The Public Orations of Demosthenes, vol 2 | Page 4

our position? 'Well, we should go to the rescue from Athens
ourselves.' What if the winds make it impossible? {18} 'But, of course,
he will not really get there.' And who can guarantee that? Do you
realize, men of Athens, or take into account, what the coming season of
the year is, the season against which some think you ought to evacuate
the Hellespont and hand it over to Philip? What if, when he leaves
Thrace, he does not go near the Chersonese or Byzantium at all--for
this, too, is a possibility which you must consider--but comes to
Chalcis[n] or Megara, just as he lately came to Oreus? Is it better to
resist him here, and to allow the war to come into Attica, or to provide
something to keep him busy there? The latter course is surely the
better.
{19} Realizing these things, therefore, as you all must, and taking due
account of them, you must not, Heaven knows, look askance at the
force which Diopeithes is trying to provide for Athens, or attempt to
disband it. You must yourselves prepare another force to support it: you
must help him freely with money, and give him in all other respects
your loyal co-operation. {20} If Philip were asked to say whether he
would wish these soldiers who are now with Diopeithes--describe them
as you will, for I in no way dispute your description--to be prosperous
and in high favour with the Athenians, and to be augmented in numbers
by the co-operation of the city; or whether he would rather see them
broken up and destroyed in consequence of calumnious charges against
them; he would prefer, I imagine, the latter alternative. Can it then be,
that there are men among us here who are trying to bring about the very

thing that Philip would pray Heaven for? And if so, do you need to
seek any further for the cause of the total ruin of the city's fortunes?
{21} I wish, therefore, to examine without reserve the present crisis of
our affairs, to inquire what we ourselves are now doing, and how we
are dealing with it. We do not wish to contribute funds, nor to serve
with the forces in person; we cannot keep our hands from the public
revenues;[n] we do not give the contributions of the allies[n] to
Diopeithes, nor do we approve of such supplies as he raises for himself;
{22} but we look malignantly at him, we ask whence he gets them,
what he intends to do, and every possible question of that kind: and yet
we are still not willing to confine ourselves to our own affairs, in
consequence of the attitude which we have adopted; we still praise with
our lips those who uphold the dignity of the city, though in our acts we
are fighting on the side of their opponents. {23} Now whenever any
one rises to speak, you always put to him the question 'What are we to
do?' I wish to put to you the question, 'What are we to _say_?' For if
you will neither contribute, nor serve in person, nor leave the public
funds alone, nor grant him the contributions, nor let him get what he
can for himself, nor yet confine yourselves to your own affairs, I do not
know what I can say. For when you give such licence to those who
desire to make charges and accusations, that you listen to them even
when they denounce him by anticipation for his alleged
intentions--well, what can one say?
{24} The possible effect of this is a matter which some of you require
to understand, and I will speak without reserve; for indeed I could not
speak otherwise. All the commanders who have ever yet sailed from
Athens--if I am wrong, I consent to any penalty that you please[n]--take
money from the Chians, from the Erythraeans,[n] from any people from
whom they can severally get it--I mean, any of the Asiatic settlers who
are now in question. {25} Those who have one or two ships take less,
those who have a larger force take more. And those who give to them
do not give either little or much for nothing; they are not so insane: in
fact, with these sums they buy immunity from injury for the merchants
who sail from their ports, freedom from piracy, the convoying of their
vessels, and so on. They call the gifts 'benevolences',[n] and that is the
name given to the sums thus obtained. {26} And in the present case,
when Diopeithes is there with his army, it is obvious that all these

peoples will give him money. From what other source do you imagine
that a general can maintain his troops, when he has received nothing
from you, and has no