Philip had turned aside to the coast…
351 BCE
Philip had turned aside to the coast of Thrace, avoiding a direct confrontation with Athens, but his intentions were clear.
Many Athenians, however, continue to believe that Philip's threat was transitory, though not Demosthenes, who in the first half of 351 denounces Philip and Macedonian imperialism in his “First Philippic.” He decries the Athenian moves to counter Philip as always being too little and coming too late, and urges the creation of a task force and larger emergency force.
He reminds the Athenians that they had once defeated the Spartans, who were as strong as Philip, and sarcastically points out that Philip would never have conquered their territories if he were as timid as the Athenians seem to be.
He concludes by challenging his countrymen to take their affairs in their own hands rather than let Philip win by default.
It is not clear how influential Demosthenes' advice is—or how influential, at this stage, it deserves to be: at about the same time, and perhaps actually after the First Philippic, Demosthenes is found advocating, in the Speech on the Freedom of the Rhodians, a foolish diversion of resources to the southeastern Aegean against the encroachments of Mausolus' family.
The situation there is, in fact, beyond repair.
The goading First Philippic fails to rouse the Athenians but they do send a small contingent in September 351 when Philip lays siege to a place called Heraeum Teichos.
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