AESCHINES B.C.) Athenian orator, the political opponent of Demosthenes. Aeschines and Demosthenes were both members of the first embassy to Philip (Feb.–March 346 B.c.). Philip's envoys appeared in the Assembly on April 15 and 16, and between these two meetings Aeschines appears to have been won over to Philip's interest; on the 15th he refused, with Demosthenes, to accept a clause excluding Phocis; on the 16th he supported a peace in which the question was left vague. The same ambassadors went to administer the oaths to Philip, but, after so delaying on their journey that Philip had time to make conquests in Thrace, Philocrates and Aeschines (out-voting Demosthenes), allowed him to exclude the Phocians. But on his return Aeschines falsely assured the Assembly that he had private information that Philip meant to support Phocis. The Athenians believed him and Phocis, left without support, surrendered.
In 345, Demosthenes accused Aeschines of misconduct, but Aeschines saved himself by an attack on Demosthenes' supporter (in Timarchum). In 343, Demosthenes renewed the attack, and Aeschines secured a bare acquittal (De Falsa Legatione).
In 34o, war broke out again with Philip, and thanks to Aeschines, who stirred up a Sacred War in 339, he managed to enter Greece unopposed, as general of the Amphictyonic forces. Athens and Thebes, united by Demosthenes, resisted desperately, but were decisively defeated at Chaeroneia (338).
Aeschines' party secured favourable terms from Philip, and prosecuted Demosthenes on various charges, but the Athenians loyally supported him, and in 337 it was proposed to crown him for public services. Aeschines brought a graphe paranomon against the proposer (in Ctesiphontem), but the case was not tried till 33o. Demosthenes' speech on the Crown (a vindication of his whole policy) secured the condemnation of Aeschines, who withdrew to Rhodes.
BIBLIOGRAPHY.—ANCIENT AUTHORITIES.—Demosthenes, De CoronaBibliography.—ANCIENT AUTHORITIES.—Demosthenes, De Corona (edition by Goodwin, 1901) and De Falsa Legatione (see Weil, les Plaidoyers Politiques de Demosthene, 1877) Aeschines' Speeches; Lives by Plutarch, Philostratus and Libanius; the Exegesis of Apol lonius. EDITIONS—Benseler (1855-60, trans. and notes, Weidner, 1872), Blass (1896) ; Against Ctesiphon, Weidner (1872, 1878) ; G. A. and W. H. Simcox (1866), Drake (1872) ; Richardson (1889), Gwatkin and Shuckburgh (189c). ENGLISH TRANSLATIONS.—Leland (1771).
Biddle (1881), Adams (Loeb series, 1919), and others. See also Stechow, Aeschinis Oratoris vita (1841) ; Marchand, Charakteristik dec Redners Aschines (1876) ; Castets Eschine, l'Orateur (1875) ; for the political problems see histories of Greece, esp. A. Holm, vol. iii., Eng. trans. 1896; A. Schafer, Demosth. and seine Zeit (Leipzig, 1856-58) ; also DEMOSTHENES.