Demosthenes

Born: 384 BCE Athens, Greece

Died: 322 BCE

Greek lawyer, orator, speech-writer, and statesman whose speeches reflect the intellectual vigor of classical Athens and provide much insight into Greek political, cultural, and social life. Orphaned at age seven, Demosthenes taught himself rhetoric because he was unable, due to his supposed delicate physique, to receive the customary gymnastic education. He delivered his first judicial speeches at age twenty when he sued his guardians to recover what was left of his father's estate. Receiving only a portion of his inheritance and needing a source of income, Demosthenes turned to writing speeches for use in private legal suits and speaking on behalf of others in court. He became interested in politics during his time as a professional speech-writer and litigant, and made his first political speech in 354 BCE. He devoted most of his energy and rhetorical skill in a vain attempt to slow or halt the expansion of Macedon (Macedonia) under Philip II. After Philip II's death, Demosthenes participated in an abortive revolt against Phillip's son, Alexander the Great, which resulted in harsh Macedon reprisals. To prevent a revolt against his own rule, Antipater, Alexander's successor in Greece, sent his men to capture Demosthenes. Demosthenes committed suicide to avoid arrest.

Raphael Sealey, Demosthenes and His Time: A Study in Defeat (New York: Oxford University Press, 1993).