DOI Seite / Zitierlink:
https://doi.org/10.11588/diglit.13851#0042
uF THE CIVIL government OP athens
But all this care was not sufficient to keep apeople, restless and imp**
tient of any thing that savoured of servitude, in obedience ; for Deme-
trius's power being again diminished by divers bad successes, they made
another revolt, expelled his garrison and proclaimed liberty to all Athe-
nians ; and to do him the greater disgrace, they displaced Diphilius, who
■was that year the priest of two tutelar deities, that is, Antigonus and Deme-
trius, and by an edict of the people restored tne priesthood to its ancient
form. Again, Demetrius having recovered himself a little, and being
justly enraged against them for their repeated perfidies, laid close siege
to the city, but by the persuasion of Craterus, the philosopher, was
wrought upon to quit it, and leave them once more in possession of their
freedom.
Some time after this, Demetrius died, and was succeeded by Antigonus
Gonatus, who again recovered Athens, put a garrison into it, and left it in
the hands of his successor : but upon the death of Demetrius, the son of
Gonatus, the Athenians made another attempt to regain their liberty, and
called in Aratus to their assistance, who, though he had been signally af-
fronted by them, and lain a long time bed-rid of an infirmity, yet rather
than fail the city in a time of need, was carried thither in a litter, and
prevailed with Diogenes the governor, to deliver up the Piraeeus, Mu-
nychia, Salamis,and Sunium, to the Athenians, in consideration of an hun-
dred and fifty talents, whereof Aratus himself gave twenty to the city.
Of all these changes and successes we have" a large account in Pausanias,
Plutarch, and Diodorus.
Not long after this re-establishment, they quarrelled with Philip, king
of Macedon. who reduced them to great extremities, laid waste their
country, pulled down all the temples ia the villages around Athens, des-
troyed all their stately edifices, and caused his soldiers to break in pieces
the very stones, that they might not be serviceable in the reparation of
them ; all which losses, with a great many aggravations, are elegantly
set forth in an oration of the Athenian ambassadors to the .ST.tolians, in
Livy (1). But the Romans coming to their assistance, Philip was forced
to forsake his enterprise, and, being afterwards entirely defeated, left the
Grecians in a full possession of their liberty, which, at least some show
of it, they enjoyed many years, under the Roman protection.
CHAP. VI.
of the state of athens, from its confederacy with rome to con-
stantine the great.
The Grecians, and others that put themselves under the Roman pro-
tection, though they gilded their condition with the specious name of li-
berty, yet were no farther free than it pleased those in whose power they
were. They were governed indeed by their own laws, and had the pri-
vilege of electing their own magistrates ; yet their laws were of small
force, if they seemed any way to oppose the Roman interest and good
(1) Lib. xxx. cap. 31.
But all this care was not sufficient to keep apeople, restless and imp**
tient of any thing that savoured of servitude, in obedience ; for Deme-
trius's power being again diminished by divers bad successes, they made
another revolt, expelled his garrison and proclaimed liberty to all Athe-
nians ; and to do him the greater disgrace, they displaced Diphilius, who
■was that year the priest of two tutelar deities, that is, Antigonus and Deme-
trius, and by an edict of the people restored tne priesthood to its ancient
form. Again, Demetrius having recovered himself a little, and being
justly enraged against them for their repeated perfidies, laid close siege
to the city, but by the persuasion of Craterus, the philosopher, was
wrought upon to quit it, and leave them once more in possession of their
freedom.
Some time after this, Demetrius died, and was succeeded by Antigonus
Gonatus, who again recovered Athens, put a garrison into it, and left it in
the hands of his successor : but upon the death of Demetrius, the son of
Gonatus, the Athenians made another attempt to regain their liberty, and
called in Aratus to their assistance, who, though he had been signally af-
fronted by them, and lain a long time bed-rid of an infirmity, yet rather
than fail the city in a time of need, was carried thither in a litter, and
prevailed with Diogenes the governor, to deliver up the Piraeeus, Mu-
nychia, Salamis,and Sunium, to the Athenians, in consideration of an hun-
dred and fifty talents, whereof Aratus himself gave twenty to the city.
Of all these changes and successes we have" a large account in Pausanias,
Plutarch, and Diodorus.
Not long after this re-establishment, they quarrelled with Philip, king
of Macedon. who reduced them to great extremities, laid waste their
country, pulled down all the temples ia the villages around Athens, des-
troyed all their stately edifices, and caused his soldiers to break in pieces
the very stones, that they might not be serviceable in the reparation of
them ; all which losses, with a great many aggravations, are elegantly
set forth in an oration of the Athenian ambassadors to the .ST.tolians, in
Livy (1). But the Romans coming to their assistance, Philip was forced
to forsake his enterprise, and, being afterwards entirely defeated, left the
Grecians in a full possession of their liberty, which, at least some show
of it, they enjoyed many years, under the Roman protection.
CHAP. VI.
of the state of athens, from its confederacy with rome to con-
stantine the great.
The Grecians, and others that put themselves under the Roman pro-
tection, though they gilded their condition with the specious name of li-
berty, yet were no farther free than it pleased those in whose power they
were. They were governed indeed by their own laws, and had the pri-
vilege of electing their own magistrates ; yet their laws were of small
force, if they seemed any way to oppose the Roman interest and good
(1) Lib. xxx. cap. 31.