312 HISTORICAL TALES.

“If Philip is the friend of Greece we are doing
wrong,” Demosthenes had cried. “If he is the
enemy of Greece we are doing right. Which is
he? I hold him to be our enemy, because every-
thing he has hitherto done has benefited him and
hurt us.”

The fall of Greece before the sword of its foe
taught the Athenians that their orator was right.
They at length learned to esteem Demosthenes at
his full worth, and Ctesiphon, a leading Athenian,
proposed that he should receive 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.

Alischines 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 Aischines 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 De-
mosthenes. 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