48
Then I was minded to hale him off by force. Which when he observed, I saw him smile and glance at the God. Archias (he said) believes that there 1s no might, no refuge for the human soul, but arms and war-ships, walls and camps. He scorns that equipment of mine which ts proof against Illyrians and Triballé and Macedonians, surer than that wooden wallOracle in Herodotus vii. 141: ‘A bulwark of wood at the last Zeus grants to the Trito-born goddess Sole to remain unwasted.’ G.C. Macaulay, Variously interpreted of the thorn hedge of the Acropolis, and of the Athenian ficet. of old, which the God averred none should prevail against. Secure in this I ever took a fearless course; fearless I braved the might of Macedonia; little I cared tor Euctemon or Aristogiton, for Pytheas and Callimedon, for Philip in the old days, for Archias to-day.
49
And then, Lay no hand upon me. Be it not mine to bring outrage upon the temple; I will but greet the God, and follow of my free will. And for me, I put reliance upon this, and when he lifted his hand to his mouth, I thought it was but to do obeisance.
49
Antipater And it was indeed—?
49
Archias We put his servant to the question later, and learned from her that he had long had poison by him, to give him liberty by parting soul from body. He had not yet passed the holy threshold, when he fixed his eye on me and said: ‘Take this to Antipater; Demosthenes you shall not take, no, by——' And methought he would have added, by the men that fell at Marathon.
50
And with that farewell he parted. So ends, O King, the siege of Demosthenes.
