The Second Philippic

Notes

THE SECOND PHILIPPIC

Sec. 1. _sympathetic_: i.e. towards other Greek states, desirous of securing
independence.

Sec. 2. _Alexander_, &c. Alexander of Macedon was sent by Mardonius, the
Persian commander, to offer Athens alliance with Persia on favourable
terms. Demosthenes has confused the order of events, and speaks as if this
message was brought before the battle of Salamis. The Athenians left the
city twice, before the battle of Salamis and before that of Plataeae; it
was after Salamis that Alexander was sent (Herod. viii. 140, &c.).

Sec. 14. _fortify Elateia_. This would be a menace to Thebes (cf. Speech on
the Crown, Sec.Sec. 174, 175). Elateia commands the road from Thermopylae to
Thebes.

Sec. 19. _well-balanced_ ([Greek: _s_ophronousi_]), or 'free from passion',
i.e. not liable to be carried away by ambition or cupidity as the Thebans
were. This is different from mere 'good sense' ([Greek: _syphronein, noun
echea_]). For Theban 'stupidity', see Speech on Peace, Sec. 15 (and n.).

Sec. 22. _Council of Ten_ ([Greek: _dekadarchian_]). It is clear that some
sort of oligarchical government, nominated by Philip, is referred to; but
the relation of this to the tetrarchies mentioned in the Speech on the
Chersonese, Sec. 26, as established by Philip, is uncertain. These
corresponded to the four tribes or divisions of Thessaly (Thessaliotis,
Phthiotis, Pelasgiotis, Histiaeotis); and this is confirmed by a statement
in Theopompus' forty-fourth book, to which Harpocration (s.v. [Greek:
_dekadarchia_]) refers. Harpocration states that Philip did not establish
a decadarchy in Thessaly; and if he is right, then either (a) Demosthenes
purposely used an inaccurate word, in order to suggest to the Messenians
the idea of a government like that of the Councils of Ten established some
sixty years before by Sparta in the towns subject to her; or (b) the text
is wrong, and [Greek: _dekadarchian_] is a misreading of [Greek:
DARCHIAN], in which [Greek: D] was the numeral (= 4), and the whole stood
for [Greek: _tetrarchian_]. As to (a), it is difficult to suppose that the
Messenians would not know what had happened in Thessaly so well that the
innuendo would fall flat. There is no evidence that 'decadarchy' could be
used simply as a synonym for 'oligarchy'. As to (b), the supposed
corruption is possible; but then we are left with [Greek: _tetrarchian_]
where we should expect [Greek: _tetrarchias_]: for there is no parallel to
[Greek: _tetrarchia_] (sing.) in the sense of 'a system of tetrarchies'.
It is, however, quite possible that Demosthenes was thinking especially of
the Thessalians of Pherae, and of the particular tetrarchy established
over them: and this seems on the whole the best solution. If, on the other
hand, Harpocration is wrong, the reference here may be to a Council of
Ten, either established previously to the tetrarchies, and superseded by
them, or else coexistent with and superior to them; in either case, since
the singular is used, this decadarchy must have been a single government
over the whole of Thessaly (or perhaps of the district about Pherae only),
not a number of Councils, one in each city or division of Thessaly.
(Theopompus' forty-fourth book probably dealt with 342 B.C., two years
after the present speech, though before the Speech on the Chersonese; but
we are not told that he assigned the establishment of the tetrarchies to
that year.)

Sec. 25. _find yourselves slaves_: lit. 'find your master.'

Sec. 28. _by yourselves_: i.e. in the absence of the ambassadors from Philip
and other States.

_who conveyed the promises_: i.e. Ctesiphon, Aristodemus, and Neoptolemus
(see Speech on Embassy, Sec.Sec. 12, 94, 315, &c.): but Demosthenes has probably
Aeschines also in view.

Sec. 30. _water-drinker_. See Speech on Embassy, Sec. 46.

Sec. 32. _secure myself as good a hearing_. Most editions accept this
rendering of [Greek: _emaut_o logon poi_es-o_]. But though [Greek: _logon
didonai_] = 'grant a hearing,' and [Greek: _logon tychein_] = 'get a
hearing,' [Greek: _logon eaut_o poiein_] is strange for 'secure oneself a
hearing', and the passage regularly quoted from the Speech against
Aristocrates, Sec. 81, is not parallel, since [Greek: _tout_o_] in that
passage is not a reflexive pronoun, and [Greek: _logon pepoi_eke_] almost
= [Greek: _logon ded_oki_]. Possibly the text is corrupt, and we should
either read [Greek: _psogon_] (with H. Richards) or [Greek: _emautou_]
('make you take as much account of me as of my opponents').

_further claim_: since an attack on the part of Demosthenes would incite
them to make out a plausible case for Philip once more, and so earn his
gratitude.