a smaller history of greece-第58章

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The　vast　empire　of　Alexander　the　Great　was　divided；　at　his　death；　among　his　generals；　but；　before　relating　their　history；　it　is　necessary　to　take　a　brief　retrospective　glance　at　the　affairs　of　Greece。　　Three　years　after　Alexander　had　quitted　Europe　the　Spartans　made　a　vigorous　effort　to　throw　off　the　Macedonian　yoke。　They　were　joined　by　most　of　the　Peloponnesian　states；　but　though　they　met　with　some　success　at　first；　they　were　finally　defeated　with　great　slaughter　by　Antipater　near　Megalopolis。　　Agis　fell　in　the　battle；　and　the　chains　of　Greece　were　riveted　more　firmly　than　ever。　　This　victory；　and　the　successes　of　Alexander　in　the　East；　encouraged　the　Macedonian　party　in　Athens　to　take　active　measures　against　Demosthenes；　and　AEschines　revived　an　old　charge　against　him　which　had　lain　dormant　for　several　years。　　Soon　after　the　battle　of　Chaeronea；　Ctesiphon　had　proposed　that　Demosthenes　should　be　presented　with　a　golden　crown　in　the　theatre　during　the　great　Dionysiac　festival；　on　account　of　the　services　he　had　conferred　upon　his　country。　　For　proposing　this　decree　AEschines　indicted　Ctesiphon；　but　though　the　latter　was　the　nominal　defendant；　it　was　Demosthenes　who　was　really　put　upon　his　trial。　The　case　was　decided　in　330　B。C。；　and　has　been　immortalised　by　the　memorable　and　still　extant　speeches　of　AEschines　'Against　Ctesiphon'　and　of　Demosthenes　'On　the　Crown。'　AEschines；　who　did　not　obtain　a　fifth　part　of　the　votes；　and　consequently　became　himself　liable　to　a　penalty；　was　so　chagrined　at　his　defeat　that　he　retired　to　Rhodes。

In　B。C。　325　Harpalus　arrived　in　Athens。　　He　had　been　left　by　Alexander　at　Ecbatana　in　charge　of　the　royal　treasures；　and　appears　also　to　have　held　the　important　satrapy　of　Babylon。　During　the　absence　of　Alexander　in　India　he　gave　himself　up　to　the　most　extravagant　luxury　and　profusion；　squandering　the　treasures　intrusted　to　him；　at　the　same　time　that　he　alienated　the　people　subject　to　his　rule　by　his　lustful　excesses　and　extortions。　　He　had　probably　thought　that　Alexander　would　never　return　from　the　remote　regions　of　the　East　into　which　he　had　penetrated；　but　when　he　at　length　learnt　that　the　king　was　on　his　march　back　to　Susa；　and　had　visited　with　unsparing　rigour　those　of　his　officers　who　had　been　guilty　of　any　excesses　during　his　absence；　he　at　once　saw　that　his　only　resource　was　in　flight。　Collecting　together　all　the　treasures　which　he　could；　and　assembling　a　body　of　6000　mercenaries；　he　hastened　to　the　coast　of　Asia；　and　from　thence　crossed　over　to　Attica；　At　first　the　Athenians　refused　to　receive　him；　but　bribes　administered　to　some　of　the　principal　orators　induced　them　to　alter　their　determination。　　Such　a　step　was　tantamount　to　an　act　of　hostility　against　Macedonia　itself；　and　accordingly　Antipater　called　upon　the　Athenians　to　deliver　up　Harpalus；　and　to　bring　to　trial　those　who　had　accepted　his　bribes。　　The　Athenians　did　not　venture　to　disobey　these　demands。　　Harpalus　was　put　into　confinement；　but　succeeded　in　making　his　escape　from　prison。　　Demosthenes　was　among　the　orators　who　were　brought　to　trial　for　corruption。　　He　was　declared　to　be　guilty；　and　was　condemned　to　pay　a　fine　of　50　talents。　　Not　being　able　to　raise　that　sum；　he　was　thrown　into　prison；　but　he　contrived　to　make　his　escape；　and　went　into　exile。　There　are；　however；　good　grounds　for　doubting　his　guilt；　and　it　is　more　probable　that　he　fell　a　victim　to　the　implacable　hatred　of　the　Macedonian　party。　　Upon　quitting　Athens　Demosthenes　resided　chiefly　at　AEgina　or　Troezen；　in　sight　of　his　native　land；　and　whenever　he　looked　towards　her　shores　it　was　observed　that　he　shed　tears。

When　the　news　of　Alexander's　death　reached　Athens；　the　anti…　Macedonian　party；　which；　since　the　exile　of　Demosthenes；　was　led　by　Hyperides；　carried　all　before　it。　　The　people　in　a　decree　declared　their　determination　to　support　the　liberty　of　Greece。　Envoys　were　despatched　to　all　the　Grecian　states　to　announce　the　determination　of　Athens；　and　to　exhort　them　to　struggle　with　her　for　their　independence。　　This　call　was　responded　to　in　the　Peloponnesus　only　by　the　smaller　states；　whilst　Sparta；　Arcadia；　and　Achaia　kept　aloof。　　In　northern　Greece　the　confederacy　was　joined　by　most　of　the　states　except　the　Boaotians；　and　Leosthenes　was　appointed　commander…in…chief　of　the　allied　forces。

The　allied　army　assembled　in　the　neighbourhood　of　Thermopylae。　Antipater　now　advanced　from　the　north；　and　offered　battle　in　the　vale　of　the　Spercheus；　but　being　deserted　by　his　Thessalian　cavalry；　who　went　over　to　his　opponents　during　the　heat　of　the　engagement；　he　was　obliged　to　retreat　and　threw　himself　into　Lamia；　a　strong　fortress　on　the　Malian　gulf。　　Leosthenes；　desirous　to　finish　the　war　at　a　blow；　pressed　the　siege　with　the　utmost　vigour；　but　his　assaults　were　repulsed；　and　he　was　compelled　to　resort　to　the　slower　method　of　a　blockade。　　From　this　town　the　contest　between　Antipater　and　the　allied　Greeks　has　been　called　the　Lamian　War。

The　novelty　of　a　victory　over　the　Macedonian　arms　was　received　with　boundless　exultation　at　Athens；　and　this　feeling　was　raised　to　a　still　higher　pitch　by　the　arrival　of　an　embassy　from　Antipater　to　sue　for　peace。　　But　the　Athenians　were　so　elated　with　their　good　fortune；　that　they　would　listen　to　no　terms　but　the　unconditional　surrender　of　Antipater。　　Meantime　Demosthenes；　though　still　an　exile；　exerted　himself　in　various　parts　of　the　Peloponnesus　in　counteracting　the　envoys　of　Antipater；　and　in　endeavouring　to　gain　adherents　to　the　cause　of　Athens　and　the　allies。　　The　Athenians　in　return　invited　Demosthenes　back　to　his　native　country；　and　a　ship　was　sent　to　convey　him　to　Piraeus；　where　he　was　received　with　extraordinary　honours。

Meanwhile　Leonnatus；　governor　of　the　Hellespontine　Phrygia；　had　appeared　on　the　theatre　of　war　with　an　army　of　20；000　foot　and　2500　horse。　　Leosthenes　had　been　slain　at　Lamia　in　a　sally　of　the　besieged；　and　Antiphilus；　on　whom　the　command　of　the　allied　army　devolved；　hastened　to　offer　battle　to　Leonnatus　before　he　could　arrive　at　Lamia。　　The　hostile　armies　met　in　one　of　the　plains　of　Thessaly；　where　Leonnatus　was　killed　and　his　troops　defeated。　Antipater；　as　soon　as　the　blockade　of　Lamia　was　raised；　had　pursued　Antiphilus；　and　on　the　day　after　the　battle　he　effected　a　junction　with　the　beaten　army　of　Leonnatus。

Shortly　afterwards　Antipater　was　still　further　reinforced　by　the　arrival　of　Craterus　with　a　considerable　force　from　Asia；　and　being　now　at　the　head　of　an　army　which　outnumbered　the　forces　of　the　allies；　he　marched　against　them　and　gained　a　decisive　victory　over　them　near　Crannon　in　Thessaly；　on　the　7th　of　August；　B。C。　322。　　The　allies　were　now　compelled　to　sue　for　peace；　but　Antipater　refused　to　treat　with　them　except　as　separate　states；　foreseeing　that　by　this　means　many　would　be　detached　from　the　confederacy。　　The　result　answered　his　expectations。　　One　by　one　the　various　states　submitted；　till　at　length　all　had　laid　down　their　arms。　　Athens；　the　original　instigator　of　the　insurrection；　now　lay　at　the　mercy　of　the　conqueror。　　As　Antipater　advanced；　Phocion　used　all　the　influence　which　he　possessed　with　the　Macedonians　in　favour　of　his　countrymen；　but　he　could　obtain　no　other　terms　than　an　unconditional　surrender。　　On　a　second　mission　Phocion　received　the　final　demands　of　Antipater；　which　were；　that　the　Athenians　should　deliver　up　a　certain　number　of　their　orators；　among　whom　were　Demosthenes　and　Hyperides；　that　their　political　franchise　should　be　limited　by　a　property　qualification；　that　they　should　receive　a　Macedonian　garrison　in　Munychia；　and　that　they　should　defray　the　expenses　of　the　war。　Such　was　the　result　of　the　Lamian　war；　which　riveted　the　Macedonian　fetters　more　firmly　than　ever。

After　the　return　of　the　envoys　bringing　the　ultimatum　of　Antipater；　the　sycophant　Demades　procured　a　decree　for　the　death　of　the　denounced　orators。　　Demosthenes；　and　the　other　persons　compromised；　made　their　escape　from　Athens　before　the　Macedonian　garrison　arrived。　　AEgina　was　their　first　place　of　refuge；　but　they　soon　parted　in　different　directions。　　Hyperides　fled　to　the　temple　of　Demeter　（Ceres）　at　Hermione　in　Peloponnesus；　whilst　Demosthenes　took　refuge　in　that　of　Poseidon　（Neptune）　in　the　isle　of　Calaurea；　near