eceive a golden crown from the state, and that his extraordinary
merit and patriotism should be proclaimed in the theatre at the great
festival of Dionysus.

AEschines declared that this was unconstitutional, and that he would
bring action against Ctesiphon for breaking the laws. For six years the
case remained untried, and then AEschines was forced to bring his suit.
He did so in a powerful speech, in which he made a bitter attack on the
whole public life of Demosthenes. When he ceased, Demosthenes rose, and
in a speech which is looked upon as the most splendid master-piece of
oratory ever produced, completely overwhelmed his life long opponent,
who left Athens in disgust. The golden crown, which Demosthenes had so
nobly won, was his, and was doubly deserved by the immortal oration to
which it gave birth, the grand burst of eloquence "For the Crown."

In 323 B.C. Alexander the Great died. Then like a trumpet rang out the
voice of Demosthenes, calling Greece to arms. Greece obeyed him and
rose. If she would be free, now or never was the time. The war known as
the Lamian war began. It ended disastrously in August, 322, and Greece
was again a Macedonian slave. Demosthenes and others of the patriots
were condemned to death as traitors. They fled for their lives.
Demosthenes sought the island of Calauri, where he took refuge in a
temple sacred to Poseidon, or Neptune. Thither his foes, led by Archias,
formerly a tragic actor, followed him.

Archias was not the man to hesitate about sacrilege. But the temple in
which Demosthenes had taken refuge was so ancient and venerable that
even he hesitated, and begged him to come out, saying that there was no
doubt that he would be pardoned.

Demosthenes sat in silence, his eyes fixed on the ground. At length, as
Archias continued his appeals, in his most persuasive accents, the
orator looked up and said,----

"Archias, you never moved me by your acting. You will not move me now by
your promises."

At this Archias lost his temper, and broke into threats.

"Now you speak like a real Macedonian oracle," said Demosthenes, calmly.
"Before you were acting. Wait a moment, then, till I write to my
friends."

With these words Demosthenes rose and walked back to the inner part of
the temple, though he was still visible from the front. Here he took out
a roll of paper and a quill pen, which he put in his mouth and bit, as
he was in the habit of doing when composing. Then he threw his h