nd with
them, to be a party to their proceedings, this they absolutely refused,
now that they saw them marching against time-honoured friends of the
city like the Phocians, and blotting out states whose loyalty in the
great Persian war was conspicuous no less than their friendship to
Athens. Accordingly the People passed a decree to make peace; but in the
first instance they sent an embassy to Thebes, inviting that state to
join them if it pleased them on an embassy which they proposed to send
to Lacedaemon to treat of peace. In the next place they despatched such
an embassy on their own account. Among the commissioners appointed
were Callias the son of Hipponicus, Autocles the son of Strombichides,
Demostratus the son of Aristophon, Aristocles, Cephisodotus, (2)
Melanopus, and Lycaethus.

(1) Plataea destroyed in B.C. 373. See Jowett, "Thuc." ii. 397.

(2) See below, "Hell." VII. i. 12; Hicks, 87.

B.C. 371. (These were formally introduced to the Deputies of the
Lacedaemonians and the allies. (3)) Nor ought the name of Callistratus
to be omitted. That statesman and orator was present. He had obtained
furlough from Iphicrates on an undertaking either to send money for
the fleet or to arrange a peace. Hence his arrival in Athens and
transactions in behalf of peace. After being introduced to the assembly
(4) of the Lacedaemonians and to the allies, Callias, (5) who was the
dadouchos (or torch-holder) in the mysteries, made the first speech.
He was a man just as well pleased to praise himself as to hear himself
praised by others. He opened the proceedings as follows:

(3) The bracketed words read like an annotator's comment, or possibly
they are a note by the author.

(4) See above, "Hell." II. iv. 38.

(5) See above, "Hell." IV. v. 13; Cobet, "Prosop. Xen." p. 67 foll.;
Xen. "Symp."; Plat. "Protag."; Andoc. "de Myst." If this is one
and the same person he must have been an elderly man at this date,
371 B.C.

"Lacedaemonians, the duty of representing you as proxenos at Athens is
a privilege which I am not the first member of my family to enjoy; my
father's father held it as an heirloom of our family and handed it down
as a heritage to his descendants. If you will permit me, I should like
to show you the disposition of my fatherland towards yourselves. If in
times of war she chooses us as her generals, so when her heart is set
upon quiet she sends us out as her messengers of peace. I myself have