians refused to carry on strenuous war against Philp on his coast, they would bring upon themselves the graver evil of having to resist him on or near their own frontier. Themistoklcs at Athens. There is also a farther indication of time given by ^schines : that the event happened before he was nominated envoy, mtiv KJJ.E XEIPOTOVTJ-&TIVU.I TrpeapevTi'jv (p.46. c. 41 ). This refutes the supposition of Vccmel 'Proleg. ad Dcmosth. de Pace, p. 255), who refers the proceeding ta the following month Elaphebolion (March), on the ground of some other words of JEschines, intimating " that the news reached Athens while the Athenians were deliberating about the peace." Bohnecke, too. supposes that the mysteries here alluded to are the lesser mysteries, celebrated in Anthes- lerion ; not the greater, which belong to Boedromion. This supposition appears to me improbable and unnecessary. We may reasonably believe that there were many discussions on the peace at Athens, before the envoys were actually nominated. Some of those debates may well have taken placo in the month Boedrcixnon. 32*