On The Crown   

summoned the trumpeter; and the city was full of commotion. On the morrow,
at break of day, the Prytanes summoned the Council to the Council-Chamber,
while you made your way to the Assembly; and before the Council had
transacted its business and passed its draft-resolution,[n] the whole
people was seated on the hill-side.[n] {170} And now, when the Council had
arrived, and the Prytanes had reported the intelligence which they had
received, and had brought forward the messenger, and he had made his
statement, the herald proceeded to ask, 'Who wishes to speak?' But no one
came forward; and though the herald repeated the question many times,
still no one rose, though all the generals were present, and all the
orators, and the voice of their country was calling for some one to speak
for her deliverance. For the voice of the herald, uttered in accordance
with the laws, is rightly to be regarded as the common voice of our
country. {171} And yet, if it was for those to come forward who wished for
the deliverance of the city, all of you and all the other Athenians would
have risen, and proceeded to the platform, for I am certain that you all
wished for her deliverance. If it was for the wealthiest, the Three
Hundred[n] would have risen; and if it was for those who had both these
qualifications--loyalty to the city and wealth--then those would have
risen, who subsequently made those large donations; for it was loyalty and
wealth that led them so to do. {172} But that crisis and that day called,
it seems, not merely for a man of loyalty and wealth, but for one who had
also followed the course of events closely from the first, and had come to
a true conclusion as to the motive and the aim with which Philip was
acting as he was. For no one who was unacquainted with these, and had not
scrutinized them from an early period, was any the more likely, for all
his loyalty and wealth, to know what should be done, or to be able to
advise you. {173} The man who was needed was found that day in me. I came
forward and addressed you in words which I ask you to listen to with
attention, for two reasons--first, because I would have you realize that I
was the only orator or politician who did not desert his post as a loyal
citizen in the hour of danger, but was found there, speaking and proposing
what your need required, in the midst of the terror; and secondly, because
by the expenditure of a small amount of time, you will be far better
qualified for the future in the whole art of political administration.
{174} My words then were these: 'Those who are unduly disturbed by the
idea that Philip can count upon the support of Thebes do not, I think,
understand the present situation. For I am quite sure that, if this were
so, we should have heard of his being, not at Elateia, but on our own
borders. At the same time, I understand quite well, that he has come to
prepare the way for himself at Thebes. {175} Listen,' I said, 'while I
tell you the true state of affairs. Philip already has at his disposal all
the Thebans whom he could win over either by bribery or by deception; and
those who have resisted him from the first and are opposing him now, he
has no chance of winning. What then is his design and object in seizing
Elateia? He wishes, by making a display of force in their neighbourhood
and bringing up his army, to encourage and embolden his own friends, and
to strike terror into his enemies, that so they may either concede out of
terror what they now refuse, or may be compelled. {176} Now,' I said, 'if
we make up our minds at the present moment to remember any ill-natured
action which the Thebans may have done us, and to distrust them on the
assumption that they are on the side of our enemies, we shall be doing, in
the first place, just what Philip would pray for: and further, I am afraid
that his present opponents may then welcome him, that all may
philippize[n] with one consent, and that he and they may march to Attica
together. If, however, you follow my advice, and give your minds to the
problem before us, instead of to contentious criticism of anything that I
may say, I believe that I shall be able to win your approval for my
proposals, and to dispel the danger which threatens the city. {177} What
then must you do? You must first moderate your present alarm, and then
change your attitude, and be alarmed, all of you, for the Thebans. They
are far more within the reach of disaster than we: it is they whom the
danger threatens first. Secondly, those who are of military age, with the
cavalry, must march to Eleusis,[n] and let every one see that you