On The Crown   

I suppose, either realized beforehand what was going on or guarded against
it--that is how such affairs are usually conducted here; Aeschines was
nominated a delegate to the Council; three or four people held up their
hands for him, and he was declared elected. But when, bearing with him the
prestige of this city, he reached the Amphictyons, he dismissed and closed
his eyes to all other considerations, and proceeded to perform the task
for which he had been hired. He composed and recited a story, in
attractive language, of the way in which the Cirrhaean territory had come
to be dedicated; {150} and with this he persuaded the members of the
Council, who were unused to rhetoric and did not foresee what was about to
happen, that they should resolve to make the circuit of the territory,[n]
which the Amphisseans said they were cultivating because it was their own,
while he alleged that it was part of the consecrated land. The Locrians
were not bringing any suit against us, or taking any such action as (in
order to justify himself) he now falsely alleges. You may know this from
the following consideration. It was clearly impossible[n] for the Locrians
to bring a suit against Athens to an actual issue, without summoning us.
Who then served the summons upon us? Before what authority was it served?
Tell us who knows: point to him. You cannot do so. It was a hollow and a
false pretext of which you thus made a wrongful use. {151} While the
Amphictyons were making the circuit of the territory in accordance with
Aeschines' suggestion, the Locrians fell upon them and came near to
shooting them all down with their spears; some of the members of the
Council they even carried off with them. And now that complaints and
hostilities had been stirred up against the Amphisseans, in consequence of
these proceedings, the command was first held by Cottyphus, and his force
was drawn from the Amphictyonic Powers alone. But since some did not come,
and those who came did nothing, the men who had been suborned for the
purpose--villains of long standing, chosen from the Thessalians and from
the traitors in other States--took steps with a view to entrusting the
affair to Philip, as commander, at the next meeting of the Council. {152}
They had adopted arguments of a persuasive kind. Either, they said, the
Amphictyons must themselves contribute funds, maintain mercenaries, and
fine those who refused to do so; or they must elect Philip. To make a long
story short, the result was that Philip was appointed. And immediately
afterwards, having collected a force and crossed the Pass, ostensibly on
his way to the territory of Cirrha, he bids a long farewell to the
Cirrhaeans and Locrians, and seizes Elateia. {153} Now if the Thebans had
not changed their policy at once, upon seeing this, and joined us, the
trouble would have descended upon the city in full force, like a torrent
in winter. As it was, the Thebans checked him for the moment; chiefly, men
of Athens, through the goodwill of some Heavenly Power towards us; but
secondarily, so far as it lay in one man's power, through me also. (_To
the clerk_.) Now give me the decrees in question, and the dates of each
proceeding; (_to the jury_) that you may know what trouble this abominable
creature stirred up, unpunished. (_To the clerk_.) Read me the decrees.

{154} [_The decrees of the Amphictyons are read_.]

{155} (_To the clerk_.) Now read the dates of these proceedings. (_To the
jury_.) They are the dates at which Aeschines was delegate to the Council.
(_To the clerk_.) Read.

[_The dates are read_.]

{156} Now give me the letter which Philip sent to his allies in the
Peloponnese, when the Thebans failed to obey his summons. For from this,
too, you may clearly see that he concealed the real reason for his
action--the fact that he was taking measures against Hellas and the
Thebans and yourselves--and pretended to represent the common cause and
the will of the Amphictyons. And the man who provided him with all these
occasions and pretexts was Aeschines. (_To the clerk_.) Read.

{157} [_Philip's letter is read_.]