The Olynthiacs and the Phillippics of Demothenes | Page 9

little depended on. Such a person was Charidemus, a
native of Oreus in Euboea, who commenced his career as captain of a
pirate vessel. He was often in the service of Athens, but did her more
harm than good. See my article Mercenarii, Arch. Dict.] whom you
commission avoid this war, and seek wars of their own? (for of the
generals too must a little truth be told.) Because here the prizes of the
war are yours; for example, if Amphipolis be taken, you will
immediately recover it; the commanders have all the risk and no reward.
But in the other case the risks are less, and the gains belong to the
commanders and soldiers; Lampsacus, [Footnote: Chares, the Athenian
general, was said to have received these Asiatic cities from Artabazus,
the Persian satrap, in return for the service he had performed. Probably
it was some authority or privileges in those cities, not the actual
dominion, that was conferred upon him. Sigeum, which is near the
mouth of the Hellespont, and was a convenient situation for his
adventures, was the ordinary residence of Chares.] Sigeum, the vessels
which they plunder. So they proceed to secure their several interests:
you, when you look at the bad state of your affairs, bring the generals
to trial; but when they get a hearing and plead these necessities, you
dismiss them. The result is that, while you are quarreling and divided,
some holding one opinion, some another, the commonwealth goes
wrong. Formerly, Athenians, you had boards [Footnote: This refers to
the institution of the [Greek: _summoriai_], or boards for management
of the property-tax at Athens, as to which see Appendix IV. The
argument of Demosthenes is as follows--The three hundred wealthier
citizens, who were associated by law for purposes of taxation, had
become a clique for political purposes, with an orator at their head, (he
intentionally uses the term [Greek: _haegemon_], chairman of the
board,) to conduct the business of the assembly, while they stood to
shout and applaud his speeches. The general, who held a judicial court
to decide disputes about the property-tax, and who in matters of state

ought to be independent, was subservient to the orator, who defended
him in the popular assembly.] for taxes; now you have boards for
politics. There is an orator presiding on either side, a general under him,
and three hundred men to shout; the rest of you are attached to the one
party or the other. This you must leave off; be yourselves again;
establish a general liberty of speech, deliberation, and action. If some
are appointed to command as with royal authority, some to be
ship-captains, tax-payers, soldiers by compulsion, others only to vote
against them, and help in nothing besides, no duty will be seasonably
performed; the aggrieved parties will still fail you, and you will have to
punish them instead of your enemies. I say, in short; you must all fairly
contribute, according to each man's ability; take your turns of service
till you have all been afield; give every speaker a hearing, and adopt the
best counsel, not what this or that person advises. If ye act thus, not
only will ye praise the speaker at the moment, but yourselves afterward,
when the condition of the country is improved.

THE THIRD OLYNTHIAC.
THE ARGUMENT.
The Athenians had dispatched succors to Olynthus, and received, as
Libanius says, some favorable intelligence; more probably, however,
some vague rumors, which led them to imagine the danger was for the
time averted. They began, very prematurely, as the result showed, to be
confident of success, and talked of punishing Philip for his presumption.
In this they were encouraged by certain foolish orators, who sought to
flatter the national prejudices. Demosthenes in this oration strives to
check the arrogance of the people; reminds them of the necessity of
defensive rather than offensive measures, and especially of the
importance of preserving their allies. He again adverts (and this time
more boldly) to the law of Eubulus, which he intimates ought to be
repealed; and he exhorts the Athenians generally to make strenuous
exertions against Philip,
Not the same ideas, men of Athens, are presented to me, when I look at
our condition and when at the speeches which are delivered. The
speeches, I find, are about punishing Philip; but our condition is come
to this, that we must mind we are not first damaged ourselves.
Therefore, it seems to me, these orators commit the simple error of not

laying before you the true subject of debate. That once we might safely
have held our own and punished Philip too, I know well enough; both
have been possible in my own time, not very long ago. But now, I am
persuaded, it is sufficient in the first instance to effect