A source-book of ancient history - The Search For Mecca

300 The Hellenistic Age
The offer rejected.
lb. II.
The moral
standard of
the league
was high.
newed the ancestral friendship of the king with the
Achaeans, and stated to the assembly the offer made by
him. They spoke at great length on these subjects, and
retired after setting forth the greatness of the king's kindness
and affection to the nation.
After they had finished their speech, Apollonidas of
Sicyon rose and said that, "As far as the amount of the
money was concerned, it was a present worthy of the
Achasans. But if they looked to the intention of the
donor, or to the purpose to which the gift was to
be applied, none could well be more insulting and
more unconstitutional. The laws prohibited any one,
whether a private individual or magistrate, from accepting
presents from a king on any pretence whatever; but if
they took this money they would every one of them be
plainly accepting a present, which was at once the gravest
possible breach of the law, and confessedly the deepest
personal disgrace. For that the council should take a
great wage from Eumenes, and meet to deliberate on the
interests of the league after swallowing such a bait, was
manifestly disgraceful and injurious. It was Eumenes
that offered money now; presently it would be Prusias;
and then Seleucus. But as the interests of democracies
and of kings are quite opposite to each other, and as our
most frequent and most important deliberations concern
the points of controversy arising between us and the
kings,
one of two things must necessarily happen; either
the interests of the king will have precedence over our
own, or we must incur the reproach of ingratitude for
opposing our paymasters." He therefore urged the
Achaeans not only to decline the offer, but to hold Eumenes
in detestation for thinking of making it. . . .
After these speeches had been delivered, the people