31.44
It was
in the early part of this summer that the fleet under L. Apustius left Corcyra
and after rounding the Cape of Malea was joined by Attalus off Scyllaeum, a
place situated in the district of Hermione. On this the Athenians, who had for
a long time been afraid to show their hostility to Philip too openly, now at
the prospect of immediate assistance gave full vent to their rage against him.
There is never any lack of tongues there to stir up the populace. People of
this sort thrive on the applause of the mob, and are found in all free States,
particularly in Athens where oratory had so much influence. A proposal was
introduced and at once adopted by the people that all the statues and busts
of Philip and of all his ancestors, male and female alike, with the inscriptions
on them should be removed and destroyed; the festivals, sacrifices and
priests which had been instituted in honour of him or of his predecessors
should be abolished; even the localities in which anything had been set up, or
where there was any inscription to perpetuate his name, were to be placed
under a curse, and nothing which it was right to erect or consecrate on
undesecrated ground could be erected or consecrated in these places. On
every occasion on which the official priests offered up prayers for the people
of Athens and the armies and fleets of their allies, they were always to
invoke solemn curses on Philip, his children and his realm, al1 his forces,
military and naval, and on the whole nation of the Macedonians. It was
further decreed that if any one should in future introduce any measure
calculated to brand Philip with ignominy the Athenians should at once adopt
it, and if any one by word or deed tried to vindicate him or do him honour
the man who slew him would be justified in doing so. Finally it was enacted
that all the decrees which had been formerly made against Pisistratus should
be in force against Philip. As far as words went the Athenians made war on
Philip, but it was only in these that their strength lay.
