Page:History of Greece Vol XI.djvu/534

i,US mSTORY OF GREECE. ly kept alivu by the eloquence of Demosthenes and others. The peace of Demades, recognizing Philip as chief of Greece, was a renunciation of all this proud historical past, and the acceptance of a new and degraded position, for Athens as well as for Greece generally. Polybius praises the generosity of Philip in granting such favorable terms, and even affirms, not very accurately, that he secured thereby the steady gratitude and attachment of the Athe- nians, But Philip would have gained nothing by killing his prisoners ; not to mention that he would have provoked an im- placable spirit of revenge among the Athenians. By selling his prisoners for slaves he would have gained something, but by the use actually made of them he gained more. The recognition of his Hellenic supremacy by Athens was the capital step for the prosecution of his objects. It ensured him against dissentients among the remaining Grecian states, whose adhesion had not yet been made certain, and who might possibly have stood out against a proposition so novel and so anti-Hellenic, had Athens set them the example. Moreover, if Philip had not purchased the recog- nition of Athens in this way, he might have failed in trying to extort it by force. For though, being master of the field, he could lay waste Attica with impunity, and even establish a perma- nent fortress in it like Dekeleia yet the fleet of Athens was as strong as ever, and her preponderance at sea irresistible. Under these circumstances, Athens and Peirseus might have been defend- ed against him, as Byzantium and Perinthus had been, two years before ; the Athenian fleet might have obstructed his operations in many ways ; and the siege of Athens might have called forth a burst of Hellenic sympathy, such as to embarrass his farther progress. Thebes an inland city, hated by the other Boeotian cities was prostrated by the battle of Chreroneia, and left with out any means of successful defence. But the same blow was not absolutely mortal to Athens, united in her population throughout all ',he area of Attica, and superior at sea. We may see there- fore, that with such difficulties before him if he pushed the Athenians to despair Philip acted wisely in employing his victory and his prisoners to procure her recognition of his head* 1 Polybius, v. 10; xvii. 14; Diodor Fragm. lib. xxxii.