On The Crown   

and the Council now voted that the Amphictyonic states should send
representatives, to discuss the question of war against Amphissa, to a
meeting to be held at Thermopylae before the spring meeting of the
Council. To this preliminary meeting, the Athenians (though inclined to
view Aeschines' performance with favour), on the advice of Demosthenes,
sent no representatives; nor did the Thebans (the allies of Amphissa). War
was declared by the Amphictyons against Amphissa; but Cottyphus, the
Thessalian, who had been appointed general, made little headway, and (at
the spring or the autumn meeting of the Council) declared that the
Amphictyonic states must either send men and money, or else make Philip
their general. Philip was, of course, at once appointed; but instead of
proceeding against Amphissa, marched to Elateia and fortified it. This
caused the greatest alarm at Athens. Demosthenes was immediately
dispatched to Thebes, where he succeeded, by what appear to have been
liberal and judicious proposals, in making an alliance between Thebes and
Athens, in spite of the attempts of Philip's envoys to counteract his
influence. Euboea, Megara, Corinth, and other members of the league also
sent help. Philip himself called upon his own friends in the Peloponnese
for aid, and at last moved towards Amphissa. Demosthenes seems now to have
succeeded in applying the festival-money to purposes of war, and with the
aid of Lycurgus, who became Controller of the Festival Fund, to have
amassed a large sum for the use of the State. At the Dionysia of 338 he
was again crowned, on the proposal of Demomeles and Hypereides. The allies
at first won some successes and refortified some of the Phocian towns, but
afterwards unfortunately divided their forces, and so enabled Philip to
defeat the two divisions separately, and to destroy Amphissa. Philip's
proposals of peace found supporters both in Thebes and in Athens, but were
counteracted by Demosthenes. Late in the summer of 338, the decisive
battle was fought at Chaeroneia, and resulted in the total rout of the
allies. Demosthenes himself was one of the fugitives. Philip placed a
Macedonian garrison in Thebes, restored his exiled friends to power there,
established a Council of Three Hundred, and (through them) put to death or
banished his enemies. He also gave Orchomenus, Thespiae, and Plataeae
their independence. After a moment of panic, the Athenians, led by
Demosthenes, Lycurgus, and Hypereides, proceeded to take all possible
measures for the defence of the city, while private munificence supplied
the treasury. Demosthenes himself superintended the repair of the
fortifications, and went on a mission to secure a supply of corn. But
Philip, instead of marching upon Athens, sent a message by Demades, whom
he had taken prisoner at Chaeroneia; and the Assembly, in reply,
instructed Demades, Aeschines, and Phocion to ask Philip to release his
Athenian prisoners. Philip released them without ransom, and sent
Antipater and Alexander (with the ashes of the Athenian dead) to offer
terms of peace. By the 'Peace of Demades', concluded while Demosthenes was
still absent, the alliance between Athens and Philip was renewed; the
independence of Athens was guaranteed; Oropus was taken from Thebes and
restored to Athens; and she was permitted to retain Salamis, Samos, Delos,
and probably Lemnos and Imbros. On the other hand, she lost all her
possessions on the Hellespont and in the Chersonese, and promised to join
the league which Philip intended to form for the invasion of Persia.
Demosthenes was selected by the Assembly to deliver the funeral oration
upon those who fell at Chaeroneia; and although the Macedonian party
attacked him repeatedly in the law-courts, he was always acquitted. Philip
paid a long visit to the Peloponnese, in the course of which he placed a
Macedonian garrison in Corinth, ravaged Laconia, giving parts of it to his
allies, the Argives and Arcadians, and announced his plans for the
invasion of Persia at the head of the Greeks; he then returned to
Macedonia.

In 337 Demosthenes was again Commissioner of Fortifications, as well as
Controller of the Festival Fund--the most important office in the State.
He not only performed his work most efficiently, but gave considerable
sums for public purposes out of his private fortune; and early in 336
Ctesiphon proposed, and the Council resolved, that he should once more be