Aeschines, Speeches (English) (XML Header) [genre: prose; rhetoric] [word count] [Aeschin.]. | ||
<<Aeschin. 3.84 | Aeschin. 3.91 (Greek) | >>Aeschin. 3.98 |
And had not, in the first place, some god saved the army, and had not then your soldiers, horse and foot, showed themselves brave men, and conquered the enemy in a pitched battle by the hippodrome at
But yet, even after such treatment as that, you became reconciled to them again; and Callias of
soon made haste to return to his natural disposition, and tried ostensibly to assemble a Euboean congress at
But having wronged Philip and run away from thence, he made haste to throw himself at the feet of the Thebans. Then abandoning them also, and making more twists and turns than the Euripus, by whose shores he used to live, he falls between the hatred of the Thebans and of Philip. At his wits' end what to do, when an expedition had already been called out against him, he saw one gleam of hope for safety left—to get the Athenian people solemnly bound, under the name of allies, to aid him if any one should attack, a thing that was sure to happen unless you should prevent it.
With this plan in view Callias sent ambassadors hither, [Note] Glaucetes, Empedon, and Diodorus the long distance runner, who brought to the people empty hopes, but silver to Demosthenes and his following. And he was buying three things at once: first, to be assured of your alliance, for he had no alternative if the people, remembering his past crimes, should refuse the alliance, since one of two things was sure, that he would be banished from
and Demosthenes, the tyrant-hater, as he pretends to be, who,
but the membership in the synod and the contributions of money, the sources of strength for the coming war, he sold completely, in fairest words proposing most shameful deeds, and leading you on by his talk, telling how our city must first furnish aid to any Greeks who might need it from time to time, but provide for their alliance afterward, after giving them aid. But that you may be sure that I am speaking the truth, please take the motion for the alliance proposed for the benefit of Callias. Read the resolution.Resolution
But this was only the beginning of outrage—this actual selling of such opportunities and accessions to the league and contributions of money for that which I am about to relate was far worse, as you shall see. For Callias was led on to such a pitch of insolence and arrogance, and Demosthenes—whom Ctesiphon praises—to such a pitch of rapacity for bribes, that, while you still had life and sight and senses, they succeeded in stealing away from you the contributions of Oreus and
Aeschines, Speeches (English) (XML Header) [genre: prose; rhetoric] [word count] [Aeschin.]. | ||
<<Aeschin. 3.84 | Aeschin. 3.91 (Greek) | >>Aeschin. 3.98 |
