On The Crown   

days, or equally well[n] within three or four, have reached the
Hellespont, and saved the strongholds, by receiving his oath before he
could seize them. For he would not have touched them when we were present;
or else, if he had done so, we should have refused to administer the oath
to him; and in that case he would have failed to obtain the Peace: he
would not have had both the Peace and the strongholds as well.

{31} Such was Philip's first act of fraud, during the time of the Embassy,
and the first instance of venality on the part of these wicked men; and
over this I confess that then and now and always I have been and am at war
and at variance with them. Now observe, immediately after this, a second
and even greater piece of villainy. {32} As soon as Philip had sworn to
the Peace, after first gaining possession of Thrace because these men did
not obey my decree, he obtained from them--again by purchase--the
postponement of our departure from Macedonia, until all should be in
readiness for his campaign against the Phocians; in order that, instead of
our bringing home a report of his intentions and his preparations for the
march, which would make you set out and sail round to Thermopylae with
your war-ships as you did before,[n] you might only hear our report of the
facts when he was already on this side of Thermopylae, and you could do
nothing. {33} And Philip was beset with such fear and such a weight of
anxiety, lest in spite of his occupation of these places, his object
should slip from his grasp, if, before the Phocians were destroyed, you
resolved to assist them, that he hired this despicable creature, not now
in company with his colleagues, but by himself alone, to make to you a
statement and a report of such a character that owing to them all was
lost. {34} But I request and entreat you, men of Athens, to remember
throughout this whole trial, that, had Aeschines made no accusation that
was not included in the indictment, I too would not have said a word that
did not bear upon it; but since he has had recourse to all kinds of
imputation and slander at once, I am compelled also to give a brief answer
to each group of charges. {35} What then were the statements uttered by
him that day, in consequence of which all was lost? 'You must not be
perturbed,' he said, 'at Philip's having crossed to this side of
Thermopylae; for you will get everything that you desire, if you remain
quiet; and within two or three days you will hear that he has become the
friend of those whose enemy he was, and the enemy of those whose friend he
was, when he first came. For,' said he, 'it is not phrases that confirm
friendships' (a finely sententious expression!) 'but identity of interest;
and it is to the interest of Philip and of the Phocians and of yourselves
alike, to be rid of the heartless and overbearing demeanour of the
Thebans.' {36} To these statements some gave a ready ear, in consequence
of the tacit ill-feeling towards the Thebans at the time. What then
followed--and not after a long interval, but immediately? The Phocians
were overthrown; their cities were razed to the ground; you, who had
believed Aeschines and remained inactive, were soon afterwards bringing in
your effects from the country; while Aeschines received his gold; and
besides all this, the city reaped the ill-will of the Thebans and
Thessalians, while their gratitude for what had been done went to Philip.
{37} To prove that this is so, (_to the clerk_) read me both the decree of
Callisthenes,[n] and Philip's letter. (_To the jury_.) These two documents
together will make all the facts plain. (_To the clerk_.) Read.

{38} [_The decree of Callisthenes is read_.]

Were these the hopes, on the strength of which you made the Peace? Was
this what this hireling promised you? {39} (_To the clerk_.) Now read the
letter which Philip sent after this.

[_Philip's letter is read_.]

{40} You hear how obviously, in this letter sent to you, Philip is
addressing definite information to his own allies. 'I have done these
things,' he tells them, 'against the will of the Athenians, and to their