ON THE CHERSONESE
§ 9. The argument is, 'if Philip is not committing hostilities so long as he keeps away from Attica, Diopeithes is not doing so, so long as he keeps away from Macedonia, and only operates in Thrace.'
drive the vessels, &c. See Speech on the Peace, § 25 n.
§ 14. passing the time: i.e. until a convenient season for an attack arrives.
those who are on the spot: i.e. in Thrace, and who had doubtless sent messages to Athens. Others think that the words mean 'those who are here from Thrace'.
Etesian winds. See First Philippic, § 31 n.
infatuation: i.e. hostility to Athens.
§ 16. punish the settlers: i.e. those who were sent with Diopeithes and demanded admission to Cardia.
§ 18. Chalcis, in Euboea (see Introd.).
§ 21. keep our hands … revenues: a reference to the distributions of Festival-Money (see Third Olynthiac, with Introduction and notes).
contributions of the allies. This interpretation seems on the whole better warranted than 'contributions promised to Diopeithes'.
§ 24. I consent to any penalty: lit. *'I assess my own penalty at anything'—a metaphor from the practice of the law-courts, which allowed a convicted prisoner to propose an alternative penalty to that suggested by the prosecutor.
Erythraeans: Erythrae was on the coast of Asia Minor, opposite Chios.
§ 25. benevolences: the same word as was used of the forced contributions levied by English kings.
§ 27. surrendering: i.e. to his soldiers, to be plundered (if the phrase is meant to convey anything but a vague accusation).
§ 28. wax-tablet: i.e. a summons.
so many ships. The critics of Diopeithes must have proposed the sending of a definite force to control him.
§ 29. a dispatch-boat: lit. 'the Paralus'. This ship, and the Salaminia, were the two vessels regularly employed on public errands.
spitefulness: i.e. towards Diopeithes.
§ 30. Chares: see references in n. on Speech on Embassy, § 332.
Aristophon. The reference may be to his conduct as general in the early days of the war with Philip about Amphipolis. His activity as a statesman began as far back as 403, and he was one of the most influential politicians in Athens from about 361 to 354.
§ 31. losing something: sc. a scapegoat whom you could punish.
§ 40. Euthycrates, &c. See Introd. to Olynthiacs.
§ 44. wretched hamlets ([Greek: kak_on]): lit. 'evils' or 'miseries'; but the word is possibly corrupt. (The original reading may possibly have been [Greek: kalyb_on].) According to the scholiast, Drongilum and Cabyle are near Amphipolis and the Strymon; but others assign different localities to them. Masteira is quite unknown.
§ 45. pit of destruction ([Greek: barhathrh_o]). This was literally the pit into which the bodies of condemned criminals were thrown at Athens.
silos: underground store-houses for grain, such as were found in Ceos not many years ago, and may still be in use.
§ 46. irremediable ([Greek: an_ekeston]). The reading of two good manuscripts [Greek: aneikaston] (otherwise only known as a late Greek word) may be correct. If so, it may mean 'unparalleled', or 'inexplicable'.
§ 57. The meaning is, that by denouncing those who propose active measures now, they are preparing the way in order to prosecute them so soon as you find the war burdensome; whereas they should themselves be prosecuted for letting things go as far as they have gone.
§ 59. Oreus. See Introd.
Pheraeans, in 344. See Introd. to Second Philippic; and cf. Third Philippic, § 12.
compromise. Slavery seems to be ironically regarded as a compromise between activity and quiescence.
§ 63. robbed of at an earlier period. The sense must either be this, or else 'all that you have lost in open war '. In either case emendation is required.
§ 70. trierarch and choregus. Demosthenes was choregus in 348, and trierarch in 363, 359, and 357.
§ 74. Timotheus: in 358, when Athens liberated Euboea from the Thebans. Cf. First Philippic, § 17, First Olynthiac, § 8. The effect of Timotheus' speech was such that the expedition started within three days. (Speech against Androtion, § 14.)
§ 75. best counsel that he can. The text is probably corrupt; but this was probably the sense of the original.