Abbildungen der Seite
PDF
EPUB

treafure; yet, to this day, have never employed any of them feasonably, but are ever laft in the field. Juft as barbarians engage at boxing, so you make war with Philip for, when one of them receives a blow, that blow engages him if ftruck in another part, to that part his hands are fhifted but to ward off the blow, or to watch his antagonist for this, he hath neither fkill nor fpirit. Even fo, if you hear that Philip is in the Cherfonefus, you refolve to fend forces thither; if in Thermopyle, thither; if in any other place, you hurry up and down, you follow his #tandard. But no ufeful scheme for carrying on the war, no wife provifions are ever thought of, until you hear of fome enterprise in execution, or already crowned with fuccefs. This might have formerly been pardonable, but now is the very critical moment, when it can by no means be admitted.

It seems to me, Athenians, that fome divinity, who, from a regard to Athens, looks down upon our conduct with indignation, hath infpired Philip with this reftlefs ambition. For were he to fit down in the quiet enjoyment of his conquefts and acquifitions, without proceeding to any new attempts, there are men among you, who, I think, would be unmoved at thofe tranfactions, which have branded our state with the odious marks of infamy, cowardice, and all that is bafe. But as he fill pursues his conquefts, as he is ftill extending his ambitious views, poffibly, he may at last call you forth, unless you have renounced the name of Athenians. To me it is aftonishing, that none of you look back to the beginning of this war, and confider that we engaged in it to chastise the infolence of Philip; but that now it is become a defenfive war, to fecure us from his attempts. And that he will ever be repeating these attempts is manifest, unlefs fome power rifes to oppose him. But, if we wait in expectation of this, if we fend out armaments compofed of empty gallies, and thofe hopes with which fome ipeaker may have flattered you; can you then think your interefts well fecured? fhall we not embark? fhall we not fail, with at leaft a part of our domeftic force, now, fince we have not hitherto ?-But where fhall we make our descent ?-Let us but engage in the enterprise, and the war itself, Athenians, will thew us where he is weakest. But if we fit at home, liftening to the mutal invectives and accufations of our ora

tors; we cannot expect, no, not the least fuccefs, in any one particular. Wherever a part of our city is detached, although the whole be not prefent, the favour of the gods and the kindness of fortune attend to fight upon our fide; but when we send out a general, and an infignificant decree, and the hopes of our speakers, misfortune and difappointment must enfue. Such expeditions are to our enemies a sport, but strike our allies with deadly apprehenfions. For it is not, it is not poffible for any one man to perform every thing you defire. He may promife, and harangue, and accufe this or that perfon: but to fuch proceedings we owe the ruin of our affairs. For, when a general who commanded a wretched collection of unpaid foreigners, hath been defeated; when there are perfons here, who, in arraigning his conduct, dare to advance falfehoods, and when you lightly engage in any determination, just from their fuggeftions; what must be the confequence? How then shall these abuses be removed?

By offering yourfelves, Athenians, to execute the commands of your general, to be witneffes of his conduct in the field, and his judges at your return: fo as not only to hear how your affairs are tranfacted, but to infpect them.

But now, fo fhamefully are we degenerated, that each of our commanders is twice or thrice called before you to anfwer for his life, though not one of them dared to hazard that life, by once engaging his enemy. No; they chufe the death of robbers and pilferers, rather than to fall as becomes them. Such malefactors fhould die by the sentence of the law. Generals fhould meet their fate bravely in the field.

Others

Then, as to your own conduct-fome wander about, crying, Philip hath joined with the Lacedemonians, and they are concerting the destruction of Thebes, and the diffolution of fome free ftates. affure us he hath fent an embasy to the king; others, that he is fortifying places in Illyria. Thus we all go about framing our feveral tales. I do believe indeed, Athenians! he is intoxicated with his greatnefs, and does entertain his imagination with many fuch vifionary prospects, as he fees no power rifing to oppofe him, and is elated with his fuccefs. But I cannot be perfuaded that he hath fo taken his meafures, that the weakest among us know what he is next to do: (for it is the weakest among us who fpread thefe rumours)-Let us difregard them: let us be perfuaded of

*

this, that he is our enemy, that he hath fpoiled us of our dominions, that we have long been fubject to his infolence, that whatever we expected to be done for us by others, hath proved against us, that all the refource left is in ourfelves, that, if we are not inclined to carry our arms abroad, we may be forced to engage here-let us be perfuaded of this, and then we fhall come to a proper determination, then shall we be freed from thofe idle tales. For we are not to be folicitous to know what particular events will happen; we need but be convinced nothing good can happen, unless you grant the due attention to affairs, and be ready to act as becomes Athenians.

I, on my part, have never upon any occafion chofen to court your favour, by speaking any thing but what I was convinced would ferve you. And, on this occafion, I have freely declared my fentiments, without art, and without referve. It would have pleafed me indeed, that, as it is for your advantage to have your true intereft laid before you, fo I might be affured that he who Jayeth it before you, would fhare the advantages: for then I had spoken with greater alacrity. However, uncertain as is the confequence with refpect to me, I yet determined to speak, because I was convinced that these measures, if pursued, must have their ufe. And, of all thofe opinions which are offered to your acceptance, may that be chofen, which will beft advance the general weal! Leland.

§ 2. The firft Olynthiac Oration: pronounced four Years after the first Philippic, in the Archonship of Callimachus, the fourth Year of the Hundred and Seventh Olympiad, and the twelfth of Philip's Reign.

INTRODUCTIO N.

The former Oration doth not appear to have had any confiderable effect. Philip had his creatures in the Athenian affembly, who probably recommended lefs vigorous meafures, and were but too favourably heard. In the mean time, this prince pursued his ambitious defigns. When he found himself shut out of Greece, he turned his arms to fuch remote parts, as he might reduce without alarming the ftates of Greece. And, at the fame time, he revenged himfelf upon the Athenians, by making himfelf mafter of fome places which they laid claim to. At length his fuccefs emboldened him to declare thofe inten

tions which he had long entertained fecretly against the Olynthians. Olynthius (a city of Thrace poffeffed by Greeks originally from Chalcis,-a town of Euboea and colony of Athens) commanded a large tract called the Chalcidian region, in which there were thirty-two cities. It had arisen by degrees to fuch a pitch of grandeur, as to have frequent and remarkable contefts both with Athens and Lacedemon. Nor did the Olynthians fhew great regard to the friendship of Philip when he firft came to the throne, and was taking all measures to fecure the poffeffion of it. For they did not fcruple to receive two of his brothers by another marriage, who had fled to avoid the effects of his jealoufy; and endeavoured to conclude an alliance with Athens, against him, which he, by fecret practices, found means to defeat. But as he was yet fcarcely fecure upon his throne, inftead of expreffing his refentment, he courted, or rather purchased, the alliance of the Olynthians, by the ceffion of Anthemus, a city which the kings of Macedon had long difputed with them, and afterwards, by that of Pydna and Potidea; which their joint forces had beûeged and taken from the Athenians. But the Olynthians could not be influenced by gratitude towards fuch a benefactor. The rapid progrefs of his arms, and his glaring acts of perfidy, alarmed them exceedingly. He had already made fome inroads on their territories, and now began to act against them with lefs referve. They therefore difpatched ambaffadors to Athens to propose an alliance, and requeft affiftance against a power which they were equally concerned to oppofe. Philip affected the highest refentment at this ftep; alledged their mutual engagements to adhere to each other in war and peace; inveighed against their harbouring his brothers, whom he called the confpirators; and, under pretence of punishing their infractions, purfued his hoftilities with double vigour, made himself mafter of fome of their cities, and threatened the capital with a siege. In the mean time, the Ŏlynthians preffed the Athenians for immediate fuc

cours.

Their ambafadors opened their commiffion in an affembly of the people, who had the right either to agree to, or to reject their demand. As the importance of the occafion increased the number of fpeakers, the elder orators had debated the affair before Demofthenes arofe. In the following oration therefore he speaks as to a people already informed, urges the neceffity of joining with the Olynthians, and confirms his opinion by powerful arguments; lays open the defigns and practices of Philip, and labours to remove their dreadful apprehenfions of his power. He concludes with recommending to them to reform abufes, to restore ancient difcipline, and to put an end to all domeftic diffenfions.

IN many inftances (Athenians!) have the gods, in my opinion, manifeftly declared their favour to this ftate: nor is it leaft obfervable in this prefent juncture. For that an enemy fhould arife against Philip, on the very confines of his kingdom, of no inconfiderable power, and, what is of most importance, fo determined upon the war, that they confider any accommodation with him, firft, as infidious, next, as the downfal of their country: this feems no less than the gracious interpofition of Heaven itself. It must, therefore, be our care (Athenians!) that we ourfelves may not fruftrate this goodness. For it must reflect disgrace, nay, the fouleft infamy upon us, if we appear to have thrown away not thofe ftates and territories only which we once commanded, but thofe alliances and favourable incidents, which fortune hath provided for us. To begin on this occafion with a difplay of Philip's power, or to prefs you to exert your vigour, by motives drawn from hence, is, in my opinion, quite improper. And And why? Because whatever may be offered upon fuch a subject, fets him in an honourable view, but seems to me, as a reproach to our conduct. For the higher his exploits have arifen above his former eftimation, the more muft the world admire him: while your difgrace hath been the greater, the more your conduct hath proved unworthy of your ftate. Thefe things therefore I fhall pafs over. He indeed, who examines justly, muft find the fource of all his greatness here, not in himfelf. But the fervices he hath here re.

ceived, from thofe whofe public adminitration hath been devoted to his intereft; thofe fervices which you must punish, I do not think it feasonable to dilplay. There are other points of more moment for you all to hear; and which mut excite the greated abhorrence of him, in every reafonable mind.-Thefe I thall lay before you.

And now, fhould I call him perjured and perfidious, and not point out the inftances of this his guilt, it might be deemed the mere virulence of malice, and with justice. Nor will it engage too much of your attention to hear him fully and clearly convicted, from a full and clear detail of all his actions. And this I think ufeful upon two accounts: first, that he may appear, as he really is, treacherous and falfe; and then, that they who are truck with terror, as if Philip was fomething more than human, may fee that he hath exhausted all thofe artifices to which he owes his prefent elevation; and that his affaits are now ready to decime. For I myself (Athenians!) fhould think Philip really to be dreaded and admired, if I faw him raifed by honourable means. But I find, upon reflection, that at the time when certain perfons drove out the Olynthians from this affembly, when defirous of conferring with you, he began with abufing our fimplicity by his promife of furrendering Amphipolis, and executing the fecret article of his treaty, then fo much spoken of: that, after this, he courted the friend thip of the Olynthians by feizing Potidea, where we were rightful fovereigns, defpoiling us his former allies, and giving them poffeffion: that, but just now, he gained the Theffalians, by promising to give up Magnefia; and, for their eafe, to take the whole conduct of the Phocian war upon himself. In a word, there are no people who ever made the leaft ufe of him, but have fuffered by his fubtlety: his prefent greatnefs being wholly owing to his deceiving those who were unacquaintedwith him, and making them the inftruments of his fuccefs. As thefe ftates therefore raised him, while each imagined he' was promoting fome intereft of theirs; these ftates must alfo reduce him to his former meanness, as it now appears that his own private intereft was the end of all his actions.

Thus then, Athenians! is Philip circumftanced. If not, let the man ftand forth, who can prove to me, I should have

faid to this affembly, that I have afferted thefe things falfely; or that they whom he hath deceived in former inftances, will confide in him for the future; or that the Theffalians, who have been fo bafely, fo undeservedly enslaved, would not gladly embrace their freedom. If there be any one among you, who acknowledges all this, yet thinks that Philip will fupport his power, as he hath fecured places of ftrength, convenient ports, and other like advantages; he is deceived. For when forces join in harmony and affection, and one common intereft unites the confederating powers, then they fhare the toils with alacrity, they endure the diftreffes, they perfevere. But when extravagant ambition, and lawlefs power (as in his cafe) have aggrandifed a fingle perfon; the firft pretence, the flightest accident, overthrows him, and all his greatness is dafhed at once to the ground. For it is not, no, Athenians! it is not poffible to found a lafting power upon injuftice, perjury, and treachery. Thefe may perhaps fucceed for once; and borrow for a while, from hope, a gay and flourishing appearance. But time betrays their weakness; and they fall into ruin of themfelves. For, as in Atructures of every kind, the lower parts fhould have the greatest firmness, fo the grounds and principles of actions should be juft and true. But thefe advantages are not found in the actions of Philip.

I fay then, that you should dispatch fuccours to the Olynthians: (and the more honourably and expeditiously this is propofed to be done, the more agreeably to my fentiments) and fend an embaffy to the Theffalians, to inform fome, and to enliven that spirit already raised in others: (for it hath actually been refolved to demand the reftitution of Pagafæ, and to affert their claim to Magnefia.) And let it be your care, Athenians, that our ambaffadors may not depend only upon words, but give them fome action to display, by taking the field in a manner worthy of the ftate, and engaging in the war with vigour. For words, if not accompanied by actions, must ever appear vain and contemptible; and particularly when they come from us, whofe prompt abilities, and well-known eminence in fpeaking, make us to be always heard with the greater fufpicion.

Would you indeed regain attention and confidence, your measures must be greatly changed, your conduct totally reformed;

your fortunes, your perfons, must appear devoted to the common caufe; your utmost efforts must be exerted. If you will aft thus, as your honour and your intereft require; then, Athenians! you will not only difcover the weakness and infmcerity of the confederates of Philip, but the ruinous condition of his own kingdom will alfo be laid open. The power and fovereignty of Macedon may have some weight indeed, when joined with others. Thus, when you marched against the Olynthians, under the conduct of Timotheus, it proved an ufeful ally; when united with the Olynthians against Potidea, it added something to their force; juft now, when the Theffalians were in the midst of disorder, fedition, and confufion, it aided them against the family of their tyrants: (and in every cafe, any, even a fmall acceffion of ftrength, is, in my opinion, of confiderable effect.) But of itself, unfupported, it is infirm, it is totally diftempered: for by all thofe glaring exploits, which have given him this apparent greatnefs, his wars, his expeditions, he hath rendered it yet weaker than it was naturally. For you are not to imagine that the inclinations of his fubjects are the fame with thofe of Philip. He thirfts for glory: this is his object, this he eagerly purfues, through toils and dangers of every kind; defpifing safety and life, when compared with the honour of atchieving fuch actions as no other prince of Macedon could ever boast of. But his fubjects have no part in this ambition. Harraffed by thofe various excurfions he is ever making, they groan under perpetual calamity; torn from their bufinefs, and their families, and without opportunity to difpofe of that pittance which their toils have earned; as all commerce is fhut out from the coaft of Macedon by the war.

Hence one may perceive how his fubjects in general are affected to Philip. But then his auxiliaries, and the foldiers of his phalanx, have the character of wonderful forces, trained compleatly to war. And yet I can affirm, upon the credit of a perfon from that country, incapable of falfehood, that they have no fuch fuperiority. For, as he affures me, if any man of experience in military affairs should be found among them, he difiniffes all fuch, from an ambition of having every great action afcribed wholly to himself: (for, befides his other paffions, the man hath this ambition in the highest degree.) And if any per

fon,

fon, from a fenfe of decency, or other virtuous principle, betrays a diflike of his daily intemperance, and riotings, and obfeenities, he lofes all favour and regard; fo that none are left about him, but wretches, who fubfift on rapine and flattery, and who, when heated with wine, do not fcruple to defcend to fuch inftances of revelry, as it would fhock you to repeat. Nor can the truth of this be doubted: for they whom we all confpired to drive from hence, as infamous and abandoned, Callias the public fervant, and others of the fame ftamp; buffcons, compofers of lewd fongs, in which they ridicule their companions: these are the perfons whom he entertains and careffes. And thefe things, Athenians, trifling as they may appear to fome, are to men of just difcernment great indications of the weaknefs both of his mind and fortune. At prefent, his fucceffes caft a fhade over them; for profperity hath great power to veil fuch bafenefs from obfervation. But let his arms meet with the leaft difgrace, and all his actions will be expofed.

This is a truth, of which he himself, Athenians! will, in my opinion, foon convince you, if the gods favour us, and you exert your vigour. For as in our bodies, while a man is in health, he feels no effect of any inward weakness; but, when disease attacks him, every thing becomes fenfible, in the veffels, in the joints, or in whatever other part his frame may be difordered; fo in ftates and monarchies, while they carry on a war abroad, their defects efcape the general eye but when once it approaches their own territory, then they are all detected.

If there be any one among you who, from Philip's good fortune, concludes that he must prove a formidable enemy; fuch reafoning is not unworthy a man of prudence. Fortune hath great influence, nay, the whole influence, in all human affairs: but then, were I to chufe, I fhould prefer the fortune of Athens (if you yourfelves will affert your own caufe, with the leaft degree of vigour) to this man's fortune. For we have many better reafons to depend upon the favour of Heaven, than this man. But our prefent ftate is, in my opinion, a ftate of total inactivity; and he who will not exert his own ftrength, cannot apply for aid, either to his friends or to the gods. It is not then furprifing, that he who is himself ever amidst the dangers and labours of the field; who is every

I am

where; whom no opportunity efcapes; to whom no feafon is unfavourable; fhould be fuperior to you, who are wholly engaged in contriving delays, and framing decrees, and enquiring after news. not furprised at this, for the contrary must have been furprifing: if we, who never act in any fingle inftance, as becomes a ftate engaged in war, fhould conquer him, who, in every inftance, acts with an indefatigable vigilance. This indeed furprifes me; that you, who fought the caufe of Greece against Lacedemon, and generously declined all the many favourable opportu nities of aggrandizing yourselves; who, to fecure their property to others, parted with your own, by your contributions; and bravely expofed yourselves in battle; fhould now decline the service of the field, and delay the neceffary fupplies, when called to the defence of your own rights: that you, in whom Greece in general, and each particular ftate, hath often found protection, fhould fit down quiet fpectators of your own private wrongs. This I fay furprises me and one thing more; that not a man among you can reflect how long a time we have been at war with Philip, and in what measures, this time hath all been wafted. You are not to be informed, that, in delaying, in hoping that others would affert our caufe, in accufing each other, in impeaching, then again entertaining hopes, in fuch measures as are now purfued, that time hath been entirely wafted. And are you fo devoid of apprehenfion, as to imagine, when our state hath been reduced from greatness to wretchedness, that the very fame conduct will raife us from wretchednefs to greatnefs? No! this is not reasonable, it is not natural; for it is much easier to defend, than to acquire dominions. But, now, the war hath left us nothing to defend: we must acquire. And to this work you yourselves alone are equal.

This, then, is my opinion. You should raife fupplies; you fhould take the field with alacrity. Profecutions fhould be all fufpended until you have recovered your affairs; let each man's fentence be determined by his actions: honour those who have deferved applaufe; let the iniquitous meet their punishment: let there be no pretences, no deficiencies on your part; for you cannot bring the actions of others to a fevere fcrutiny, unless you have first been careful of your own duty. What indeed can be the reason, think ye, that

« ZurückWeiter »