422 HISTOBY OP GREECE. In the meantime, the Athenians, after having pass ;d the decren abovementioned, reappointed (in the very same assembly of the 16th Skirrophorion, June), the same ten envoys to carry intelli- gence of it to Philip, and to be witnesses of the accomplishment of the splendid promises made in his name. But Demosthenes immediately swore off, and refused to serve; while JEschines, though he did not swear off, was nevertheless so much indisposed, as to be unable to go. This at least is his own statement ; though Demosthenes affirms that the illness was a mere concerted pre- tence, in order that ^Eschines might remain at home to counter- work any reaction of public feeling at Athens, likely to arise on the arrival of the bad news, which JEschines knew to be at hand, from Phokis. 1 Others having been chosen in place of jEschines and Demosthenes, 2 the ten envoys set out, and proceeded as far as Chalkis in Euboea. It was there that they learned the fatal in- telligence from the main land on the other side of the Eubrean strait. On the 23d of Skirrophorion, Phalaskus and all the Pho kian towns had surrendered ; Philip was master of Thermopylae, had joined his forces with the Thebans, and proclaimed an un- qualified philo-Theban policy; on the 27th of Skirrophorion, Derkyllus, one of the envoys, arrived in haste back at Athens, having stopped short in his mission on hearing the facts. rocovTov del TUV vnapxovTuv nva al%/Liu'A.uTov auaai, w<7#' o/lov TOTTOV ical irhelv fj /tvpiovf [lev OTr/lfraf , 6[iov 6e <Aiot>f iTTireaf TUV {nrapxdvruv ov/u/ia fwv, oTTUf alxpahuToi yivuvrai QMTriry avpTrapEVKevaaev. Diodonts (xvi. 59) states the mercenaries of Phalcekus at eight thousand nen. Because the Phokians capitulated to Philip and not to the Thebans (p. 360) because not one of their towns made any resistance Demosthe- nes argues that this proves their confidence in the favorable dispositions of Philip, as testified by ^Eschines. But he overstrains this argument against ^Eschines. The Phokians had no choice but to surrender, as soon as all chance of Athenian aid was manifestly shut out. The belief of favorable dispositions on the part of Philip, was doubtless an auxiliary motive, but lot the primary or predominant. 1 Demosthen. Pals. Leg. p. 378 ; JEschines, Fals. Leg. p. 40. c. 30. It sppears that the ten envoys were not all the same TUV uXAuv roi)j irhriarove Toi)f OVTOV^, etc.
- Demosthen. Fals. Lg. p. 380. oW on TrpeapevTfa a/l/lof ypr^ro uv$
Kirov, etc. JEschines (Fals. Leg. p. 46. c. 43) does not seem to deny this distinctly.
