3
3-12 of this speech were inserted by Aeschines, with slight alterations, in his De Falsa Legatione( Aeschin. 2.172-176), an interesting example of the plagiarism which is known to have been common in ancient times. The De Falsa Legationewas delivered in 343, almost fifty years after this. Now take the days when we were fighting EuboeaAndocides is confused in his history here. He is referring to the revolt of Euboea which occurred in 446 B.C. and which was followed by a thirty years’ peace with Sparta. He is also inaccurate in stating that Athens was still holding Megara; Megara revolted at the same time as Euboea, and Athens was left only with the two ports of Pegae and Nisaea. The peace marked the end of her effort to acquire an empire on land. See Thuc. 1.112. and controlled Megara, Pegae, and Troezen. We were seized with a longing for peace; and, in virtue of his being Sparta’s representative at Athens, we recalled Cimon’s son, MiltiadesA double historical error. (a) Andocides means Cimon, son of Miltiades. (b) Cimon had been dead three years when the thirty years’ peace was negotiated. A. is thinking of the truce of five years with Sparta arranged by Cimon in 451 immediately upon his return from exile. It was at the time of its expiry that the revolt of Euboea occurred. Cimon had been ostracized in 461 after his ignominious dismissal by the Spartans from Ithome. His exile marked the triumph of the advanced democrats headed by Ephialtes and Pericles.,who had been ostracized and was living in the Chersonese, for the one purpose of sending him to Sparta to make overtures for an armistice.
4
On that occasion we secured a peace of fifty years with Sparta; and both sides kept the treaty in question for thirteen. Let us consider this single instance first, gentlemen. Did the Athenian democracy ever fall during this peace? No one can show that it did. On the contrary, I will tell you how much you benefited by this peace.
