THE PUBLIC ORATIONS OF DEMOSTHENES
IN TWO VOLUMES
VOL I

TRANSLATED BY
ARTHUR WALLACE PICKARD




ON THE CHERSONESE (OR. VIII)


[_Introduction_. Late in the year 343 (some time after the acquittal of
Aeschines) Philip invaded Epirus, made Alexander, brother of his wife
Olympias, king of the Molossi instead of Arybbas, and so secured, his own
influence in that region. Arybbas was honourably received at Athens.
Philip next threatened Ambracia and Leucas, which were colonies of
Corinth, and promised to restore Naupactus, which was in the hands of the
Achaeans, to the Aetolians. But Athens sent Demosthenes, Hegesippus,
Polyeuctus and others to rouse the Corinthians to resistance, and also
dispatched a force of citizens to Acarnania to help in the defence against
Philip. Philip thereupon returned, captured Echinus and Nicaea on the
Malian Gulf, and established a tetrarch in each division of Thessaly (343
B.C., or early in 342). In 342 Philistides was established, by Philip's
influence, as tyrant at Oreus in Euboea (as Cleitarchus had been at
Eretria in the preceding year), and the democratic leader Euphraeus
committed suicide in prison.[1] The town of Chalcis, however, under
Callias and Taurosthenes, remained friendly to Athens, and made a treaty
of alliance with her.