demosthenes-第3部分

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severity。　In　his　extempore　retorts　and　rejoinders；　he　allowed
himself　the　use　of　jest　and　mockery。　When　Demades　said；　〃Demosthenes
teach　me！　So　might　the　sow　teach　Minerva！〃　he　replied；　〃Was　it　this
Minerva；　that　was　lately　found　playing　the　harlot　in　Collytus？〃　When　a
thief；　who　had　the　nickname　of　the　Brazen；　was　attempting　to　upbraid
him　for　sitting　up　late；　and　writing　by　candle…light；　〃I　know　very
well；〃　said　he；　〃that　you　had　rather　have　all　lights　out；　and　wonder
not；　O　ye　men　of　Athens；　at　the　many　robberies　which　are　committed；
since　we　have　thieves　of　brass　and　walls　of　clay。〃　But　on　these
points；　though　we　have　much　more　to　mention；　we　will　add　nothing　at
present。　We　will　proceed　to　take　an　estimate　of　his　character　from　his
actions　and　his　life　as　a　statesmen。
　　His　first　entering　into　public　business　was　much　about　the　time　of
the　Phocian　war；　as　himself　affirms；　and　may　be　collected　from　his
Philippic　orations。　For　of　these；　some　were　made　after　that　action　was
over；　and　the　earliest　of　them　refer　to　its　concluding　events。　It　is
certain　that　he　engaged　in　the　accusation　of　Midias　when　he　was　but
two…and…thirty　years　old；　having　as　yet　no　interest　or　reputation　as　a
politician。　And　this　it　was；　I　consider；　that　induced　him　to
withdraw　the　action；　and　accept　a　sum　of　money　as　a　compromise。　For　of
himself…

　　　　　　　　　〃He　was　no　easy　or　good…natured　man；〃

but　of　a　determined　disposition；　and　resolute　to　see　himself
righted；　however；　finding　it　a　hard　matter　and　above　his　strength　to
deal　with　Midias；　a　man　so　well　secured　on　all　sides　with　money；
eloquence；　and　friends；　he　yielded　to　the　entreaties　of　those　who
interceded　for　him。　But　had　he　seen　any　hopes　or　possibility　of
prevailing；　I　cannot　believe　that　three　thousand　drachmas　could　have
taken　off　the　edge　of　his　revenge。　The　object　which　he　chose　for
himself　in　the　commonwealth　was　noble　and　just；　the　defence　of　the
Grecians　against　Philip；　and　in　this　he　behaved　himself　so　worthily
that　he　soon　grew　famous；　and　excited　attention　everywhere　for　his
eloquence　and　courage　in　speaking。　He　was　admired　through　all
Greece；　the　King　of　Persia　courted　him；　and　by　Philip　himself　he　was
more　esteemed　than　all　the　other　orators。　His　very　enemies　were　forced
to　confess　that　they　had　to　do　with　a　man　of　mark；　for　such　a
character　even　Aeschines　and　Hyperides　give　him；　where　they　accuse　and
speak　against　him。
　　So　that　I　cannot　imagine　what　ground　Theopompus　had　to　say　that
Demosthenes　was　of　a　fickle；　unsettled　disposition；　and　could　not　long
continue　firm　either　to　the　same　men　or　the　same　affairs；　whereas
the　contrary　is　most　apparent；　for　the　same　party　and　post　in　politics
which　he　held　from　the　beginning；　to　these　he　kept　constant　to　the
end；　and　was　so　far　from　leaving　them　while　he　lived　that　he　chose
rather　to　forsake　his　life　than　his　purpose。　He　was　never　heard　to
apologize　for　shifting　sides　like　Demades；　who　would　say　he　often
spoke　against　himself；　but　never　against　the　city；　nor　as　Melanopus；
who　being　generally　against　Callistratus；　but　being　often　bribed　off
with　money；　was　wont　to　tell　the　people；　〃The　man　indeed　is　my
enemy；　but　we　must　submit　for　the　good　of　our　country；〃　nor　again　as
Nicodemus；　the　Messenian；　who　having　first　appeared　on　Cassander's
side；　and　afterwards　taken　part　with　Demetrius；　said　the　two　things
were　not　in　themselves　contrary；　it　being　always　most　advisable　to
obey　the　conqueror。　We　have　nothing　of　this　kind　to　say　against
Demosthenes；　as　one　who　would　turn　aside　or　prevaricate；　either　in
word　or　deed。　There　could　not　have　been　less　variation　in　his　public
acts　if　they　had　all　been　played；　so　to　say；　from　first　to　last；
from　the　same　score。　Panaetius；　the　philosopher；　said　that　most　of　his
orations　are　so　written　as　if　they　were　to　prove　this　one
conclusion；　that　what　is　honest　and　virtuous　is　for　itself　only　to
be　chosen；　as　that　of　the　Crown；　that　against　Aristocrates；　that　for
the　Immunities；　and　the　Philippics；　in　all　which　he　persuades　his
fellow…citizens　to　pursue　not　that　which　seems　most　pleasant；　easy；　or
profitable；　but　declares；　over　and　over　again；　that　they　ought　in
the　first　place　to　prefer　that　which　is　just　and　honourable　before
their　own　safety　and　preservation。　So　that　if　he　had　kept　his　hands
clean；　if　his　courage　for　the　wars　had　been　answerable　to　the
generosity　of　his　principles；　and　the　dignity　of　his　orations；　he
might　deservedly　have　his　name　placed；　not　in　the　number　of　such
orators　as　Moerocles；　Polyeuctus；　and　Hyperides；　but　in　the　highest
rank　with　Cimon；　Thucydides；　and　Pericles。
　　Certainly　amongst　those　who　were　contemporary　with　him；　Phocion；
though　he　appeared　on　the　less　commendable　side　in　the　commonwealth；
and　was　counted　as　one　of　the　Macedonian　party；　nevertheless；　by　his
courage　and　his　honesty；　procured　himself　a　name　not　inferior　to　these
of　Ephialtes；　Aristides；　and　Cimon。　But　Demosthenes；　being　neither　fit
to　be　relied　on　for　courage　in　arms；　as　Demetrius　says；　nor　on　all
sides　inaccessible　to　bribery　（for　how　invincible　soever　he　was
against　the　gifts　of　Philip　and　the　Macedonians；　yet　elsewhere　he
lay　open　to　assault；　and　was　overpowered　by　the　gold　which　came　down
from　Susa　and　Ecbatana）；　was　therefore　esteemed　better　able　to
recommend　than　to　imitate　the　virtues　of　past　times。　And　yet
（excepting　only　Phocion）；　even　in　his　life　and　manners；　he　far
surpassed　the　other　orators　of　his　time。　None　of　them　addressed　the
people　so　boldly；　he　attacked　the　faults；　and　opposed　himself　to　the
unreasonable　desires　of　the　multitude；　as　may　be　seen　in　his　orations。
Theopompus　writes；　that　the　Athenians　having　by　name　selected
Demosthenes；　and　called　upon　him　to　accuse　a　certain　person；　he
refused　to　do　it；　upon　which　the　assembly　being　all　in　an　uproar；　he
rose　up　and　said；　〃Your　counsellor；　whether　you　will　or　no；　O　ye　men
of　Athens；　you　shall　always　have　me；　but　a　sycophant　or　false　accuser；
though　you　would　have　me；　I　shall　never　be。〃　And　his　conduct　in　the
case　of　Antiphon　was　perfectly　aristocratical；　whom；　after　he　had　been
acquitted　in　the　assembly；　he　took　and　brought　before　the　court　of
Areopagus；　and；　setting　at　naught　the　displeasure　of　the　people；
convicted　him　there　of　having　promised　Philip　to　burn　the　arsenal；
whereupon　the　man　was　condemned　by　that　court；　and　suffered　for　it。　He
accused；　also；　Theoris；　the　priestess；　amongst　other　misdemeanours；　of
having　instructed　and　taught　the　slaves　to　deceive　and　cheat　their
masters；　for　which　the　sentence　of　death　was　passed　upon　her；　and
she　was　executed。
　　The　oration　which　Apollodorus　made　use　of；　and　by　it　carried　the
cause　against　Timotheus；　the　general；　in　an　action　of　debt；　it　is　said
was　written　for　him　by　Demosthenes；　as　also　those　against　Phormion　and
Stephanus；　in　which　latter　case　he　was　thought　to　have　acted
dishonourably；　for　the　speech　which　Phormion　used　against
Apollodorus　was　also　of　his　making；　he；　as　it　were；　having　simply
furnished　two　adversaries　out　of　the　same　shop　with　weapons　to　wound
one　another。　Of　his　orations　addressed　to　the　public　assemblies；
that　against　Androtion　and　those　against　Timocrates　and
Aristocrates；　were　written　for　others；　before　he　had　come　forward
himself　as　a　politician。　They　were　composed；　it　seems；　when　he　was　but
seven　or　eight　and　twenty　years　old。　That　against　Aristogiton；　and
that　for　the　Immunities；　he　spoke　himself；　at　the　request；　as　he　says；
of　Ctesippus；　the　son　of　Chabrias；　but；　as　some　say；　out　of
courtship　to　the　young　man's　mother。　Though；　in　fact；　he　did　not　marry
her；　for　his　wife　was　a　woman　of　Samos；　as　Demetrius；　the　Magnesian；
writes；　in　his　book　on　Persons　of　the　same　Name。　It　is　not　certain
whether　his　oration　against　Aeschines；　for　Misconduct　as　Ambassador；
was　ever　spoken；　although　Idomeneus　says　that　Aeschines　wanted　only
thirty　voices　to　condemn　him。　But　this　seems　not　to　be　correct；　at
least　so　far　as　may　be　conjectured　from　both　their　orations　concerning
the　Crown；　for　in　these；　neither　of　them　speaks　clearly　or　directly　of
it；　as　a　cause　that　ever　came　to　trial。　But　let　others　decide　this
controversy。
　　It　was　evident；　even　in　time　of　peace；　what　course　Demosthenes　would
steer　in　the　commonwealth；　for　whatever　was　done　by　the　Macedonian；　he
criticized　and　found　fault　with；　and　upon　all　occasions　was　stirring
up　the　people　of　Athens；　and　inflaming　them　against　him。　Therefore；　in
the　court　of　Philip；　no　man　was　so　much　talked　of；　or　of　so　great
account　as　he；　and　when　he　came　thither；　one　of　the　ten　ambassadors
who　were　sent　into　Macedonia；　though　all　had　audience　given　them；
yet　his　speech　was　answered　with　most　care　and　exactness。　But　in　other
respects；　Philip　entertained　him　not　so　honourably　as　the　rest；
neither　did　he　show　him　the　same　kindness　and　civility　with　which　he
applied　himself　to　the　party　of　Aeschines　and　Philocrates。　So　that；
when　the　others　commended　Philip　for　his　able　speaking；　his
beautiful　person；　nay；　and　also　for　his　good　companionship　in
drinking；　Demosthenes　could　not　refrain　from　cavilling　at　these
praises；　the　first；　he　said；　was　a　quality　which　might　well　enough
become　a　rhetorician；　the　second　a　woman；　and　the　last　was　only　the
property　of　a　sponge；　no　one　of　them　was　the　proper　commendation　of
a　prince。
　　But　when　things　came　at　last　to　war；　Philip　on　the　one　side　being
not　able　to　live　in　peace；　and　the　Athenians；　on　the　other　side；　being
stirred　up　by　Demosthenes；　the　first　action　he　put　them　upon　was　the
reducing　of　Euboea；　which；　by　the　treachery　of　the　tyrants；　was
brought　under　subjection　to　Philip。　And　on　his　proposition；　the　decree
was　voted；　and　they　crossed　over　thither　and　chased　the　Macedonians
out　of　the　island。　The　next　was　the　relief　of　the　Byzantines　and
Perinthians；　whom　the　Macedonians　at　that　time　were　attacking。　He
persuaded　the　people　to　lay　aside　their　enmity　against　these　cities；
to　forget　the　offences　committed　by　them　in　the　Confederate　War；　and
to　send　them　such　succours　as　eventually　saved　and　secured　them。　Not
long　after；　he　undertook　an　embassy　through　the　states　of　Greece；
which　he　solicited　and　so　far　incensed　against　Philip　that；　a　few　only
excepted；　he　brought　them　all